Debunking Internship Myths

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Emily G.

Internships are full of surprises and can be shrouded in mystery. We think we know what we are getting ourselves into, but often times, internships end up being completely different than we expected. Keep reading to unpack some common internship misconceptions and hopefully learn something along the way!

Internships are “one size fits all.”

The entertainment industry has portrayed internships in movies, tv shows, novels, and basically every other publicly consumed medium. Growing up, I always thought that an internship was a highly coveted position that involved picking up coffee and dry cleaning. I now know that this isn’t necessarily the case. Some internships may involve balancing three trays of Starbucks drinks while running around making copies, but there are internships that involve video editing, phone banking, and even assisting in surgery. All internships provide immense amounts of career insight and experience, but they are a lot less formulaic than we are commonly led to believe.

Asking questions will make you seem like “the stupid intern.”

There are a few damaging stereotypes that can surround the idea of the workplace intern: overworked, incompetent, annoying, and useless. These words couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to interns! Interns are some of the most engaged, thoughtful, and dedicated people in the business. The purpose of an internship is to LEARN. In order to do this, you have to ask questions and figure out the ins and outs of a workplace. There is a learning curve, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t qualified to be there. Asking questions doesn’t make you annoying, it makes you engaged and interested. Yes, you probably will be overworked, but hopefully in the best way possible. Don’t worry about the unfounded beliefs about your position, and go in each day willing to work your hardest and break down those unflattering stereotypes.

Being an unpaid intern means that you aren’t qualified for a paid position.

Unpaid internships are still exist in the working world today. Although more companies are paying interns, unpaid opportunities are still a very common way to gain career experience, and often can lead to a paid position at a place of work. Many times, it seems an intern does the same amount (if not more!) work than an official employee. Just because you are not being paid to be there doesn’t mean that you aren’t valued. You had the skills to get the internship, and you will develop the skills to be employed in that field, if you don’t already have them. As much as employers benefit from having you there, you also benefit from taking an unpaid internship. Your internship is a time for you to learn about a prospective career path and decide if it’s right for you. You are there to gain experience and refine your career goals, and who knows, you might even end your internship with an official job offer!

Interns are disposable, and if you mess up, you’re out.

While this may be true with some internships, the general truth is that the place that you are interning probably is in need of an intern and their primary role should be to teach you. Businesses use interns for a variety of purposes, and typically they are in need of an extra set of hands. They aren’t usually going to throw out that extra person just because some documents weren’t collated properly. It’s okay to make mistakes, and if you butcher something, it’s going to be fine, more often than not. Employers appreciate honesty and dedication, and they understand that sometimes mistakes happen. As long as you are up front about and understanding of what went wrong, it’s fairly likely that they will be too.

Finally, a fact about internships:

5. Interning is one of the best things you can do.

For better or for worse, internships provide incredible career experience. Even a “bad” internship can show you what you do and do not want from your future career and that is invaluable. Internships are full of learning opportunities, and you don’t only learn about jobs, you learn about yourself. Internships can be difficult and stressful, but you grow and evolve as an employee and person in the big working world. So next time you are offered an internship, go ahead and say yes! Your future self will be glad that you did.

My First Internship: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Emily

When I walked into the animal shelter veterinary clinic in Camarillo, CA at 10:00am on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, my hands were shaking. It was the first day of my first animal care internship. My mind was racing, questions buzzing through nervously. What is it going to be like? Will the people be nice? What am I going to do here? What am I going to learn? Are they going to be willing to teach me? Am I cut out for this? Is veterinary medicine the right career path? My eyes were wide, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I waited anxiously with the barking, happily recovering dogs in the dog ward.

After a few minutes, one of the veterinary technicians came in and introduced himself. He told me that the office was already chaotic and busy (I would soon discover and love that every day was a whirlwind of surgeries and exams), and that the entire staff was happy to have me there to help. He led me into the main exam room where I met Dr. Heather Skogerson and the other vet technicians. Dr. Heather welcomed me with a smile and a tour of the clinic, and then set me to work.

The events of my first day were a blur of vaccinating kittens, helping with dog and cat exams, and learning the ropes and procedures of the clinic. I spent time bottle feeding underage, orphaned kittens in the nursery and observing spay/neuter surgeries. I watched lost animals come in and adopted animals go home. By the time I went on my lunch break at 2:00pm, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life healing animals.

At the end of the day, I was tired and sore, but more energized than ever before. I couldn’t stop smiling when I got home, and all I wanted to do was talk about my amazing new internship.

