“Don’t worry about it. Everything will work out exactly as it should” is a phrase that would likely send a 20-something college student into cardiac arrest. That 20-something college student living in constant fear that she would never discover what she wanted to do with her degree and life? That was me. That is, until my summer plans took a detour and I ended up back home in Minnesota interning for a small business.
Let’s face it. The job market is overwhelming at best, and applying for internships is like throwing one of those giant sticky hands at the ceiling, hoping it will stick. It’s chaos, it’s rejection, it’s crossing your fingers and your toes, praying for a positive outcome.
I went through the process. I made it to the final round of interviews for an internship in the creative industry in New York City. I was excited. It was so close. There was light at the end of the tunnel. And then, I got the email. “At this time, we will unfortunately not be moving forward with your candidacy…” blah, blah, blah.
In that moment, I felt overcome with the fear that I wasn’t doing as much as my peers and falling behind, which enhanced my larger and much scarier fear that I would never discover what I actually wanted to do with my life. How was I supposed to know if a career in design was right for me if I never got real work experience?
Then I found Jenny. And I realized that sometimes there are multiple ways to solve the same complex equation.
Jenny and her husband, Craig, own a precious metal refinery in Saint Paul, Minnesota. W.E. Mowrey has been buying and selling gold, refining and melting it in-house, since 1911. On my first day, it was evidently clear that history runs through the walls and is sewn into the floorboards.
The best part about the shop is that every day is different. You never knew who would walk through the doors. Sometimes it was a middle-aged man looking to sell $10,000 worth of gold coins or an old couple down the street who found antique treasures while going through their attic storage. It was perfectly unpredictable, balancing on the corner of priceless and sentimental.
Craig runs the business with the help of other interns my age and other long-term staff. There was light-hearted conversation, laughter, and an extensive, highly impressive knowledge of metals. I instantly knew it was a tight-knit, family-run business. And I loved it. Everyone had character, and every character was essential to ensure the business ran smoothly.
Upstairs, the magic happened. The office felt less like a workspace and more like a perfectly curated Pinterest board, where comfortable couches and creaking floorboards, combined with the century-old history of the refinery. The entire space was flooded with warm and natural light, streaming in through the wall of windows overlooking University Avenue. Even the storage closets, filled with silver spoons and antique boxes, held stories of the past.
On her own, Jenny runs The Emerald Karat, her vintage jewelry business. She carefully cherry-picks jewelry that W.E. Mowrey buys from customers, and decides which precious gems to keep and which can be melted. She does everything on her own: from picking the jewelry and tracking inventory, to running social media, communicating with clients, and shipping out the jewels.
Jenny does all of her selling through Instagram, and her personal brand is the key to her success. Her style is all things bright, shiny, and full of life — an approach that reflects her unique brand and highlights every aspect of her outgoing personality. Vintage jewelry is special in that each piece has its own unique story, and Jenny has a beautiful talent for highlighting their charm.
For a small business, she’s in high demand: People claim charms, chains, rings, and trinkets in a matter of minutes. A $2,500 necklace sold the same day it was posted. With clients across the country and overseas, reaching 10,000 followers during my internship was a celebratory milestone. She values each one of her clients and followers. I am still in awe of how connected she is with her online community — a skill I learned lies at the heart of an engaging social media presence.
I was hired to help with social media, design and the mundane, day-to-day tasks that hold up a small business. I learned how to photograph jewelry for Instagram, picking out different backgrounds and practicing with lighting. I tracked inventory, weighed and sorted jewelry, prepared orders for clients, ran errands, and spent hours designing The Emerald Karat website.
Jenny gave me complete creative control over her website. I designed an engaging interface that optimized a seamless user experience, ensuring it reflected her brand’s unique vision and business goals. I loved being thrown into the deep end, teaching myself the software and tools as I went. With Jenny’s trust and our heavy collaboration throughout the process, designing the site became an extremely valuable and rewarding experience for us both.
Reflecting on my experience, I realize the true value of an internship is not about the company name or location. I didn’t need to work for a luxury beauty brand in New York City to attain clarity about my future career plans. I remained opportunistic and made the most out of my experience. I didn’t just find a summer job; I discovered my passion for digital design and producing social media content in the last place I ever expected. And a love for vintage jewelry, too!
Let my detour be your lesson: The pressure to “keep up” with peers is real, but it’s misplaced. It’s more than OK to move at a different pace than others. Sometimes the most invaluable experiences in life are the ones that pop up unexpectedly, without any warning at all. Trust the process. Everything will work out exactly as it should.