ABSTRACT
Centuries ago, the Japanese philosopher Ihara Saikaku ( 1642-1693) noted, "There is always something to upset the most careful of human calculations." So, too, with seeking an internship. In the course of applying for internships, everyone experiences some adversity. When I asked previous applicants to describe disasters they had experienced, I received a wide range of responses. Many concerned interviewing. Just before her first interview, one woman discovered she was pregnant with twins. A man reported the airlines lost his luggage containing his interview suit. Another became so anxious that he hyperventilated and had an asthma attack during an interview. However, except for the woman whose car was hit by an IS-wheeler as she drove home from interviewing, the worst disaster for most was discovering that they had not matched with any internships.
