Try it out.
After interning for a handful of companies, it was important for me to actually choose an internship in my senior year that I would enjoy. I had previously interned for a major production company, a small agency, and some other businesses, and although I learned a great deal from each internship, i was beginning to wonder if the field I studied for four years was what I actually expected. It was to late to change my major, and even if I could change it and graduate on time, there was something about my courses that I loved.
Once this fall came around I was at in again, applying for internships and interviewing for positions. I was nervous because I did not know what to look for. I knew what I did not want from an internship, based on past experiences, however I was not sure if I would find something of interest to me. I began to apply for several positions, one in particular with Philly2Night. At first, I was not sure if this was the right decision. Yes, I had heard of the company previously but I was not sure what to quite expect. So I searched the internet for the company’s website. The website was great looking and informative but I was still not assured that this would be the right choice. Once I received the invitation to the interview I decided that this would be the only way to find out. To make a long story short, once I arrived at the interview and asked questions I felt very comfortable accepting the internship (if it were offered).
Since I have been interning for Philly2Night I have loved the internship. There is a great mix of hands on projects as well as research projects that pertain to my field. While my schedule is packed with 18 credits, and a full time job, I feel that having an internship where I enjoy going has made a huge difference. I don’t think of my internship as a requirement but rather as an experience.
My general point is if you haven’t interned yet out of freight, or if your experience was not what you expected or if you did not have a great experience at a previous company, do not give up. Interning is not always about if the company likes you, but rather if the company is a good fit with your personal goals, work related goals, and overall personality. Of course some companies look great on a resume but the experience is what you remember. Sometimes our first internships are not all that we expected. Even some paid internships do not give us the experience we hoped for. It is important to try out new things while in college. This builds character, builds experience, and builds network. All of my past experiences taught me not only what I am willing to do but also about the things that I am not interested in. If I had the chance to I would not change much about my interning experience because it has landed me right where I am today.
