Complaints about the necessary shift to remote work abound, from both exhausted baby boomers and disillusioned young professionals. The lack of boundaries, coupled with the lack of social interactions that could have made these conditions bearable, led to a steady decline in motivation and fulfillment. Unfortunately, there are some things that company-wide mental health days just can’t fix.

And yet, on the other side of the spectrum, we have anxious Gen Zers hoarding more and more internships as the pandemic progresses – all while balancing the rigorous demands of student life. It’s an alarming manifestation of the latest strain of agitation culture: one that today’s young people do their best to understand but ultimately can’t understand.

More the merrier, the merrier?

What started out as a less than ideal way to “meet expectations” has now become a normalized and romanticized phenomenon. Young people today present this lifestyle of hyper-productivity as the key to true competitive advantage: proof of an admirable work ethic or impeccable time management, rather than a product evidence of intense social pressure. And since this generation’s greatest collective fear is left behind, many have no choice but to join the bandwagon.

It is to the dismay of those paralyzed by the ongoing health crisis or not as privileged with the same volume of opportunity.

“Over the past two years, I’ve lost family to COVID and friends to my lack of social skills,” said Kelly, a senior student getting into advertising. “I also struggle to catch up on lessons and deal with personal issues. And now, for some reason, I’m supposed to add multiple stages to the mix and it tires me out so much.

Jumping into the rush when you’re not mentally prepared for it breeds a whole new kind of burnout and places a unique burden on students that no one expected them to shoulder in the first place. But Gen Z is a living paradox that way: we unanimously agree that the grind robs us of the energy we desperately need to survive. Yet we keep pretending the world isn’t burning — sometimes just for the dopamine that comes with a quick LinkedIn update.

As Kelly herself said, “Do I recognize that there is something completely messed up in society’s expectations of work? Yes. Am I going to let myself be consumed by these societal expectations? Unfortunately yes. I don’t think I have a choice. »

Except we actually could.

Reassessing the value of internships

The internships themselves are, of course, important. They bridge the gap between what is taught in the classroom and what the workplace demands – both in terms of technical and soft skills. But while they’re a nice little bonus with a distinct set of personal and professional benefits, they’ll never be the first priority. Instead, recruiters like to look at candidates holistically, using the “balanced approach” to assess their fit for the company. This means a decent academic record, organizational or volunteer work, and maybe even a meaningful side hustle – but with no specification in terms of quantity.

In fact, multiple simultaneous stages might not lead to the winning streak we want, especially if they only span a short period of time or don’t really translate into milestones.

“If I see someone who has done several internships at the same time, it gives me the impression that they were not looking for the learning experience at all,” said Marijo, former vice- president of human resources in a technology company. She explained that this practice involves filling out their resume without giving too much thought to the companies they’ve worked at and what specifically they’ve brought to the table.

Pursuing multiple internships that push you to do actual amounts of work and production is also not the solution. Being holistic is different from being hazy and spreading too lightly. Marijo clarified: “Suppose you took three or four courses at the same time: if they all gave you the same amount of work, would you be able to perform these tasks efficiently and deliver the same level of quality? Probably not. Your brain will be easily scrambled, preventing you from functioning as well as you can and should.

And while most college students think they can easily convince recruiters otherwise, HR managers know more than we think: they’re literally trained and paid to dissect every aspect of our corporate personas. They can detect “BS responses” with extreme accuracy and sense if an exhaustive list of accomplishments came at the expense of academic performance.

“I’m also a teacher and I’ve dealt with students who completely forget about their studies and stop taking synchronous classes,” Marijo explained. “Some of them would message me and apologize, saying the reason they weren’t going was because they had an internship. Eventually, some also become free riders in group work, which which makes it more difficult for all parties involved.”

What recruiters are really looking for

Fortunately, HR managers also know not to reduce a multifaceted candidate to a page. Some industries focus on production, such as how design industries look at portfolios and the process behind them, and how management consulting firms look at performance during research presentations. case. FMCGs are known for picking the crème de la crème, but even then they prefer Latin honors and leadership potential in any form.

Typically, recruiters are looking for skills that are aligned with current needs and long-term business goals – and these don’t necessarily come with a number of remote internships.

“If there is evidence that this internship has developed a certain skill or characteristic in a candidate that I am specifically looking for, one to two high-quality internships should suffice,” explained Benjie, an HR practitioner with nearly three decades of experience. experience. in areas such as consumer goods, financial services and manufacturing.

This can only be tested and confirmed through a mix of skill-based questions and situations that deepen a candidate’s thought process. “If it says in their resume, for example, that they led a project, I’ll ask them what the situation was, what tough decisions they had to make and what the results were,” Benjie said. “In this way, I measure project management and decision-making skills, while subconsciously revealing their work ethic.”

Equally important factors that help paint a complete picture of a candidate include behavioral indicators such as attitude, articulation, consistency, and sincerity of responses. But one specific characteristic that recruiters hope to discover after several layers of investigation is courage, the ability to follow through.

“I want to take a look at how a person has developed over the years, not only in terms of school and organizations, but also in terms of life itself. If a person has a lot to do and encounters a lot of challenges but manages to bounce back and live a balanced life, then I will be impressed,” Benjie confirmed.

But what about those who really feel like they have nothing to contribute, those who are not at all convinced that their life experiences can land them a job offer? Do they have an excuse to do several internships at once, in order to acquire the skills they need? However, not necessarily.

“Whenever we hire new graduates, we don’t expect them to have the same level of experience or proficiency as someone who has worked with us,” said Camille, HR associate in the sector. non-profit. “We understand that there isn’t much a new hire can offer, so we try to assess the skills they already have and then try to fill in the gaps by seeing how we can help him improve. We train all new recruits to equip them for full-time positions, it’s standard. Others may not have a set curriculum, but they will be the type to let their new hires learn on the job.

Despite credible testimonials from recruitment professionals themselves, this has the potential to turn into another “this sign can’t stop me, because I can’t read!” moment. It’s hard enough to unlearn a concept that our capitalist society thrives on and rewards — moreover, take the advice of elders who came from a time when the expectations of those our age weren’t nearly as high. No wonder we are so set in our ways.

But if there’s one thing that rings true across generations, it’s the fact that “nothing can ever truly, 100% set you up for success in the real world.” As Camille warned, “it doesn’t matter how well you prepare too much. There’s no guarantee of a higher starting salary or a more comprehensive benefits package,” even if we manage to come out of the bottom with a highly decorated CV.Sometimes we can even be deprived of opportunities that belong to us because of nepotism or corruption – these are the harsh realities of the world that are important but impossible for individuals to address.

So instead of driving us to the brink of insanity over factors we can’t control, let’s choose to cross the bridge when we get there… If we can afford it.

As university students about to leave the happiest time of our lives, it is best to follow Camille’s advice: “learn, connect, meet people from all walks of life, cherish the friendships you make , [especially since] the relationships you form in college are the ones that tend to last the longest in life. Corporate life will come in its time, but college? I think it’s safe to say that you’ll never be so happy and carefree again. – Rappler.com

Angel is a Manila-based storyteller and strategist who aims to inspire meaningful growth in people, products and organizations. Currently, she is completing her degree in Marketing at Ateneo de Manila University; internships in start-ups and think tanks; and freelancing for publications like Young STAR, CNN Philippines and VICE.