Did I tell you about when one of my teachers came in for a job interview with me for an internship?

"No one has ever become poor by giving." — Anne Frank.

Let’s go back to 2016. I finished high school, and I’m studying for a diploma in international trade.

My first job interview was for an internship I needed to complete to graduate.

I went to all the companies in my city physically, giving out my empty resume, but I never heard back.

I’m from Boulogne-Sur-Mer, a small town with less than 50,000 inhabitants in northern France.

There are few companies and limited career opportunities there.

I was hopeless. I had no connections; I didn’t even like what I was studying.

I picked it because I wanted to speak English, and we had a lot of English classes. ?

A few weeks before the internship's supposed start date, one of my teachers helped me land an interview through her network.?

And yes, and she came with me in the interview.?

I felt as useful as the plant in the corner of the office where the interview was happening. ?

However, my teacher secured the internship for me as an international commercial assistant.

Yes, it felt embarrassing, but I was 18 and couldn’t care less. I was just relieved I could graduate thanks to this internship.?

The internship lasted 3 months: one week in school and 2 weeks in the company.

Fast forward 4 months later, I graduated from the program.

Even better, I secured a summer job with the same company.?

I gained enough of their trust to hire me as an employee to do it full-time for 2 months.

Looking back, I realise it doesn’t matter who opens the door for us.?

We just need one chance to show what we are capable of.

Back then, I didn’t have LinkedIn, and there weren’t many companies in my city. I couldn’t move outside, and I didn’t have the connections.

But I asked my teacher for help.?

She helped me more than I thought, which was kind of embarrassing in the interview, but when you have no choice, you’re willing to do what it takes.

Since then, I wasn’t afraid to ask for help.

Which helped me immensely in my career so far.

That’s one of the reasons why I volunteer as a mentor for students.

I know how helpless it can be, especially when you don’t know the job market. All you know is school.

If you are a student looking for an internship, I know it’s not easy, but try reaching out to people instead.

Many companies don’t advertise internships online, but they can be created more quickly than a full-time work contract.

Thank you for reading me,

Damien

?PS: the picture was taken in Ballingeary, Ireland.