I spent the summer observing and scrubbing in on surgeries to repair eyes, limbs, and everything in between, administering medications to make sick animals well again, changing bandages to keep healing wounds free from infection, vaccinating so that healthy animals would stay healthy, counseling adopters to help find forever families for our animals, and becoming a foster and adopted parent to three orphaned kittens who stole my heart as well as my bed. I became an integral part of the veterinary clinic and formed lasting relationships with my mentors and teachers there.

My first internship was an eye opening glance into the world past college. I saw what a “real job” looked like in a chaotic and high pressure workplace. I jumped in and learned through hands on experience. I realized that it was okay to be nervous and unsure, and I was able to channel that nervous energy into productive work energy. I asked questions at every given chance, and I turned mistakes into learning opportunities. Most importantly, I saw where I wanted to be in 10 years. I finally had an answer to that dreaded interview question, and I vividly remember the relief that I felt. Veterinary medicine was and is the career path for me, and internships have taught me with countless lessons along the path toward my goal. I am so thankful for the valuable, heartwarming, and funny experiences that I’ve collected, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you this semester!

Now it’s your turn! What was your first internship was like? How was your first day? I want to hear about it, so comment below and share!

The Worst Summer Ever… Or Was It?

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Isobel

Hi, my name is Isobel Whitcomb, and I have officially endured The Worst Summer Ever. All hyperboles aside, from any person’s objective standpoint, my summer does look pretty bad.

All year, I had been looking forward to studying abroad in Bhutan with the School for Field Studies (SFS), taking classes and conducting an independent research project at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and the Environment (UWICE). My time there was to be spent scaling the rough terrain of the Himalayas, collecting data in the field, and learning from both American and Bhutanese professors in ecology and forestry.

And then everything went awry.

UWICE, where I was meant to study this summer.

It all started during my first week at home. I should have been excited to be done with Junior year, for my 21st birthday, and most of all to take off for Bhutan. But I just couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm or energy. My mum kept saying “I didn’t look quite right,” (thanks, Mum), but I just chalked up the comments to her British bluntness. I felt tired and bedraggled. The simplest tasks zapped me of energy. I was sleeping all the time. But to be honest, who doesn’t feel a little wiped out after a long, hard semester and all the stress of finals week. It wasn’t until my face and neck erupted in huge, painful lumps and I got a high fever that I realized perhaps something was wrong.

Drawing a comparison between me and this chipmunk would be doing the chipmunk a disservice.

So I had mono. And strep throat. And a respiratory infection. I could probably soldier through that, right? Wrong, Isobel, very wrong. My doctor absolutely banned me from traveling, even though if her consent hadn’t been an issue I would have gone anyways.

I was forced abandon my entire plan for the summer. Not only was this incredibly disappointing for obvious reasons, but the decision came with a vast amount of guilt. Like all my fellow Scrippsies, I am a high achieving liberal arts student. Throughout my time in college, I’ve had it drilled into me that summers are a time of productivity meant for internships, research, or classes. Now, I was having the valuable summer before my senior year snatched from me.

Or so I thought. After three weeks of resting in bed, either sleeping, watching netflix, or trying to figure out how to get food and liquids into me without feeling even more sick, I began to feel slightly better. Now, “better” is entirely relative. By “better” I mean that I was able to sit out on my back porch and do a low key activity, like reading, writing, and painting. I was able to walk around the block once or twice. As it turned out, this time for self-reflection was exactly what I needed, not only physically, but mentally.

If I were to print a novelty calendar for my year, this would be the background for June.

College is stressful. Not only is it a time when success is defined by good grades and time spent doing research or running clubs, but it’s also a developmentally formative time when we’re trying to figure out once and for all who we are, who our people are, and what exactly we’re supposed to do with the rest of our lives.

Now, I don’t want to give the impression that I haven’t totally appreciated my three plus years at Scripps. I’ve made friends with some of the brightest, most genuine women I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. I’ve taken life-changing courses. I’ve spent hours reading Foucault while lying in the sun on Jacqua quad. But I’ve also struggled to find my niche academically, to decide on the career to pursue, and of course I have struggled with comparing myself to the bright, accomplished young women I just mentioned.

