This summer I did something I’ve never done before: I got an internship.
Internships are...interesting. In the realm of things, as an intern, you are nothing. You’re maybe even below nothing. You are temporarily hired by a company to do their busy work, just so you can get a good recommendation letter and "experience" out of it. However, there was never a doubt in my mind that being an intern was what I wanted for this summer.
Last spring, I applied to several internships. It is essential that you do this in the February-April time period. Since I’m a film major, I wanted to intern at a film company. I realized there are several ways you have to try to get an internship:
1. Visit the Hiatt Career Center
Meet with a career counselor early on who can help you create or edit your resume, prepare you for interviews, talk about goal-planning and help you find open positions.
2. Call, write, send and call again
Find internship positions that you want to apply for. You want to find a lot of open positions, because applying for these positions is going to be competitive. From here, you basically want to barrage them with your information. Call them; find out who you can send a resume to. Email them a copy of your resume, with a cover letter too, beg them to take you in the most polite and professional way possible. If you don’t hear back from them in a week or so, check in with them to ask if they’ve received your information.
3. Create a LinkedIn account
Not actually sure why this one helps but it makes me feel more adult-like. By that I mean I feel like I’m 55. Anyway, I guess if they’re Googling you, it’s probably better that they find your LinkedIn page rather than your Facebook page which is flooded with pictures of you at frat parties.
4. Accept rejection
I’ve come to realize that the internship application process is BRUTAL. I definitely applied to more places than I was accepted, and the places that I did get rejected from did not even bother to give me notice. To be honest, I took it kind of offensively. If you’re going to reject me at least let me know rather than leading me on. Anyway, you’re definitely not going to get every position you apply for.
BUT, I was very fortunate and did end up getting a great internship at a film company in Brooklyn. I started in June. It was going to be my first time working a serious job; it was going to be the start of my career. I was nervous, excited and everything in between.
If I’m being honest, I wasn’t in love when I first started my internship. I worked at a very small company, which was great because I got to know my coworkers, but it was also a little intimidating. I had a long commute and a lot of research to do… Eventually I got used to it, and I really started to enjoy it.
I’ve realized that no matter how you slice it, internships are worth it because:
1. Even if they are unpaid--they will pay off later
My internship wasn’t a paying position, but if I wanted to make money this summer, I could have easily applied to be a counselor at my old summer camp. However, doing my internship I was able to work for a company relevant to my coursework and gain experience in my field. Plus you could always get a weekend job.
2. They are great resume builders
I mean, this shouldn’t be your main motive when applying to an internship anyway, because that’s like doing something only so you can post pictures of it on Facebook later. But it’s true, internships look really good on resumes (or LinkedIn if you’re 55 years old like me). Hence they will look good for potential future employers.
3. They are an overall good experience
I really got a lot out of my internship. I learned about the film industry and how movies are funded and distributed. I was able to work on cool up-and-coming documentaries and see how my work actually affected a film's funding process. Also, my bosses were really cool people and told me a lot about their experiences in the field. It showed me what a career in the film industry could be like.
So when you eventually start to plan out your next summer; look out for an internship!
Shout out to everyone at my internship (if you ever see this): thanks for a meaningful experience.
