When I first started grad school at Lehigh, I honestly didn’t know where to begin.
I knew I needed internship experience, but I had no idea how to get it. No U.S. work experience, no connections. Just this quiet anxiety sitting in my chest — like I was already behind.
So I did the only thing I could think of — I started asking people. I talked to as many seniors as I could:
How did you get your internship? Through what channel? Which companies? Who’s international-friendly?
I listened to every answer like it was a roadmap.
And one name kept coming up — a professor who occasionally worked on research projects with real companies.
That sounded promising, so the next time there was a department event, I went up and introduced myself.
He was polite — but said no.
I followed up again later. Still no.
And again. Still no.
Then one day, out of nowhere, I got an email.
“Are you still looking for a project? I might have something — a financial data analysis project.”
I didn’t know anything about finance. But I was open. I said yes.
We worked together for a whole semester. I learned SQL, business questions, working with messy real data.
In the end, I realized: I didn’t love the quant world. Numbers were fine — but I wanted something more connected to real life.
Still, that project helped me build my first real experience. And it gave me the confidence to keep going.
At the same time, I kept showing up at our school’s enterprise center — the office that connects students with internships in small local businesses.
I dropped by every two days.
I knew it was probably annoying — but I didn’t care. I was determined.
Eventually, the staff knew me by name. And one day, one of them introduced me to someone who actually had the power to place students into real roles.
Through that connection, I got an internship at a local healthcare data consulting startup. I still remember the name — Bellerock.
And that internship changed everything.
For the first time, I worked with real healthcare data.
I learned how to use JIRA, a project management tool that so many real companies use.
And I saw, for the first time, how an actual business runs — how teams manage timelines, ownership, feedback, and results.
More importantly — I realized I actually liked healthcare.
Later, when I applied for full-time jobs, I had real, relevant experience — even if it was just part-time.
And that’s how I got my first full-time offer, as a data analyst at Symphony Health Solutions.
💡 So here’s what I learned — and what I want to share:
✅ Start early — I started all of this in my very first semester of grad school.
✅ Talk to people — seniors, professors, career staff. Ask questions.
✅ Show up — even if it’s awkward, even if you’re not sure what to say.
✅ Get rejected — you will hear “no.” That doesn’t mean stop.
✅ Stay persistent — when people see that you’re serious, they’ll take you seriously too.
I know it’s hard. Especially as an international student — the pressure, the visa deadlines, the unknowns.
But your first opportunity might come from the fifth conversation, not the first.
From the third follow-up, not the first email.
That professor’s email — the one that said “Are you still looking?” — only came after I’d already been told “no” three times.
So if you haven’t started yet, that’s okay.
Just start now.
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