Reggie Responds #8

Welcome to Reggie Responds, Roar’s advice column! Our columnists are here to provide you helpful, or maybe not so helpful, advice. Tune in on Fridays to see what they have to say about your problems. 

Q: I’m unable to get an internship because of Covid-19 – I’ve applied to so many, but none have gotten back to me.

Nikita: The delicate dance between applying for multiple internships while still trying to maintain the quality of applications you send in is one that I am certain many of us are familiar with. This solidarity in inconvenience does nothing, however, to rid us of any exhaustion we face. While I frequently oscillate between quarantine-induced hazes in inefficiency and moments of caffeine-prompted productivity, it’s these very moments of productivity which prompted me to google ‘how to get internships during Covid.’ Now, while the advice I am about to give you isn’t tried-and-tested, it definitely sounds right so, here we go.

In addition to scouring Kings’ Career website, make sure to keep an eye out on sites which advertise opportunities to students (Creative Access, Prospects, TARGET jobs, etc.). A lot of companies post openings on their social media pages, so definitely keep tabs on that. Also, companies sometimes close applications before the due date (as they have found their candidates) so remember to apply well in advance!

While networking is always useful, don’t be hesitant to take an internship which might not be the ‘perfect fit’ – after all, any experience is useful. And in the off-chance that you’re unable to find an internship, don’t hesitate to use this time to build up your CV!

Q: Uni feels like a waste of time, and I don’t care about my work anymore.

Matthew: Well, let me just say you’re not alone at all. It’s a real pain having to navigate the complexities of uni whilst being stuck indoors. It’s genuinely so hard to care when your surroundings are stationary and you’re constantly in your own bedroom (or wherever you work). I would encourage you to get out and go for walks, plan things within your routine to make each day different from the last. Contribute in different ways in each seminar, use this time to take risks and behave more daringly than you would normally. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and then you won’t have any option other than to care. In a way, I feel as though the exam season is the best part of each semester right now, as we need a focus and something to care about. So I guess all I can say is I feel you, it’s a tough time, but hold out for Monday, as any announcements from Boris will inevitably point towards the end of this horrible lockdown.

If you want to submit a question, you can do so here.