Category Archives: Juliana

The Serendipity of my Summer Internship

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This past summer, I interned with a wedding photographer near my home in Philadelphia, PA.  Originally, I had pursued the internship as a way to develop my photography skills and experience the behind-the-scenes environment of the photography world. Throughout the summer, I dabbled in various aspects of the business such as attending weddings, identifying influencers in the wedding industry, and researching and analyzing optimal methods of engagement for postings on Instagram. By being exposed to such a wide variety of tasks, I learned what I enjoyed and did not enjoy about running a photography business. Surprisingly, I learned that I did not enjoy photographing weddings. The emotionally-charged and chaotic environment of a wedding increased my anxiety and made it difficult for me to enjoy the process and art of photography. I also felt uncomfortably intrusive at weddings, because although I was a stranger to the couple getting married, I was present at some of the wedding’s most intimate moments such as the bride getting ready, and posing for family photos.

While I did not improve my photography skills greatly through my internship, I discovered my passion for social media strategy. I loved learning about the intricacies of the Instagram algorithm and discovering the numerous influencers in the wedding industry. At first, I was a little overwhelmed when the owner would present me with such tasks as “ research shadow-banned hashtags” or “participate in daily comment pods”. The world of social media strategy was a mystery to me before this internship and I had no idea what a “shadow-banned hashtag” nor “comment pod” was. Through seeking guidance and several google searches, I discovered that a shadow-banned hashtag is a hashtag that prevents a post from receiving optimal engagement. A comment pod is a method used among influencers whereby the users in the pod all comment on one another’s posts. Through a comment pod, a post will have many comments and therefore appear higher up on a follower’s feed. While learning about social media strategy took a lot of research, I ultimately discovered how much I enjoyed it. I love how social media strategy is about understanding and anticipating human behavior, and solving the puzzle of how to engage people with online content.

Based on what I learned in my internship last summer, I have been able to take advantage of several professional opportunities using my social media strategy skills. I now work at the Scripps Office of Parent Engagement , where I conduct social media projects such as “What Are They Up to Wednesdays”, featuring candid photos that I take of students around campus, and manage the Instagram and Facebook posts via Hootsuite. I am seeking an internship this summer that will enable me to further develop my social media strategy skills. Looking back, while my internship last summer did not at all fulfill my initial expectations of honing my photography skills, it gave me the serendipitous gift of learning about a new professional interest and skill, which is truly what an internship is all about.

My Future Career Probably Doesn’t Exist Yet

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This past Thursday, I attended a “Women in Tech” panel at the CMC Athenaeum, featuring three CMC alumnae. I really enjoyed hearing about each of their experiences while at CMC, and working at startups and major corporations, such as Kaiser and General Mills. I learned about the fast-paced and sometimes chaotic startup world and the most valuable college classes they had each taken in college. Each woman was very passionate about her career, and provided candid advice to the audience about regrets, experiences, and achievements.  One of the students in the audience asked “What is the best piece of career advice you’ve received?” The women all provided valuable advice, yet one comment really stuck with me. “Your future job may not even exist yet”, one panelist said.

I found this advice to be simultaneously comforting and terrifying. Just as I struggle to determine my major, I am also hesitant to declare one single career path, as I do not have the skills nor information to make either of these major decisions just yet. I have many future internships to complete and many classes to take that will help me make these decisions. So, what’s the rush in being certain of my future now? It is comforting to know that my future career may not even exist, because it relieves me from the pressure of defining it and sharing it with the world right now.

At the same time, the thought that my future career may not even exist yet is more than slightly terrifying. From the day students enter kindergarten, they are asked “What are you going to be when you grow up?” This question programs students from the very beginning to be forward-thinking and certain in their decisions. Most young students will say doctor, baseball player, or actress based on what their parents have told them they should aspire to be or what they have seen on television. I’m pretty sure that in kindergarten, I said that I am going to be a businesswoman because my five-year old self knew that my mom was some sort of businesswoman. Little did I know that there are thousands of careers within the field of business. Because our society seems to expect certainty from us, it is difficult to accept the ambiguity of my future career. Yet even while I create as much structure and certainty as I can in my everyday life through my weekly planner and  Google Calendar, I also recognize that it is ok to not have everything planned out.

