From an Unpaid Intern to a BOLD Google Intern

This past summer I was blessed to work as an Associate Product Marketing Manager (APMM) intern at Google with their YouTube Premium & Music team. I remember the insurmountable joy I had when my recruiter offered me the internship. I couldn't help but reflect on how I got here. However, the road to get here was not smooth sailing. In fact, it was probably one of the most stressful experiences I had to ever endure.

Let's be honest. Searching for a job is tough.

Upon my admission into the Robert H. Smith School of Business, I was astounded by the amazing opportunities my peers were landing at notable companies. However, a part of me felt empty for not having the same outcomes. I had never been one to attach self worth to anything; but coming to one of the best business schools in the nation and seeing my peers flourish motivated me to try harder and apply for any and all positions I stumbled across.

I remember long nights of editing my resume, networking, creating cover letters, meeting with mentors for interview prep, and so many other tactics to try and break into a big name company.

Fast forward to Summer 2019; of all the companies I applied to, I only received two interviews and one externship offer from recruiting season. I ended up not receiving any summer offers with a big name company; or any company for that matter. This really discouraged me and made me doubt my potential. So many questions populated in my mind:

Is something wrong with me?

Am I not good enough?

Am I just a failure?

Fortunately, I had a supportive network that encouraged and redirected me to continue looking for work experience. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon an email chain of job listings from my marketing professor for an unpaid internship with a small marketing agency in Washington, DC. I first thought "what good could come from working an unpaid internship"?

I realized that the skills I could gain held more weight than just holding a title from a big name company. Here are my top three takeaways from working a unpaid internship:

• It confirmed my passion and calling to be a marketer.?
• I built more confidence in myself and my professional abilities.
• You don't have to work at a big name company to get valuable working experience.

Looking back, I don’t regret the process I went through. I attained industry knowledge on marketing campaigns, digital reports, social media analytics, and so much more that I still apply till this day. I learned the foundations of my career path, and leveraged my skills and experiences for future opportunities.

When I came to now intern with Google this past summer, I was able to understand the language of the industry, and my previous unpaid internship experience really reenforced these terms and concepts. They weren't just head knowledge, they became talking points that helped me hold conversations with professionals in the industry.

If there is any advice I could offer, it is to not despise the days of humble beginnings. They will help you start from somewhere and lay the groundwork for the future, and who knows what it holds! For me, I realized that this unpaid internship was not the end, but it was just a means to an end. To anyone still in the job search process looking for breakthrough, keep your head up and know that your small beginnings will grow into something greater. It is only a matter of time before you get that one "yes" you've been looking for.

What are your thoughts on the topic of unpaid internships? Career mobility? Share below in the comments — I’d love to hear them and start a conversation!