When you hear people talk about their internship search, you might hear something like, “I got mine in early September!” or “I got mine before classes even started!”

That certainly wasn’t my story.

Early in my sophomore year I didn’t realize how early the recruiting cycle started for accounting internships. I had also assumed that most of the positions would be filled up early in the spring semester, much closer to the date of the actual internship, so I didn't start looking until early November.

Boy was I wrong. By that time a lot of positions that I was interested in, especially those among larger firms, were already filled.

At the time, this made me feel super discouraged, as I had totally missed the bus with my search and many of my peers already had offers signed before I started seriously looking. I had to take a step back and focus on what my next steps could be.

I went to the Center for Career Development to strengthen my resume, and figured out myself that I needed to have a target geographical area. I wanted to stay close to home, focusing heavily on the greater Washington D.C. area for my search.

I then searched for firms and companies that operated there and went directly to their websites and hiring portals and applied for relevant internships they had available. Eventually, I found an internship that was exclusively posted to Handshake (and literally nowhere else) and had signed the offer just before the end of the fall semester, after just over a month of searching.

The internship was phenomenal for me and gave me lots of hands-on experience working in government contracting, and confidence going into my junior year. That foundation played a huge role in helping me navigate my next internship search that eventually led to a full-time offer with a large firm that I'm really excited about.

It reminded me that the timing might not always go to plan, but the opportunity is not gone.

Here's what I learned: 

• Recruiting timelines are very real and extremely important, especially in fields like Accounting, Finance, and Management Information Systems. Learn them early and be sure to keep them in mind.

• Even if you miss the first big cycle, it's okay. Companies can still be hiring in the spring or summer. Continue your search and don’t give up hope.

• Many smaller firms, local companies, and government agencies are great places to build your skills. They may be hiring outside of typical recruiting windows.

• Stay proactive in your search. Talk to fellow students and professors and go to career fairs and similar events.

• Any experience counts and matters. You’ll learn some extremely valuable things no matter where you end up.

If you’re a freshman or sophomore, or even a junior, and you’re feeling behind, things will be okay in the end. Everyone’s path looks different, and your path (like mine) may not be exactly how you dreamed it would be. This does not define your success.

What matters most is how you respond when things don’t go according to plan, and savor every step of the way. It goes way too quick; you really haven't missed anything.

You’ve still got time. You’ve still got options. You’ve got this.

Bryce Thurber
Audit Associate at BDO
Chambers College alumnus

"Let's Talk Business" is a series of guest blogs written by members of the Chambers College community. All views expressed in this post are the author's own.

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