The worlds of business and technology are constantly changing, and many of these changes, like the advent of artificial intelligence, will not only change how we work but how we live. Who knows, a life-changing piece of technology could come out this week! Like that panelist said, I encourage more students, no matter how young or old, to not feel pressure to define their future career, and instead accept, and maybe even embrace, the uncertainty of the process. The next time someone asks me what I’m going to do with my career, I just might respond with “how could I know? My career doesn’t even exist yet”.

“So, What Are You Going to Major In?”

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The summer before leaving home for college, first-year students are constantly asked “what are you going to major in?” I never had a definitive answer. I would usually reply with a vague “I’m not sure”, or sometimes, “I am going to a liberal arts college, I’m not supposed to know what I will major in yet”. I knew I did not particularly enjoy STEM classes, and kind of enjoyed writing, but did not feel the urge to declare my love for any one subject just yet. In addition, I did not believe in the assumption behind the question. How are students who have not taken a single college class supposed to be certain of the academic path they intent to pursue?

College is a time for self-discovery and for taking classes that you enjoy and are genuinely interested in. Now that I am in the midst of my second semester at Scripps, I have a better grasp of what subjects interest me, and what subjects definitely do not interest me. I see my potential major as a puzzle and I’m discovering the pieces that will make the picture complete. Last semester, I took an “Introduction to Digital Art” class where we learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and created portfolios of our work. Through this class, I discovered my interest in video editing. My Writing 50 class reminded me of how much I enjoy analytical writing. Taking French 22 and French 33 taught me that I enjoy the grammar of French but do not enjoy comprehension. I am now taking Psychology and find the topic intriguing and applicable to so much in life. Through taking Macroeconomics, I am discovering that I probably won’t be an Economics major but can benefit from understanding basic economic principles.

While I will probably change my mind more than once, I currently see myself majoring in Psychology and minoring in Media Studies. Even though I have not yet taken a Media Studies class, I plan to next semester and have a feeling that I will enjoy it.

I think that one of the biggest lessons the first year of college is teaching me is not taught in any course: the lesson to accept and be at peace with uncertainty.  I am in the habit of constantly trying to plan every aspect of my days and of my future. Planning gives me great comfort and a sense of security, and it helps me feel in control. College is teaching me that even though I do not yet know what I will major in, let alone what I will eat for lunch tomorrow, that’s ok. What I do know is that I am going to take amazing classes, continue my passion for learning, and, eventually, discover what my major will be.

 

5 Tips and Trick to Navigate the Internship Search

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Now that Spring semester is in full swing, I have begun the daunting yet exciting search for a summer internship. Through my research and experience, I have found many resources that can help students find their dream internship whether that be with a lab, startup, or Fortune 500 company. Below are my top 5 resources!

  1. Handshake

Handshake is an online resource that helps college students find jobs and internships. While I was first intimated by the website, I spent some time poking around this past week. By adding my interest, graduation year, and GPA, I was able to find many internships that I am qualified for in various employment industries. By clicking the “favorite” button for an internship that I want to apply for, I receive an email reminding me to apply and of the application’s due date.

  1. CP&R

Scripps CP&R has numerous resources to help students throughout any stage of the internship process. This past December, I attended a workshop on how to apply for Internship Grants through CP&R. Valinda, a member of the CP&R staff, guided the attendees through the application process and answered any of our questions. In addition, I have found the one-on-one meetings with CP&R staff to be very helpful. They can assist students with resumes, internship searches, and career searches. You can use CP&R drop in hours M-F 10am – 5pm without an appointment or simply schedule a one on one appointment with a counselor for a time that works for your schedule on Handshake!

  1. Glassdoor

Similar to Handshake, Glassdoor is a free online resource where students and adults can search for jobs and internships. The website has endless internship and job listings that it is almost overwhelming. Many large corporations such as L’Oréal, Spotify, and Red Bull have internships listed on Glassdoor as well. The application process varies by position but Glassdoor always redirects you to a website where you can apply.

  1. Contacting Local Businesses

This past summer, I knew I wanted to do something creative and productive. Because of my interest in photography, I decided to contact several local photographers to see how I could be of assistance to their company. I spoke with several photographers and loved hearing about their experience and their businesses. I ultimately decided to intern with Du Soleil Photographie in West Chester, PA as I really bonded with the owner and loved her photography style. I had a great experience with her and gained a lot of insight on what it’s like to run a local business. I strongly recommend contacting local businesses for summer internships opportunities!

  1. Family

Although family events can be boring, try to spice them up by networking. Who knows, your uncle may know someone who works in the same lab you would love to intern at or your cousin may be working for a chic startup.

What internships resources have you found to be helpful?