I recently had my first ever interview for an internship.
You can probably guess from the title that I didn’t get the job!
I had no problem with not hearing back or being rejected when all I’d done was fill a form in online. But when I’d gone in (traveled all the way to Edinburgh for a day!), met the people, and actually had a really nice day, somehow it all hit a bit harder.
I’m not saying the interview went incredibly and I don’t understand why they couldn’t give me a place, but nor am I saying that I didn’t do my best and think it might be enough.
When I got that fatal email I was much more upset than I expected to be. I’ve failed things before (my driving test, twice…) and applications been rejected, but I’d really enjoyed my day there and had begun to picture myself working there day to day. I think that’s where the sadness came from, and I’ve learnt a lot from it.
I think before the interview I could have tried imagining I already had the internship, but after the interview I should have stopped myself. I never consciously did it, but I definitely still did. I need to remember that the day was really fun – I had a nice time exploring Edinburgh, I enjoyed working through the problems they set and discussing them, and I had a whole day off working, something which I haven’t had for a while before or since.
I’m grateful for the experience of the interview and I hope more come my way soon. And that’s the most important thing at this stage.