Junior year in college is often described as "recruiting season”. I had never heard of the word “recruiting” before I got to college, so the process of job searching while in college was new to me. 

In simple terms, junior year recruiting is the process of applying for a summer internship after junior year that you hope can turn into a full-time offer after graduation. I started off my junior fall feeling confused, a little stressed out, and honestly lost on how to navigate it. Now that I’m coming out the other side, I wanted to share a few thoughts that I wish I had known earlier, in case they can be helpful to anyone heading into their own recruiting cycle.

1. People really do want to help.

The biggest surprise for me was how willing people were to share their time and guidance. When I started off thinking about different career paths, I reached out to upperclassmen and alumni who were working in fields that I was interested in. Everyone I reached out to was beyond receptive and willing to speak with me about their own experiences and share advice. From the conversations that I had, I was able to narrow down my field of interest to marketing. I can’t express enough how helpful Linkedin, introductions through friends/upperclassmen, and cold emails were. 

Through these connections, I got the opportunity to have conversations with people I thought I’d never be able to have the chance to even meet, including the Director of Business Performance at Louis Vuitton. Truly each person who gifted me a moment of their time was so passionate about the work that they did and had such a strong desire to help me find my footing.

2. You can never over-prepare.

As I moved through interviews, I realized how much preparation matters – not just for “doing well” but for building confidence and making each conversation feel more meaningful. Even a casual phone call is an opportunity to learn more about both a company and the field as a whole – and decide if it’s the right fit for you. 

Before any interview or call, I got into the habit of spending some time reading through the company website, current projects, and skimming any current news regarding the company/field. That prep helped me ask better questions and further, helped me connect more naturally with the person on the other side of the screen. I felt less like I was performing and more like I was having a real conversation.

One platform I'm a big fan of is Google Calendar. I feel like it's really easy to organize upcoming meetings and conversations that I had with new people/companies.

3. Give yourself grace.

Before I signed my summer offer, I felt like I was in a state of constantly switching between stress, the idea that things will work out, and back to stress. Oftentimes the recruiting process can be a long process – companies move at widely different speeds – and each day might feel like a time crunch. One thing that really helped my mental sanity during my month of recruiting was deliberately taking time out of each day where I got to do something just for myself – whether it be getting dessert, watching a movie, or reading a book.

Recruiting junior year can be an intense part of college because of its newness and uncertainty. If you’re heading into that season, I hope that you are able to take time for yourself each day and know that you have people who are rooting for you and want you to succeed.