Tag Archives: internship

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.

Networking Hacks: CP&R Resume Book

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This week, I thought I would take a little time to highlight one of CP&R’s resources that I have found helpful in the never-ending search for internships.  As I have said before, I think networking is valuable no matter what field you are going into.  Not only do personal connections give you a leg up in the application process, but you have the chance to make real, meaningful connections with professionals in your field.  It’s hard to put yourself out there to “network”, in whatever form that may take, but I have found that people are inherently kind and genuinely want to help.  Without further ado, here is one of my favorite weapons in my (not so secret) networking arsenal!

The CP&R Resume Book

Every year, Scripps Career Planning & Resources invites members of the current graduating class (and alumnae 1 year out) to submit their resume for an online resource called the Resume Book. It serves multiple purposes:

First, it is a publicly available document that allows recruiters to see the accomplishments of the graduating class and contact them about job opportunities.

Second, for first years, sophomores and juniors who may be stressed out looking for jobs/internships, it provides some wonderful ideas of internships that our amazing seniors have landed, formatting examples and a way to build a list of companies you might be interested in.

The Resume Book is organized by career interests, so all you need to do is look up professions you’re interested in and BOOM! you can see where past Scrippsies interned, what their activities they were involved in on campus, and get good examples of what a resume in your field might look like.  While I’m not saying that you need to follow someone’s exact career trajectory, it gives you a good idea of how their budding careers have evolved from student activities to professional experience.

When we think of networking, we usually think of contacting real, professional adults.  But your peers are also a invaluable resource.  For example, last year I was panicking about internships and began digging through the resume book.  I found, and reached out to, a then current senior who had interned at companies I was interested in.  When I emailed her, she warmly agreed to meet me at the Motley, we had a delightful conversation, and she then connected me to a company she had interned with.  Through a personal introduction, and subsequent calls with employees at the company, I landed an internship!  Because I have had such success with and find the resume book a valuable resource, I thought I would share this insider tip.

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?

Stumbled Upon: Taking Advantage of Unexpected Opertunities

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You never know where opportunity will arise from but when it does be primed and ready to grab it. Here’s a great example:  I went to Harvey Mudd’s dining hall for lunch with a friend, excited about nothing more than getting a delicious salad.  Walking into the dining hall I discovered something unexpected.  A few people had a table set up by the entrance advertising a panel happening that evening.  They were from Universal Creative, the theme park attraction arm of Universal Studios.  When I approached their table they explained who they were.  Not knowing much about theme park design and construction, I assumed that they were at Mudd looking for engineering students but they became excited when I mentioned that I am a Theater major.  They even had “Theater Majors” listed on their flyer to inform people about the dinner panel.  By sheer coincidence I had stumbled on a panel that might pertain to my interests!  I certainly wasn’t going to let this interesting opportunity pass me by so I attended the panel that night.

As I expected, the room was mostly made up of Mudd students although I did find a good friend from the Theater department to sit with.  We first listened to the representatives’ talk about the organization and pitch of their intern program and their intern program.  They are seeking out theater students because of the creativity that the discipline inspires.  What struck me most was their focus on interdisciplinary partnerships.  They want to see people of all backgrounds collaborating on the projects for their theme parks.  I liked that they emphasized everyone’s participation in the creative process because everyone is working to make the vision come to life. 

I don’t know if a career in theme park design is right for me but it was certainly wonderful to learn more about a different field.  The most important part of the evening, in my mind, is after the panel because it gives you a chance to approach and interact with interesting panelists.  I got to speak with panelists and discover how their creative passions fit into the company.  Far too many people leave early or right when the event ends, so my best piece of advice is to try and make a positive impression by staying attentive, asking insightful questions and staying to chat with panelists after the official event ends.  Also bring your resume – You never know when you will need it. If you take advantage of opportunities and make a good impression, the sky is the limit!

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Taking Initiative in your Internship

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So you want to stand out in your internship position? Well if you do you’re at the right place. Because who doesn’t want positive recognition? The classic advice is to take initiative. Seize opportunity. Much easier said than done, especially for some of my introverted friends out there (love you guys!). Coming into an internship or first job you may not know exactly what it is you want to ultimately do. So how do you target and find opportunities that will be helpful? I suppose the answer is, what’s the harm in trying? In perusing any opportunity that comes your way. The primrose path is rarely straight and you never know what will ultimately lead you to what you want to be doing. I came into my internship with an unclear idea of what I wanted to do, explored a ton, took on responsibilities, and now I can take that knowledge into the future. But I never would have had some of the most amazing experiences if I never took initiative.

The first few weeks in my internship were really spent learning what my place was and learning the basic expectations and responsibilities of my role. And it is of course imperative to perform the tasks you are given to the best of your ability. Make a name for yourself as someone reliable. Someone that will not only do what is required, but do it efficiently and with their brain turned on. How can you make the lives of those around you easier? People tend to remember little things. Things that don’t even require much effort on your part. Like if you are asked to gather and organize information, presenting it in an easy to read fashion. Once you have developed a name for yourself as a reliable worker and quick thinker, don’t be afraid to ask if you can help with anything.

For example, I was brought in as a Film/TV Development intern which mostly consisted of reading scripts and providing written feedback reports on them to executives. But there was also a Virtual Reality division of the company and I was dying to know more. Although I knew very little about VR at the time, IT LOOKED SO COOL! So I saw the team working on a project one day and asked if they needed any help. I didn’t know it at the time but I would end up learning so much about this emerging industry. But not only that, it furthered my reputation as someone who was invested in making the most out of my time. And that initiative will help you stand out in people’s minds in the future. Maybe those who have been working longer will have a better perspective on this, but from what I experienced, it is the little things that make you stand out.

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