"Be willing to put yourself out there and be willing to take some criticism. Take risks and make your own luck by being strategic, explicating your goals, asking questions, and pushing yourself beyond your scope of work." - Zach Wong

When Zach Wong, a UCLA mechanical engineering student, confronted his fear of rejection and embraced opportunities to take calculated risks, he not only landed a rewarding internship—those experiences set him up for future success.

Now graduated and applying his skills full-time at a leading space technology company, he shares his hard-won knowledge on how to prepare for college internships, the importance of developing relationships with professors and leaders within the organization, and how to demonstrate leadership and soft skills during interviews—even when your experience is limited.

Zach is forthcoming about the challenges he faced—including those that were self-imposed—during his early internship preparation and experience. But with guidance from mentors and his determination to make his own luck, Zach learned what was necessary to not only land—but THRIVE in an internship.

He stresses the importance of starting your research on career opportunities early, developing relationships with professors, and having stories ready to tell during interviews.

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧:

👉 How to prepare for and overcome your fear of rejection during the application process
👉 Strategies for developing technical and non-technical competency stories for interviews
👉 Tips for making an impact and standing out as an intern