I just started college, and I feel like I’m already ten steps behind all of my peers. The second you get to school, you’re told the same thing: build your resume and get experience early. You want to be competitive in the job market, don’t you?
Everyone starts by setting up their LinkedIn profiles and realizing CSOM majors already have their 500+ connections. And then you start overhearing conversations as you pass by in Stokes: a girl casually mentions how her mom’s a lawyer, and her dad’s an accountant, both for fancy-pants firms. I bet she has an internship (I don’t have anything against nepo babies, I just wish I were one too).
What makes it so frustrating is how fake the whole process feels. You’re supposed to write cover letters about how much you love this company you learned about five minutes ago, and then also fit your experience (which you don’t have yet) and personality (???) all into one page.
Fresh out of high school, being expected to be proficient in Photoshop, Excel, JavaScript, and having 3 years of relevant experience is simply not reflective of the average freshman. Realistically, you’re just trying to get one person to give you a chance. We may not have that yet, but we’re young and hungry. What better than a blank slate to make the most of an internship? Just one chance to learn, help out, and get some exposure. But somehow, even that can be weirdly out of reach.
It’s really helped with rejection therapy. A lot of these applications I’ve sent out don’t even get back to me. It’s truly humbling—putting yourself out there into the void and hoping someone decides a freshman is worth taking seriously.
It feels even worse for students interested in law. Most of what’s out there is for current law students, graduated applicants, and even upperclassmen who have a great portfolio of strong writing samples and a stacked CV.
What is available is unpaid, and yet somehow still incredibly competitive. So not only are you still investing time into creating a comprehensive application, but you’re also paying out of pocket for transportation, food, and time.
The message I feel like I’ve been getting is start early, but how can you start when there’s nowhere to learn? Along with figuring out college and this huge transition, you’re also trying to decode a professional culture surrounding it. You’re learning how to sound polished before you even feel qualified to speak.
Even when Boston College talks endlessly about the opportunities and network it offers, you still have to work really hard to find them. I feel freshmen should not be made to feel like they have already failed for not arriving polished. How can we provide experience before anyone even offers it to us?
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