This summer, on a quest to reach my mandated 400 internship hours, I fearfully walked into my first ‘corporate’ internship.
This journey started back in November when I applied after a nudge in the right direction from my dean. After switching my major late in the game, I tend to have a bit of imposter syndrome when it comes to my skills. However, after talking this out with professors, I decided to go for it and apply. After a few weeks of interviews and resume brush-ups, I was notified I was accepted!
It was so freeing to have an exact plan for my summer even though it was already January. I am very much someone who needs a lot of routine and structure, so having this plan in my back pocket was thrilling. As the months ticked by, I got more excited for my NYC debut.
Maybe I forgot to mention… the internship was right in Midtown Manhattan. While I had been to New York plenty of times for a day or two at most, this was the first time I was going to be more of a local than a tourist.
The night before my first day, I was tingling with nerves and excitement. While I was so excited to start this new chapter, I was learning to navigate my bus route, Port Authority, Time Square and tons more blocks, all for the first time. Even buying my bus tickets was a new challenge to overcome.
I won’t lie- this anxiety did not wear off easily. It took many weeks to really feel like I had a grasp on my work, company culture, and routes. But, despite this, I had the most incredible summer. Once I got, I got it. One of my main goals is to work with nonprofits after graduation, and I was able to do this many times over- both in my writing and in hands-on site work!
I was also reminded that I have so much left to learn from others. We still have so many people we have yet to meet in this life- what a great opportunity we have. How cool is it that we have thousands of people and stories we have yet to hear? I was dumbfounded, personally. A little smile and small talk really does go a long way.
The work I was doing was unmatched and the culture and people made it all worth it. I am so grateful for my time in the city, and am excited to get to know the “new me” that has been born from the experience. The city is not for everyone, and it might not be something I continue post-grad, but I am so glad I took the leap and reaped so many benefits.