Posted by Amanda Pires is a member of the Steinhardt Class of 2016 majoring in Media, Culture, and Communication and minoring in Producing. Here, she offers some tips on making the most of your internship.
This past semester, I was an intern at S2BN Entertainment, a New York based live event production company. Over the course of my four months in the office, I thought about what I wish I knew about interning before I had started. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your next few months.
- Set goals that will keep you motivated – Have a conversation with your supervisor at the start of your internship about what experience they think you will gain, and what experience you are hoping to gain. These goals may change over the course of the internship, but will help in keeping you on track and productive. About halfway through my time at S2BN, I found that I wanted to work more with event marketing, and when I updated my goals, my supervisor was able to make that happen.
- Ask questions often – Your supervisor does not want you to be lost in the work. They will always be willing to help and will be impressed that you are making the effort to get the task right. An internship is about learning outside of the classroom, and sometimes your own questions can expand upon something that a book cannot.
- Work with different departments & teams – If possible, ask your supervisor for the opportunity to explore different aspects and work with various teams at the company; you never know which one you may click with. At S2BN, I found that I loved working with the marketing department, which has allowed me to pursue positions that will give me more experience within the marketing sphere.
- Network within the office – Meet as many coworkers as you can, during lunch, at the end of the day, or on a coffee break. Introduce yourself to those you may not work directly with – you never know who will share the same passion for football as you – and stay in touch after your internship is over.
Interning can be an extremely valuable experience – so make the most of it while you can!
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