The internship I almost didn't get

Internships are a big deal. The one I landed at Jet Magazine back in 2013 literally changed my life. It catapulted my career as a journalist.

I spent months writing all kinds of articles for a well-renowned, national publication. And the relationships I developed were invaluable. Without my experience there, I wouldn’t have snagged my first full-time job at the very publication I interned for.

But this isn’t a post about the importance of internships. (They are pretty major though.) I almost didn’t get that summer gig. I wasn’t even selected at first.

I’d just wrapped up my first year in grad school and needed to occupy my summer. I had been putting a bug in my career counselor’s ear about interning at Jet for months, so she knew it was a dream of mine. When she emailed me to tell me they were finally accepting applications, I was hype! And when I got called in for an interview, my shout turned into a twerk. (Sorry, God.)

Tell me why I was late for my interview?! I was just five minutes behind, but late is late. When I arrived, my blowout wasn’t as straight as it was when I left my apartment. I was slightly out of breath, and I was glistening. I wasn’t quite sweating yet.

Although I was tardy, I thought I nailed the meeting. I answered all the questions the best I could, and I laid on the pleasantries thick in an attempt to make up for my lateness. But after two weeks of harassing the human resources manager via phone and email, I found out I didn’t get it.

Yea, that was a tough pill to swallow, but I took it like a G. Plus, I had another internship lined up to make sure I was still being productive with my much-needed time off from school.

On the first day of my backup internship, Jet called to tell me they had one spot left. I was like, “Wait, what?!” The HR manager asked if I could come in to meet with the managing editor and editor in chief. I’ve never said “yes” so fast before in my life.

I went in for another interview—10 minutes early. I was crazy nervous, but I was far more prepared than I was before. I learned I got the job while standing in line for a J. Cole concert in Detroit. (I met Jermaine for the second time that day, but that story deserves a separate post lol.) June 25, 2013 was a good ass day to say the least.

What’s the moral of the story? If at first you don’t succeed, try again? No, seriously. Failure was a part of my journey, and it will continue to be. I don’t mind though, because it teaches me resilience and tenacity. I bounce back a lot easier from disappointments now, because I know something better is on the way. And you know what that is? Growth.

I read a bible verse a couple of weeks ago, James 1:3, that said, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” That part!

So fail gracefully, and grow your faith. Sure, it’s easier said than done. It takes a little practice, but it’ll all be worth it.