Ever wonder what to expect when taking on an internship as a student? I know I did. Being a student intern can be a little overwhelming at times but the opportunities you receive are truly amazing! Today I am bringing you some amazing girls, Kelly and Sarah, to talk to you about their interning experience and give you advice!
Kelly Guidry
Year: 2019
Internship Company, Title: New York Family Magazine, Editorial Intern
What I Do:
Write articles for the New York Family website and Baby magazine, schedule events to the website’s calendar, interview people, transcribe interviews
Hardest part about being a student intern?
The commute! Making sure I have enough time to make it to my train and finding transportation to and from the train station if my schedule doesn’t work with Hofstra’s shuttle schedule. Also, having to deal with the problems that I could run into with public transportation like when a train line is down or if the weather is bad – having to figure out ways to get home can sometimes be a struggle (but hopefully I won’t run into any more problems)
Most fun part about being a student intern:
Getting a little taste of what life is like as an adult! It’s been fun being among the adults who work in the city and feeling like I’m in my 20s heading to my fun job in the city rather than being a struggling college student ha! It’s also been fun getting to explore future career possibilities and figuring out what I want to do when I graduate.
Advice:
Time management is key! Having to balance my academics, internship, and extracurriculars can be overwhelming at times, but I always make sure to use my free time to get ahead and/or get time to myself.
Sarah Hysong
Year: 2018
Company Name, Title: Voice of America, Media Lab Intern
What I Do:
I edit 60 second videos together which highlight the five most important stories happening in a region of the world for that day.
Hardest part about being a student intern?
Balancing class work with interning. I remember having to be so good with time management and I had to use the commuting time for homework because taking on five classes and an internship was so hard to balance. I was always so tired when I got back from interning, but I never had time to relax because I always had assignments to work on for the following day.
What is the most fun part of being a student intern?
All the opportunities to learn. I love that whenever I’m interested in something, all I have to do is ask one of my supervisors, and they find a way to make it happen. I wanted to see a live broadcast get produced, and a week or so ago they actually took us down to a studio to see that happen. So, all I had to do was voice my interest.
Do you have any advice for students that are going into/interested in getting an internship?
Take every opportunity an internship offers you. You will learn so much if you step out of your comfort zone when they suggest it. In my experience supervisors want to help you build your skills, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions either. You’re there to learn and expand skills, and they’re there to teach you, so ask questions, be curious and take every task they offer that you can. Also intern in as many specialties as you can. I did a magazine and a video internship, you really learn what you like and what you don’t like, and it’s great to expand your experiences and strengthen as many skills as you can.
Hannah Johnson (Me)
Year: 2019
Company Name, Title: TULA Life Inc, Social Media and Marketing Intern
What I Do:
At TULA I help find influencers and send packages to them, design graphics including backdrops, banners, and icons. I also write for their blog and manage their Pinterest account.
Hardest part about being a student intern?
I think the hardest part about being an intern is the commute. Being from a small town where my normal commute was 20 minutes, it feels really weird that it takes two hours to get to and from work. Commuting in NYC is not a piece of cake and then when you add weather or fires to the equation, the Long Island Railroad kind of just shuts down and you’re temporarily stranded for a few hours. But what it lacks in travel, it makes up for in opportunity!
The most fun about being a student intern:
Other than travel…everything. The current place I work at, I love everything. They let me do so much and they are such a great group of women to work with. The work environment is so amazing, and I feel like I really am apart of Team TULA. I also am loving all of the stuff that I am learning with them. It is so exciting!
Advice:
If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to work your hardest at being organized and having good time management. I used to find myself 20 minutes before an assignment for school was due and then panicking to get it done. Now, I make sure my planner is always up to date with things that I have to do with the due dates and I am constantly updating to-do lists so that I don’t forget things!
Also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I found myself misunderstanding something my boss asked me to do and ended up landing an awesome opportunity! You may get rejected sometimes, but it’s better to say, “I tried!” than “What if?”