Student Lands NFL Internship After Being Rejected

Persistence is a key attribute for applicants in any kind of job market. When talking about a recession, persistence is a necessity for those seeking internships and/or jobs in a shrinking job market. Joe McDevitt, an upcoming senior at Lander University who is interested in a career in sports medicine, tells us how his internship strategy and persistence landed him a summer internship at the Buffalo Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher College near Rochester, NY.

First off, Joe started his internship search by sending his resume and cover letter to all 32 NFL teams in January. It’s important to note that Joe chose to send his application materials to all NFL teams rather than just a choice few and that he also sent them out in January rather than waiting until March or April. He received a response from over 20 teams saying that, unfortunately, they had no positions available. Three weeks later, the Buffalo Bills contact him again and told him that they had an opening and asked if he was still interested. I believe that Joe’s strategy and persistence in applying to all 32 teams greatly increased his chances of succes in finding an internship in his chosen career field and with an organization in which he really wanted to work.

As a former three-sport athlete at Hilton Head Christian Academy and previous hands-on clinical experience working at Lander and the Oasis Shrine Classic all-star football game in Charlotte last November, Joe sees this internship as yet another step in his progression of eventually entering his chosen field of sports medicine.

Although Joe hopes that his internship may lead into another NFL opportunity as an intern, his back-up plan is to go on to pursue his master’s degree in sports medicine. Either way, he will making his dream of working in sports medicine a reality by gaining the additional knowledge and skills he will need to become a sports medicine practitioner.