I found that as I rested my body, I gained mental clarity. I began to tease out my priorities. No path immediately appeared through the murky mire of what I wanted to do in life, but my values did quickly reveal themselves. For instance, I realized that I wasn’t willing to give up writing, and that any career I pursued would need to allow for a touch of creativity. As the summer went on, I began venturing onto the internet to explore my options for jobs and for grad school. For years I’ve entertained the idea of going into Science writing without really understanding how I might get there. Over the summer, I finally had the time, and mental energy to seriously look into these options. I called alumni, emailed program directors.

For the first time, I began to feel excited for life after graduation. Even more than that, I absolutely couldn’t wait.

Coming back to school last week, I was asked countless times “How was your summer?” Some people hadn’t heard, or else had forgotten that I spend half the summer recovering from three illnesses. Nevertheless, whenever I’m met with this question, I smile and answer with ease “It was my best summer yet.” Because sometimes the events in life that we least expect are the most valuable, and formative of our lives.

Once I’m established as a science writer, I’ll have mono to thank.

Discussion: If you have stories of mishaps or unexpected events that ended up leading to significant change or decision in life, leave it in the comments! I’d love to hear them.

Breaking Break: How to Make the Most of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Dorie

Ahh, yes, it’s that time of year once again. The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping (well, at least it should be), and the end of November is within grasp. This also means that a lot has been happening since our last little break, back in October, and the end-of-the-semester crunch is beginning to rear its nasty little head. I know I’m not the only one wondering where this semester has gone–let alone the rest of this year. Time sure flies when you’re having fun, right?

Wait, there are HOW many weeks left before winter break???

With final paper due dates looming in the not-so-distant future, different class projects that always seem to be due at the exact same time, thesis deadlines approaching far too rapidly, and this semester’s flex allotment nearing dangerously low levels, it is definitely the perfect time for a little break–from work, from stress, and from all the aforementioned factors that can really weigh us down this time of year. Enter: Thanksgiving break! The perfect blend of time off, relaxation, good food, and the last little rest before the final push of the semester. Whether you’re going home, staying on campus, or tagging along to someone else’s house for the holidays, the break is a great opportunity to take a mental break from the stress of school, but also finish up some of the work that can pile up before the end of the semester and finals time.

Me @ all of my assignments right now……yikes.

As someone who absolutely needs to do some work this Thanksgiving break, I’ve outlined some of the ways in which this Thanksgiving break can be the best one yet–getting the necessary time off that we all deserve, while making sure there is still some productivity happening during the days off. Have a look at some of the steps I will be taking to ensure I stay on top of things as I stuff my face with turkey and enjoy some quality cuddle time with my cat. Keep in mind, what works for me might not work for you. But, if that’s the case, then go ahead and design your own Thanksgiving to-do list!

See? You can be just as productive as this lil guy here.

So, without further ado, here’s my “Thanksgiving Break Productivity Cheat Sheet!”

(spoiler alert: it is very unlikely that I will be following all these steps to a tee, but at least the foundation for not completely sleeping through my entire break is on the table)

Before you leave (or before break “officially” starts), plan out the work, applications, or specific assignments that you want to get done, and make sure to bring whatever you need to complete it.

This is particularly important if you are going to be traveling over break–be it home or elsewhere. If you need a specific book for reference as you finish up a paper, or need that one notebook you scribbled down some notes in for that one class, make sure you bring it! There is nothing worse than remembering that somewhere, in the deep crevices of your backpack, is a small piece of paper that has a really bomb piece of information on it that will totally cinch your conclusion. If you plan accordingly for the work you want to do, it will make it that much easier once it’s time to sit down and start it.

Figure out a day (or days) that would work best for you to set aside for being productive, and make a plan for how you want to structure your working day.

For obvious reasons, the actual day of Thanksgiving might not be your best bet for having some time to get work done. I know that I will be waaaaayy too full of yummy food all day to even think about sitting down and writing–talk about a food coma. But, if that works for you, then go for it! Visualizing how you’re going to spend your break (whether it be with friends, family, or in bed snuggling with your pets) makes it easier to set aside some time for working, especially if you already know you have plans to work around.

Tell your family/friends/pets that you want some time to yourself to do what you need to do.

It can be very tempting over break to try and squeeze in as much time with your friends and family that are in town as possible. If that’s what you want to do with your time, then have at it! Seeing old friends for the first time in a long time is a great way to rejuvenate after a solid couple of months of school. But, if you have work that needs to be done, letting them know ahead of time can help you make more effective plans, without hurting anyone’s feelings.

Be realistic about what you want to/will get done!

