With internship application deadlines rolling in, campus has been bustling with chatter about when interviews are and who has received offers where. Despite all the stress and pressures that surround finding the perfect summer internship, it is important to stop and recognize that whatever internship or job you find this summer doesn’t have to define what you do for the rest of your life. In fact, doing something that isn’t necessarily related to your career of interest may prepare you more than you might think.
When I first came to Georgetown, I had no idea what career path I wanted to take. And even though I have a slightly better idea now, I still know that my interests can change with the wind. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels a bit of pressure to have a plan — to want to be a lawyer, doctor, banker, scholar, et cetera. However, I recognized that one of the best parts of being a 20-something at Georgetown with little to no idea about what she wants to do is that I have time to try new things and figure it out — and I’ll be more marketable for doing that. There’s no time like the present to be a Type-A Bohemian.
Type-A Bohemian is a term that refers to an emerging group of young people who have the drive to be successful but have out-of-the-box interests or other creative passions. The Type-A Bohemian may be a premed student who likes to paint in his free time or someone who has an interest in being a lawyer but loves food blogging. This is becoming increasingly common among 20-somethings — and it’s a good thing.
Having a wide variety of experiences, not necessarily all related to each other, discerns what we really love. Having experiences that don’t fit into a prescribed box of what makes a “good” lawyer, doctor, banker, scholar, et cetera, can make you a better person for the job because you have knowledge of a broader context. And, of course, there are the personal benefits of doing the things you love, even if they’re not “marketable.” Your college experience shouldn’t always be about resume building.
So as frantic talk of finding the elusive summer internship continues into the spring months, we 20-somethings should take a moment to stop stressing, embrace the Bohemian and let the Type-A guide us to whatever potential experience excites us. We should stop trying to fit ourselves into those boxes and realize that even if we don’t land the exact internship or job that we want this summer, other experiences can get us where we want to be, too. Not to mention, they might give us something to talk about in interviews besides the bad state of the market.
Brooke Berger is a junior in the College. The 20-something transition appears every other Friday in the guide.
