How NOT to look for a summer internship

"Frustration" is an inappropriate word to describe the hubris I now see in my January, internship-seeking self.

You see, I wanted to land the crown jewel of internships, unprecedented for an undergraduate: at the World Health Organization.

I thought I'd at least have a shot. Alas, I knew they might not contact me, so over the course of the next 6 months (even today) I have been sending resume after resume, cover letter after cover letter, hoping in vain to be acknowledged by someone, anyone, anywhere.

I stopped my spreadsheet organization process after my first 40 applications. By my estimates, I have now applied to over 60 positions :(

I can now see where I went wrong:

1. I didn't use my school to my advantage. After years of pooh-poohing anything to do with my school, which I believed to be a detriment to me, I am regretful. I should have used every opportunity (career counselors et al.) to my advantage.
2. I expected lightning to strike the same place twice. After a completely slamming internship at a place where I'd been volunteering for 6 months, I expected to be able to continue building on that name alone. I was sorely mistaken.
3. I wasted valuable time which I could have used to do other things. Instead of focusing on taking an LSAT class so I could take the test in June and get it out of the way, I was too late to enroll in a class and thus take the LSAT with complete preparation.

Maybe it's because of the economic climate. Maybe more people than I thought want to be in global health. Maybe I chose the wrong major.

Anyway, this post is starting to make me feel awful. Hopefully, I'll get an internship or opportunity which will be as fulfilling as I could have hoped.

For now, I have been volunteering at my old internship office, and public health departments around my area. And, of course, updating this blog.