<p>I am applying for an internship at a local law firm- a firm looking for high school students- where I will be expected to help the firm communicate with its clients- the firm advertises that they do immigration cases and such. I'll probably also be the coffee ***** according to the few people that I have asked. :(
The main application question:
What makes you unique?
So, I was wondering if my idea was a viable one:
Apart from being a straight A student with a 3.97 GPA unweighted and a 5.05 GPA weighted, I am a "renaissance man." I play varsity tennis and varsity football, play two instruments, am well versed in various cultures and the culinary arts, have a job, speak Spanish and French fluently, and am well traveled. My god am I traveled. I write this from a small coffeeshop in Vienna, Austria, sipping my Trinkschokolade. I have been to Spain, England, Morocco, France, Barbados, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Austria, Germany, and all across the United States.
I could list some international experiences and then tell a few actual stories, right?
Thoughts?</p>
<p>I would definitely stress the actual stories over the GPA, but the idea overall is good if you feel that being worldly is what defines you. Obviously, though, you would have to hint on how you were affected by your experiences.</p>
<p>Your description is very interesting, but I would never recommend writing “my god” in job application materials. Doing so demonstrates a lack of sensitivity to the beliefs of others, undercutting an implication that your travels have made you more aware of the cultures of others.</p>
<p>just b/c your family is rich and you went on vacations around the world doesn’t actually mean you know things… just a thought.</p>
<p>Agreed with soccerguy. Your travel experiences don’t tell me how you can help communicate with clients, and your sports experiences don’t tell me how you can get coffee for senior partners.</p>
<p>If the job is literally to help communicate with clients, as in the clients do not speak English and you do speak their language(s), then I would mention that you are multi-lingual (only if you are actually multi-lingual… NEVER lie!). If you do not have other work experience, be up front and say that you recognize that this will be your first job, and that you are excited for the opportunity to earn experience. </p>
<p>Colleges might care that you have been to fifteen countries and done seven varsity sports, but companies really don’t.</p>
<p>I agree with soccerguy315 and chrisw. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t spend much, if any, time talking about your GPA…just include it on your resume under your Education section, if it’s that good.</p>
<p>Multilingualism is something to mention if it’s relevant. I’m guessing Spanish could come in handy when it comes to dealing with customers from Mexico, Cuba, etc. that you guys might be dealing with as an immigration firm. Possibly French, too, with Haitian immigrants. But as Chrisw said, you only want to describe yourself as “fluent” if you truly are. One time, I was in an interview and the interviewer looked down at my resume and said, “Oh, you speak Italian?” and I said, “Yes,” and she proceeded to carry on the interview in Italian. I held my own, but was very glad that I hadn’t described myself as “fluent.” If “fluent” isn’t the correct word, you could say, “Proficient” / “Professional proficiency” or “Intermediate level” or describe your level of fluency as “conversational.” Be honest.</p>
<p>If they ask you about your international travel, you can discuss it anecdotally, but the others make a good point: travel ≠ wisdom. People are more likely to envy you than be impressed by your travel experience, because traveling requires significant resources and it’s still a tough economy…if the person who interviews you has a giant picture of the Eiffel Tower behind his desk, you could inquire about it and bring in your own French travels to the conversation, if appropriate, but tread carefully. It’s one thing to draw on your travel experience when it’s relevant; it’s another to flaunt your past opportunities for the sake of looking impressive.</p>
<p>When you say you “have a job,” what do you mean? This is what you should focus on when you apply for this internship. Work experience is by far your biggest asset in any job application process: what can you bring to the organization? Why are you a good candidate? What skills do you have to offer? How have you demonstrated in the past, in work or in life, that you work well with other people? Think about these sorts of questions and use your work and life experience as examples/evidence of your readiness, but not as your arguments themselves.</p>
<p>that said, assuming this isn’t a ■■■■■, if you come off like you do in the OP at an interview, you probably won’t be hired anywhere. I especially liked this part:</p>
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