When we come to college, we take classes relating to what we want to do when we grow up. Classes now at schools are so specific and interesting from Entertainment Communications to Peace, Global Security. Not only do we take fun classes, but also take on internships to gain professional experience in the field in which we want to work in. However, it doesn’t happen all the time where you get your dream internship or your position has nothing to do with your dream job. Having these other jobs though actually broadens not only your experience in the working world, but also learning about different areas and how you can incorporate them into your future career.
We all have to start somewhere at the bottom when we begin the intern/professional experience. Tasks can include delivering coffee, running errands for other employees, filing papers, or answering phone calls and taking down messages. While these jobs are on the smaller side and we may not want to do, it is the first step towards building up our careers. The more coffee you deliver or the more phone calls you answer, your boss will take notice of how hard you work and can promote you to take on more advanced skills, ones that you will build more skills from in that organization, even if it isn’t your first choice of a job.
As a Public Relations major with a minor in Business & Entertainment, I want to go into the music business. I have worked at an event theater and for a concert promoter for the past three years. This semester though, I am interning at a lobbyist firm that sometimes reports to Congress. Never in a million years did I think that I would see myself doing policy related work and working with Capital Hill. However, even though I already know that I don’t want to go into politics, the skills that I continue to learn from the firm I can apply to my career in the music business. Whether if it is the research I do or learning more about what goes into contracts, I can take that knowledge to my future career when I find myself doing the same jobs.
Although we all have different majors from journalism, politics, to pre-med, it is okay for us to gain professional experience not relating to our career dreams. From a journalism major working as a teaching assistant in a school, to a psychology major interning at a policy related nonprofit, all of these skills can be applied towards your future job. So don’t get down when you learn that the only internship you get is not your top choice. Because will still learn and realize that this position can help you build your future positions.
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