<p>Hi. </p>
<p>I am a junior student at University of Southern California studying mechanical engineering.
Briefly, going over myself, I have 3.77 Cumulative GPA, 3.89 major GPA, working in a mechanical engineering research lab on campus, working as a lab assistant in electrical engineering department and running as a president of a student organization. </p>
<p>Stating my point straight forward, I am having trouble getting an internship.</p>
<p>In my sophomore second semester, I looked for internships and it was not successful. Actually, I had like 3 interviews with companies, two with Lockheed Martin and one with NASA JPL. All did not offer any internships to me. After Lockheed Martin interview, I asked what I was missing and the interview nicely answered that I was in experienced in engineering field. </p>
<p>So, over the summer break, I looked for ways I could build some experience and luckily joined a research lab on campus. Also, I joined a project team that will build a power plant in Costa Rica over the winter break. </p>
<p>After the fall of junior year started, I tried really hard to look for internships. I literally did what the online career advising suggested. Visit career center, get resume critique and go to every career event including info sessions. Also, I applied to many places that doesn't filter out locations or the size of companies. </p>
<p>Luckily yet, I got a chance to have an interview with Exxon Mobil which was one of my dream places I wanted to work. And as I have been doing, I prepared everything, I could do. Prepare all the answers for the questions, keep all the etiquette during interview get counseling with the career service on campus. Then, the interview, I felt I did pretty good. I gave solid examples showing my technical and leadership experiences. </p>
<p>But, not long after the interview, I received the rejection letter from Exxon Mobil. Well, as a person who received so many rejection letters, I did not feel too bad. But I asked the interviewer at which point I was missing. The interviewer said I had no relative industry internship experience.</p>
<p>Sorry, it was quite long story to lead up to my main point. I just wanted to ask. Isn't the internship the place where you start to build the experience? Like, I do not understand how they can ask to a candidate to have experience before the first internship. I do not have any family or friend connection to engineering field where they can just put me in the first place. </p>
<p>Well, I feel quite desperate. I have been suffering quite severe depression after the constant failure over the summer about not getting any internship and even thought about bad things like suicide. But I obtained courage and did my best to get internships for next chance. But now, I am not getting any internships again. I do not know what I can do further at this point I tried everything I could do. </p>
<p>Please, help me.</p>