Applying for internships and jobs haunts students with anxiety and insecurity, with many questioning if their investment in their education was “worth it” in the end. Hours spent on academics and extracurriculars, alongside financed tuition fees, form a sense of readiness, but the countless rejection emails and snubbed applications appear to tell Lasallians otherwise.
Systemic hurdles also lead to these fearful perceptions, such as the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), fiercer competition, and an uncertain economy. Regardless, students need to be exposed to the bigger picture of recruitment processes early on, as difficult truths can only be unpacked once they decide to make themselves known.
Foraging for experiences
For many students, applying for internships can feel like the Hunger Games, competing with countless applicants in a process where only a few triumph.
Even those who do succeed admit that it was an uphill battle. For Paolo Cruzado (III, BSCS-ST), he was surprised to have received an offer, a development operations internship in a global bank, compared to his peers. “I’ve also heard of other friends who tried doing the same. They applied to hundreds of jobs, and they got only a handful of interviews.”
Luiza Estrada (III, AB-OSDM) managed to obtain an internship at a private manufacturing company due to her scholarship. The quick process and acceptance left a different impression, commenting, “it’s not that hard pala.” However, several internship applications since then saw longer processes, no responses, and rejection calls: “It was hell.”
Student life in DLSU highly encourages Lasallians to engage in extracurricular activities to garner potential leverage, as presented in a list of experiences in one’s curriculum vitae (CV). In the highly competitive hiring scene, Estrada explains that joining as many internships as possible helps bring out one’s unique advantage. “The more things you do, the more na mapapansin ka ng employers mo… How can I make myself different from these people?”
(…the more that your employers will notice you.)
Cruzado’s experience mirrors Estrada’s, “I think my CV is what carried me to get (the offer)… I think just being active in [organizations] really kind of set myself differently compared to other candidates,” he remarks, also mentioning good grades being an additional edge. In addition, he shares that select companies will only hire fresh graduates who interned with them previously.
Only half of the battle
However, Assistant Professor Alvin Neil Gutierrez of the Department of Management and Organization, who has extensive experience in human resources and organizational development among various industries, says one’s CV is only halfway there: “In a job interview, it’s a 50-50 thing. Fifty percent is the preparation of your CV. Fifty percent is how you answer the questions.”
He confirms that recruiters look at an applicant’s CV for involvement in extracurricular activities, but he warns that it is a “bad practice that students tend to just list activities that they did,” clarifying that what is sought are impacts in the organization and not paraphrases of job descriptions. The professor adds that inconsistencies in the CV are also considered a red flag, remarking how students are prone to rely on AI to create their CVs.
Estrada recalls that, during her time as a recruitment intern, she shortlisted a Lasallian who recorded eight internships, “but that person didn’t get the job, or even a chance to get an interview.”
Gutierrez explains that a rich portfolio is still not a guarantee, and how they are written up to specific wording is crucial. For companies that utilize AI, like the Applicant Tracker System, keywords are searched for, and certain applications can get auto-rejected.
He advises applicants to use “distinct, value-added verbs” to create a specific description of their work. If one is applying for an editor position, the phrases may include specific themes, numbers, and outputs, such as “proofread 100+ written, static, multimedia journalistic projects.”
Gutierrez also stresses the need to practice how to communicate one’s CV. “You can have an impeccable CV, but you can’t exude them in the interview.” This takes understanding the position being applied for, knowing oneself, and recounting stories that are not indicated in the CV.
Both Gutierrez and Estrada also stress that DLSU students should not be complacent in their applications just because they come from a top university, especially with students from state universities and colleges, Gutierrez mentions, as they are preferred candidates for recruiters due to their perceived resilience and mindset.
“Your CV tells, but your story sells”
For those who are not well-engaged in student organizations, Gutierrez shifts the focus beyond them. “In every (academic) course, you are required to… present, come up with your paper, [and] work with others,” he points out, also mentioning that there is value in being active in external communities such as volunteer and parish groups.
The professor also clarifies the strategy of using connections, which he prefers to call “networks,” as work requires a position of trust. “You earned [something from] knowing someone. Doing well…gets you opportunities,” he remarks, explaining how one can be known beyond relational closeness for their work ethic.
Recruitment industries, according to Gutierrez, will “continue their tried and tested methods.” Estrada only wishes that companies provide clear qualifications in their postings, and both she and Cruzado comment on how applicants should have a chance to shine through interviews.
In the end, internship applications, regardless of CV length, require sustained practice and preparation, as well as looking inward to know one’s identity to better show one’s worth. “Your CV tells, but your story sells,” as Gutierrez puts it.
While uncertainty makes students quickly panic or think that social media advertises easy success, Gutierrez concludes that applying is not just about filling a checklist, but also “knowing about oneself and understanding the stories that molded you.”
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s January 2026 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSJan2026.
