Building Career Connections Outside Industry Events

#thisonesfrommyheart Would you believe if I told you that I landed my first Internship in the Netherlands because of being kind to a stranger. Not Networking. Not a perfectly planned strategy. Not asking someone for an opportunity. I was simply kind to a stranger I happened to meet, with absolutely no expectation that anything would come out of it. And somehow, that interaction eventually opened the door to my first internship. It made me think about how in a time where we always calculate to get something in return, we disregarded kindness, as it usually is underrated and unrewarded. But do we really need to be kind to be rewarded? I don't think so There is no instant return, no recognition, and often no one even notices it. And maybe that is why it matters, because genuine kindness is not supposed to be transactional. But every once in a while, life surprises you. You could even call it Karma. You never know who you're really speaking to, what someone is going through, or where one small interaction might lead. So be kind even when there is nothing in it for you. Be kind because you are human. Sometimes the rewards is simply knowing that you made someone's day a little better. And sometimes unexpectedly, it can change the direction of your own life too. Grateful that one ordinary interaction became part of the story of how I landed my first internship 🤍 #thisonesfrommyheart #CareerJourney #Internship #FirstJob #Corporate #PersonalGrowth #LinkedIn #Networking

“how to get good internship in my final year?” many of us called, texted so… here’s the thing: cold dm. 1. pick a country — US, UK, Japan, Korea, wherever. 2. find mid-sized companies doing interesting work. 3. find founders, managers & team leads on linkedin. 4. tell them what you can do, not what you want. 5. send 10-20 good dms every day. 6. follow up. 7. repeat until someone says yes. don’t wait for an internship opening. create one. the world is much bigger than linkedin’s “easy apply” button. i’ll be watching you.

Internships are your test drive into the real world—here's how to make the most of it: 1. Show up like you mean it. Be on time (or early), be present in meetings, and put your phone away during work hours. Reliability builds trust faster than talent alone. 2. Ask questions—the "dumb" ones too. Nobody expects you to know everything. What they do expect is curiosity. Asking shows you're engaged, not clueless. 3. Take feedback as a gift, not a personal attack. Feedback isn't criticism of who you are—it's a shortcut to becoming better, faster. The interns who grow the most are the ones who listen without getting defensive. 4. Own your work, big or small. Even if a task feels "beneath you," do it well. How you handle small tasks says a lot about how you'll handle big ones later. 5. Communicate proactively Stuck? Confused? Behind on a deadline? Say something early—don't wait until it becomes a bigger problem. Silence looks worse than mistakes. 6. Build real relationships, not just LinkedIn connections. Talk to your teammates. Ask about their journey. Networking isn't transactional—it's about genuine curiosity and long-term relationships. 7. Bring your energy—but read the room. Yes, bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm. But also observe the culture first before trying to change everything on day one.