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Today's Tactics: If you do one thing for your career this month, make it this...
There are a lot of ways to land your first role. Some people apply to hundreds of jobs. Some rely on job boards and formal recruiting cycles. And some of the most successful people create opportunities that didn’t exist yet.
Here are three scrappy ways real people landed their first roles.
→ Tabor didn’t search job titles. She followed conversations.
She knew the kind of work she wanted to do (interviewing people, solving problems), but didn’t know what jobs matched. So she started having coffee chats and asking one simple question: “Do you know anyone who does work like this?” One introduction led to another…and another…until she discovered innovation consulting, a field she hadn’t even known existed, and landed her first role in NYC.
→ Paraj didn’t wait to be qualified. He showed up with value.
As a freshman, he was told internships at startups weren’t realistic yet. He decided to be the exception. He researched startups, wrote one-page memos with ideas and recommendations, and emailed them out. Most didn’t respond. A few did. One turned into a Silicon Valley internship.
→ Harrison didn’t wait to feel certain. He built clarity step by step.
He wasn’t sure finance was the right path, so he started learning everything he could. He read the Wall Street Journal regularly. He talked to people in the industry. He asked questions about what the work was actually like. Over time, those habits helped him narrow his focus, build relationships, and eventually land his first role at T. Rowe Price.
These are three different approaches, but what stands out is how each of them kept moving without having everything figured out first. They paid attention to what interested them, reached out to people, tried things, and followed where those small steps led.
If you do one thing for your career this month, make it this:
Create a simple weekly checklist that helps you learn about yourself and the world of work. This will look different for everyone, but keep it simple and repeatable.
Here is an example you can copy or adapt:
Weekly Career Check-In
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Read or listen to something related to a field that interests me
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Talk to one person or learn about one real job
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Notice one thing that energized me this week and one thing that drained me
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Write down one question I want to explore next week
Then do it again the following week.
Clarity rarely comes from one big decision. It comes from paying attention consistently.
And if you want structure, support, and accountability while you do this work, check out the Introships Summer 2026 program.
Alumni Spotlight: How Introships Expanded His Network
Jabez Price (Hampden-Sydney College ’27) joined Introships looking for direction. He left with something far more enduring: a growing network of professionals willing to advise, mentor, and open doors well beyond the program itself.
In his words: "Being a part of Introships was a game changer for me. Introships not only helped me connect with many professionals, but also surprised me with how willing the presenters are to give you advice or be a helping hand."
We hope you found this useful. Reply with questions or feedback, and stay tuned for more from Introships on LinkedIn / Instagram!
Joe Fiveash & Sean Wetmore
