As I stand in line at the post office with a pile of manila envelopes in my arms, I can’t help but feel like I’m a high-school senior. I am once again shoving examples of my qualities and achievements into the mail and hoping somebody wants me.

I am applying for internships, along with millions of other college students.

And with barely three weeks left in the semester, this is crunch time. The students whose futures remain unclear are beginning to feel nervous. Resentment for people whose internships came easily is growing. It is through gritted teeth that we congratulate each other on sought-after positions.

‘They only got it because they know somebody,’ we think to ourselves.

By now, most have noticed that internship-seeking students fall into one of two categories: Those who have connections and those who don’t. This causes extreme animosity for many of the connectionless.

Although my parents both have good jobs, I, too, am one of the connectionless. My mom is a microbiology professor and my dad is an engineer. I am out of luck; I want to work at a magazine.

There was a time when it pained me to hear that some people don’t spend hours poring over internship databases at one of Syracuse University’s career centers. For many lucky students, all it took was a well-placed phone call from a family or friend to secure an interview.

It is important to remember that the key here is luck – these students just happen to know somebody who knows somebody. They aren’t selling their souls or committing murder for internships on Wall Street. They would have to be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

‘I don’t think it’s bad because I’m not under-qualified,’ said Kaveh Mama, an undeclared sophomore who is planning on majoring in finance and has been in close contact with a family friend about a summer internship at the financial firm Smith Barney. ‘It would just be harder to get if I didn’t know him. It’s just a little extra push.’

Of course, this isn’t fair. But then again, life isn’t fair, and it never will be. The sooner we all realize this, the sooner we can stop feeling bad for ourselves and make our own luck.

The truth is that we all have more connections available to us than we think, said Ronnie Jones, student internship adviser for Syracuse University’s Center of Career Services.

‘There are certain internships that are well-known, but on the other hand, every little enterprise around the corner can provide good internships. Think of it more as a learning opportunity than getting a big name on a resume,’ said Jones.

Don’t be discouraged about going for the big-name internships, either. It’s worth a try. And most importantly, don’t judge the students who happen to have connections – we’re all here to do the best with what we’re given.

So what if daddy doesn’t own Universal Studios and mommy doesn’t know the president. This is far from the end of the world. This is inspiration to blaze a new trail – your own trail.

Meghan Overdeep is a featured columnist whose columns appear Fridays in The Daily Orange. E-mail her at meoverde@syr.edu.

Published on April 19, 2007 at 12:00 pm