What to Do If Your Internship Application Is Denied

Internship application denial is something an applicant must face during their career. Noticing the rejection of an internship application probably seems like an attack to the applicant’s confidence. But they should realize that rejection does not determine anyone’s worth or capability. What matters now is, instead of concentrating on the disappointment, learning from the experience, moving forward, and working on providing oneself with better opportunities to succeed next time.

What to Do If Your Internship Application Is Denied

1. Allow Yourself to Process the Emotion
With an application denial, disappointment and frustration seem a natural reaction. After processing these emotions, do not get unproductive for too long. Remind yourself that rejection is a part of life and is part of the job application process. It is not in any way a judgment of your worth as a human being or even particularly relevant to your talent. Turn the implications of rejection into resilience and the future.

2. Consider a Request for Feedback
If you feel comfortable doing so, you may want to reach out to someone from the company or the recruiting side who ultimately viewed your application. Even if it was to receive constructive feedback about what you could have done differently with your resume, with your cover letter, or with the interview, some employers can be generous share their thoughts. Keep all your communications polite and professional, being genuinely interested in receiving feedback on how to improve yourself going forward.

3. Think It Over
Take time to consider what happened with the application process. Some questions you might ask are:

Did your resume and cover letter assert your strengths well?
Were your experiences representative of what the company was looking for?
Did you adequately prepare for the interview (if relevant)? Checking your own approach may reveal areas to work on next time, whether that’s beefing up your resume, more nicely tailoring the application materials, or preparing stronger answers for future interviews.

4. Keep Networking
Networking is one of the strongest opportunities one can have to get an entry. So, not getting this internship does not mean another one cannot come up for grabs. Attend career fairs, industry events, and networking meetups to keep expanding your professional network. Reach out to your school’s alumni or others in your area via LinkedIn to find out about new internship postings while they are hot off the press! Relationships count-a lot-on opportunities you can learn of even before they are posted publicly.

5. Amend and Improve Your Application Materials
If your application was unsuccessful, it probably means not only that your resume but also your cover letter needs to be polished at some point. Check both documents and ensure they are up to the nines and tailored to each and every position.

Resume: Dedicates to demonstrating relevant skills and experiences, with action verbs and quantifiable achievements whose visible result was an impact.
Cover Letter: A cover letter specific to each position must highlight why you are a strong fit and how your skills match the needs of the company. Ask help from a career counselor, mentor, or a friend who could give you a second opinion on your material.

6. Widen Your Net
It is so easy to be so focused on one internship, but it helps you in the long run to have options. Open your search to the different areas under which a similar career may exist or even consider internships at a different company. Consider small firms, startups or non-profits too. Internships in a different industry can still teach you things and develop skills.

7. Hone Your Skills
If it rejected your internship application solely due to lack of experience or skills, you can motivate yourself not to give up by taking action to develop your qualifications. A lot of free and inexpensive resources can be found on the internet that helps in developing industry-relevant skills. These include the following:

Online courses: Coursera, edX, and LinkedIn Learning have courses on myriad subjects.
Certification: Certification in your field makes you a more attractive candidate for any future internship you hope to land.
Volunteering: Volunteering can keep you busy in hands-on learning of your aspiring field while increasing your professional network.

8. Be Positive and Persistent
In fact, rejection does not mark the end of your internship efforts. Rather, it’s just the end of one step toward future success. Remain positive and persistent, knowing that the right opportunity will come sooner rather than later. Indeed, some iconic figures go through many rejections before realization dawns over them, while most of the students see a failure directly as the end of their internship hunt. Be inspired, refueled, and the journey will go on.

9. Apply for Other Internships
Not all internships are everyday 9-to-5 jobs with big companies. Try and look for non-conventional internships such as remote or freelance opportunities or internships at smaller, lesser-known organizations. These internships are likely to give you hands-on experience while also giving you more responsibility and making a significant impact on a smaller team.

10. Try Again Next Year
If you aren’t quite finished with that company that rejected your application, you should try again at the same firm next year. Take what you have learned from the rejection process to develop an even stronger application next time. Some organizations also have internship programs offered annually or seasonally. So if you missed it this time, there’s always next year.

In the end, rejection hurts some, but it is nothing but a pebble in the road of your career journey. Take it as a learning experience, a time for serious reflection, and a time for improvement. With hard work, persistence, and a positive mindset, your next application might be the one that truly leads to something amazing. Keep learning, keep networking-there’s really one important thing to focus on now: moving ahead.