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✨ Advice column ✨

The mentality of internships and being “goated”

I’m going to be very honest. After being in the internship, scholarship, and opportunity space for around 2.5 years, especially through running Girls on Campus, one thing I have started to dislike is how many creators make opportunities look too easy.

You’ll see videos that say things like, “Stop applying online, just send this cold email,” or “Use this message and you’ll get an internship.” And while some of that advice can be helpful, a lot of it creates a very unrealistic image of how internships actually work.

The problem is not that cold emailing is bad. The problem is that the advice is usually too simplified. It makes students feel like there is one perfect template, one perfect trick, or one perfect message that can skip the entire hiring process which leads to mass applying other mass cold emailing. And when students do not get a response, they start thinking they did something wrong. But the reality is that internships are not that simple.

Gen Z is one of the youngest generations entering the workforce right now, but the job market is still largely run by older systems, older hiring structures, and older professional rules. Most companies still have processes. They have recruiters, applicant tracking systems, hiring managers, budgets, approvals, legal requirements, and timelines. A lot of companies cannot just create an internship because one student sent a strong email.

This is especially true for big companies. If you are emailing Google, Apple, JPMorgan, Meta, Deloitte, or any large company, a cold email alone is probably not going to magically get you an internship. These companies have multiple departments, university recruiting teams, referral systems, internal rules, and thousands of applicants. A random email to one person usually cannot override the entire hiring process.

But does that mean cold emails do not work? No. Cold emails can work, but only when you understand what they are actually for. A cold email is not always meant to immediately get you the internship. Sometimes it helps you get information, get a referral, get a conversation, learn who the right person is, understand what the team looks for, or get your name remembered before roles open.

And yes, in some cases, a cold email can directly lead to an internship. If you are emailing a small business near your house, a local nonprofit, a startup, a boutique agency, a professor, a founder, a community organization, or a small team that does not have a formal internship program, your email can actually open a door. Smaller organizations usually have fewer layers, which means the person reading your email might actually be the person who makes the decision.

That is very different from emailing a giant company and expecting one message to replace the application process. This is where students need to be strategic. Cold emailing is not bad advice. Oversimplified cold emailing is bad advice.

The question is not, “Should I apply online or cold email?” The better answer is: do both, depending on the company. For big companies, apply online first. Then network around the role. Find recruiters, alumni, analysts, associates, program managers, or people close to the team. Ask thoughtful questions. Try to understand what the company looks for. If appropriate, ask if they are open to sharing advice or referring you.

For small companies, startups, local businesses, nonprofits, creators, agencies, and community organizations, cold outreach can be much more direct. You can introduce yourself, explain what you noticed about their work, and suggest a clear way you could help. That could be social media, research, event support, outreach, operations, content creation, data organization, or anything that matches what they actually need.

But no matter where you apply, you need more than just a message. You need proof. This is where a lot of students get stuck. They spend so much time trying to find the perfect template that they forget the most important question: why should this person trust me?

A good internship strategy includes a strong resume, a clear LinkedIn profile, a portfolio or examples of your work, proof of interest, relevant projects, campus involvement, volunteer experience, part-time work, class projects, leadership experience, and real examples of what you can do. You do not need to have a perfect resume. You do not need to have worked at a big company before. But you do need to show effort, clarity, and proof.

If you want a marketing internship, show a social media page you helped grow, a mock campaign, a newsletter, a Canva portfolio, or analytics from a project. If you want a finance internship, show that you understand the industry through classes, finance clubs, stock pitches, company research, or market analysis. If you want a tech internship, show projects, GitHub work, websites, apps, hackathons, or small tools you built. If you want communications or journalism, show articles, interviews, newsletters, blog posts, campus publications, or writing samples.

You have to make your value visible. That is the part many “goated internship advice” videos skip. They make it sound like the message is the magic, but the message is only one piece. Your application, timing, proof, network, follow-up, communication, and understanding of the company all matter.

Timing matters more than people admit too. Some internships open months before summer. Some close quickly. Some recruit in the fall. Some small companies hire last minute. Some roles are filled before students even start looking. That means you cannot only search when you feel desperate. You need to build your materials early, follow companies before applications open, connect with people before you need something, and keep a list of places you want to apply to.

So yes, send the cold email. But do not send it blindly. Know who you are emailing, why you are emailing them, what you are asking for, and what value you can offer. Understand the difference between a company that can respond flexibly and a company that has a formal hiring process.

The goal is not to look “goated” online. The goal is to become someone who is prepared, visible, and professional enough that when an opportunity appears, people can clearly see why you deserve to be considered.

That is how you actually get closer to an internship.

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