Look, it’s Thanksgiving break. If you get caught up in the holiday spirit, or take an impromptu trip with your family somewhere and spend less time on your essay or whatever, it’s not the end of the world. You deserve a little break! And, if you’re like me and know that you’ll probably get less work done than you initially planned, leaving a little wiggle room for some extra down time might not be a bad thing.

And, on that note……

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!

It’s been a busy semester, and this break is happening for a reason (besides a government mandate…..you know what I mean). It’s good for us all to take a step back and reflect on how the semester has been going so far, and sometimes that means just getting out of the school mindset altogether. Especially at this time of year, instead of worrying about everything that is coming up after break (and it can be a lot, don’t get me wrong), think about everything that you’ve accomplished at this point. For seniors, this is pretty wild–it’s our last Thanksgiving as college students! We’ve done so much in our 3.5 years so far! But even if you’re not a senior, try reflecting back on all the papers, all the tests, and all the hard work you’ve put into your education. Seriously, you deserve a break!

So, keeping this all in mind, go forth and have a restful, well-fed Thanksgiving break. If you get all your work done, then hey! That’s great! But, if not, no worries. You’ll figure it out.

Happy holidays, and enjoy your time off~!

The Beginning of the End

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Dorie

Normally, I wouldn’t really consider myself to be an overly sentimental person. I don’t like to dwell on things, and try my best to look towards the future rather than stay rooted in the past or the present. As senior year draws on, however, and the end of this semester seems only a few short weeks away, the sentimentality attached to this being my final fall semester at Scripps has started to permeate all of my interactions and experiences–both here and at the rest of the 5C’s.

For example, I have started categorizing a lot of what I do, see, and feel as “The Last _____” or “The Final ______.” This has become a sort of mantra in relation to specific events on campus (“The Last Toga Party,” or “The Last Halloweekend with Suite Group Costumes,” etc.), but can absolutely be applied to a lot of other experiences on campus, as will definitely be the case in the next few weeks when the dining halls start rolling out their Thanksgiving menus (aptly titled “The Last Thanksgiving Crawl 2k15,” in which my friends and I vow to hit every single dining hall that serves Thanksgiving food, even if we have to flex ourselves in to a second lunch or dinner to accomplish this feat).

This is about as accurate as it gets. Thanksgiving Crawl 2k15 is not for the faint of heart.

As I find myself labeling things in this way more and more often, I’m still trying to decide how I feel about this bittersweet attachment to the finality of this year. On the one hand, acknowledging that it is indeed the last time that I will be able to do a group costume with the wonderful gals that I live with, or go to one of my favorite themed parties on campus, gives a sad sort of tinge to the experiences as a whole; but, it also incentivizes me to make the most of what I have here at Scripps, and enjoy every last moment that much more. I don’t want to look back on my last two semesters here with any regrets about things I could have been doing or involving myself more in, but I also have to maintain a balance that will allow me to devote the necessary and important time to cranking out my thesis, as well as succeed in my other classes. It can feel overwhelming at times, what with the “But it’s the last time you’ll ever _________!” argument always weighing in the back of my mind, but figuring out how to maintain a harmony between the work and the play is very important in creating a memorable and productive senior year.

I know I said I’m not a sentimental kind of person, but I can’t deny that I am pretty comfortably attached to Scripps and the 5C’s, in more ways than one. Unlike my senior year of high school, when I couldn’t wait to get out of there and head right to college the second I graduated, some of the apprehension about leaving that naturally accompanies the ambiguity of my next steps post-Scripps (unlike in high school, where it was pretty heavily assumed that the next step was a good college or university), stems from the fact that there is no “set” place for me to go. I have talked about this before (in case you missed a previous post of mine–shame on you!) but all this sentimentality and nostalgic longing to return to my first year at Scripps and never, ever leave has brought these thoughts back to the front of my mind. So much for not being sentimental……

If these past few weeks (and the reflection on all I have said above) have taught me anything, it’s that giving into a little sentimentality isn’t a always bad thing. It’s senior year! Why shouldn’t I get a little misty-eyed thinking about how this will be the last time I get to bust out my sweater collection for the Claremont autumn weather I have been waiting for ever-so-patiently? Or wistfully look forward to my last Holiday season here with festive foods and decorations in every dining hall? Remembering to savor these little, last times–but balancing this appreciation with other work and responsibilities–is what I would consider a key factor to making the most of my last year at Scripps.

Besides the sentimentality, what do you think is important and necessary in creating the best senior year ever?

Beyond the Elms

Exploring Careers with Scripps Students

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