My name is Armita Darabian, I am a transfer, and this is my first year at Chapman University. I am majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis on Real Estate. Currently, I am an assistant intern for the Barnes Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Newport Estates.

I enjoy every minute of this internship because I am able to get myself involved in the industry I see myself in and build connections before having my license. I’m finally able to take my hobby of looking at real estate listings daily to understand property value, just enjoying pictures of well-kept and constructed homes to a more professional level, seeing them in person for a potential client. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies, but all the experiences have made me better at communicating, managing my time, and building a professional portfolio.

I never pushed myself out of my comfort zone until a few months back when I felt like the national pandemic quarantine was a huge slow down in achieving my goals. I remember reading a quote along the lines of women not being inclined to apply for jobs above their qualifications as much as men do. I got upset reading that because it was a reality for me.

So, without a real estate license, I decided to change this reality and applied for all Real Estate Salesperson/Agent jobs available locally even though I knew I might not be qualified enough for them. Keller Williams Newport Estates got back to me with an interview. Eager to step into this industry, I followed up after three days of the discussion, and even though they could not hire me as an agent since I do not have a license yet, they offered me an internship position until I did obtain my license. This not only built my confidence in myself, but it has allowed me to build connections in the real estate world and has prepared me for when I do finally become an agent.

My advice for those seeking an internship or job is not to be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone and never underestimate yourself. The worst a company will do after applying is let you know that you are not a fit for the role, but you never know the possibilities if you don’t give it a shot. Another piece of advice is to understand how crucial networking is, especially nowadays, so start connecting with people and building relationships daily. Converse with the right people as it can turn a conversation into an opportunity.