How I Landed 7 Internships by My Junior Year

Bella Floyd — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:58:44 +0000

Everyone wants experience, but no one wants to give you your first chance. By my junior year, I had secured seven internships, and no, I didn’t have a mentor or insider connections. I just knew how to make the right moves. Here’s how I did it:

1. Unpaid Internships (Only If You Can!)

I took on two unpaid internships early on, and while I don’t recommend working for free long-term, they did help boost my resume. If you have the means:

Keep it light (5-10 hours a week max).
Treat it more like volunteering than labor: nonprofits > corporations that can pay.
Ideal for high schoolers or college freshmen struggling to land paid roles.

2. Learning Programs & Certifications

Some of my internships came from alumni chats and learning programs, literally just from being in the right group chats. Certifications also help: they show initiative and make your resume stand out.

3. Reach Out to Small Founders & Creators

If you admire a small business owner, startup founder, or content creator, reach out! Offer to help with something specific. Many of them need extra hands, and you’ll get real experience in return.

4. Leverage Career Fairs & Company Programs

Universities and companies want to help students succeed. Look out for:

Bridge programs (for underrepresented students)
Case study workshops (they sometimes lead to offers)
School resources (career fairs, alumni networks, faculty referrals)

5. Put Your Passion Project on Your Resume

Whether it’s a blog, a nonprofit, or a social media page, you need something that’s yours. Passion projects make you memorable, and trust me, recruiters remember them.

The key? Stay open to unconventional opportunities . Your first “yes” won’t always come from a job posting, it might come from a DM, a program you almost ignored, or a project you never thought would matter. Take the shot.

The Truth Behind Our Relaunch: Where Have We Been?

Bella Floyd — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 11:07:00 +0000

After about a year of figuring out the direction of Living By Bella, and what our true intention is, I decided to take time off and regather. To be truthful, it’s been a tough, introspective journey. I could re-tell our startup story, or repeat once more what will come for the Living By Bella future, but you’ve already read that. What I will say is that in a world full of go-getters, achievers, CEOs, and founders that are celebrated and idolized, you will rarely find, in the crevices of their start-up stories, how people lose ambition, drive, and reason. It’s a beautiful thing that so many people around us are founders, leaders, and creatives, but within building upon your passions, you find that there are so many other purposes we fulfill each day, as daughters, friends, sisters, moms, lovers, supporters, drivers, and helping hands.

“It is essential to understand that the loss of ambition is a natural part of the journey. Rather than viewing it as a setback, we see it as an opportunity for redirection and growth.”

When I first began our advice column a few years ago, I received heartwarming messages that emphasized the importance of communication, clarity, and being a helping hand when people need support. However, in 2021, as I faced personal challenges, including temporary homelessness due to a house fire shortly before preparing for college, Living By Bella began to drift away from its original purpose. It became overly focused on monetization, and I lost sight of why I started this venture in the first place – to empower young women like myself, fostering their mental health, wellness, and personal growth through shared knowledge and inspiration.

Sadly, my ambition waned. The daily motivation and excitement that once fueled me became more dream-like, like a faint idea that I could reach out to but couldn’t touch. For months, I struggled with writer’s block until a heartbreak pushed me to pour my emotions onto paper, yet even then, something felt wrong. So, I made the decision to take a hiatus, giving myself time to reflect and informing my supporters of this temporary pause. So Today, I share with you the new and revitalized Living By Bella – a free newsletter and magazine that extends beyond its traditional boundaries. Our aim remains to provide unwavering support, inspiration, and tools for young women to nurture their mental well-being, develop their own unique ideas, and shape their personal philosophies. It is essential to understand that the loss of ambition is a natural part of the journey. Rather than viewing it as a setback, we see it as an opportunity for redirection and growth. So, welcome to the refreshed Living By Bella, where our newsletter and magazine will serve as a cornerstone of empowerment. However, there’s much more to come, and we can’t wait to share it with you in the near future.