As an ordinary genius

As graduation loomed closer, Ethan found himself facing a new challenge—finding an internship that could potentially turn into a full-time job. It wasn't just about passing the final exams anymore; this was about setting up his future.

Ethan had always worked hard to keep up with his peers, but now he felt the weight of competition more than ever. His classmates were applying to prestigious tech companies, and the pressure was on.

Ethan sat in the campus library, scrolling through job boards. His laptop screen was filled with listings:

Software Development Intern – LynxTech SolutionsData Analyst Intern – Nexus AI LabsFrontend Developer Intern – Horizon Systems

"Anything good?" Aria asked, sitting across from him.

"Define 'good,'" Ethan replied, rubbing his temples. "Everything either requires experience I don't have or is halfway across the country."

"Well, you've got skills," Aria said. "And you've been working your butt off. Just apply, even if you don't meet all the requirements."

"Yeah," Ethan said, though he still felt uncertain.

The next day, Ethan visited the university's career counseling office.

"Ethan Grayson," the counselor, Ms. Delgado, said, scanning his résumé. "Hmm. Your GPA is decent, and you've got a solid capstone project. But your internship history is... lacking."

"I know," Ethan said, feeling the sting of her words. "That's why I'm here. I need help finding something that fits."

Ms. Delgado nodded. "Well, you're not alone. A lot of students feel the same way. Let's start with your strengths. Your capstone project shows initiative and creativity. You should highlight that."

"Okay," Ethan said, taking notes.

"And don't sell yourself short," she added. "You may not have prior internship experience, but your hard work speaks for itself. Let's work on tailoring your applications."

Over the next few weeks, Ethan threw himself into the job hunt. He spent hours tweaking his résumé, writing cover letters, and submitting applications.

One evening, Raj found Ethan at his desk, typing furiously.

"Still at it?" Raj asked.

"Yup," Ethan said, not looking up. "That's application number 22."

"Dude, take a break," Raj said. "You're gonna drive yourself crazy."

"Not until I hear back from at least one company," Ethan replied.

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan finally received an email:

Subject: Interview Invitation – LynxTech Solutions

He stared at the screen in disbelief before letting out a loud "Yes!"

"What happened?" Aria asked, popping her head into the dorm room.

"I got an interview!" Ethan said, grinning.

"Nice!" Aria said. "When is it?"

"Next week," Ethan replied. "I need to start preparing."

The morning of the interview, Ethan dressed in his best shirt and tie, feeling both nervous and excited.

At the LynxTech office, he was greeted by a young woman named Claire.

"Welcome, Ethan," she said, leading him to a conference room. "Our hiring manager, Mr. Bennett, will be with you shortly."

The interview itself was a mix of technical questions and behavioral scenarios.

"Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge," Mr. Bennett asked.

Ethan thought for a moment before replying, "During my capstone project, our team struggled with implementing a machine learning model. I spent weeks learning about data preprocessing and optimization. Eventually, I got it to work, and we delivered the project on time."

Mr. Bennett nodded, looking impressed.

After the interview, Ethan felt a mix of relief and anxiety.

"I think it went okay," he told Aria later that evening.

"Okay is better than bad," she said. "Just wait and see."

The next week was agonizing as Ethan checked his email constantly.

Finally, one evening, Ethan's phone buzzed with an email notification.

Subject: Internship Offer – LynxTech Solutions

He opened it, barely daring to breathe.

"Congratulations, Ethan Grayson! We are pleased to offer you the position of Software Development Intern at LynxTech Solutions..."

Ethan let out a whoop of joy, startling his roommates.

"What happened?" Raj asked.

"I got the internship!" Ethan said, grinning from ear to ear.

"That's awesome, man!" Raj said, clapping him on the back.