By Olivia Thomson
When you hear the word “intern,” you might imagine the trope of a college kid fetching coffee, running errands and doing all the menial tasks no one else in the office wants to do. Internships have long been considered something you usually do as a student to either complete a requirement or expand your resume. But after your college days are over, getting into a career field for the first time can be challenging. As a soon-to-be-graduate last fall, I was finding too often that “entry-level” jobs required absurd amounts of experience that I didn’t have. Truthfully, although my time in undergrad was great, I felt like I still had a lot to learn. So I began applying for internships instead, and two months into my design internship at 88, I’m thankful I did.
Although being an intern after graduating college may seem a little uncool, there are several reasons why you should consider it, whether you’re a recent grad or are switching career fields after years out of school.
Learn!
Internships are a great opportunity to continue learning beyond school. Being the rookie at work in this case is a good thing—your coworkers will probably be more inclined to spend time teaching you the ins and outs of the industry. You might get the chance to jump into to a variety of different projects, exposing you to different styles of working and expanding your skill set far beyond what you learned in college. For example, my internship at 88 has given me the chance to see agency life from every angle, working directly with team members from all different backgrounds.
Find out what you like
As temporary positions, internships are a bit like speed dating a company—you get to learn more about what you like and don’t like about a job without having to commit to something long-term. When I was about to graduate, I had no idea which sector of the design world I wanted to work in or what kind of company I saw myself with. Interning at a small ad agency helped me get a better idea of how I saw myself fitting into this field and what things I’ll look for (and even try to avoid) when scoping out future employers.
Get paid… something
Many people avoid internships altogether because of monetary concerns, and rightfully so. Lots of companies still get away with paying their interns little to nothing, and for a post-grad adult with expenses and student loan payments, this just isn’t feasible. However, there are a number of great internships out there that do pay an amount you can actually live on for the time being, and a recent trend in some organizations is intern positions created specifically for recent grads that may even provide benefits. And internships allow you to connect with a whole network of new people, connections that could land you a full-time position down the road after your internship ends.
My internship at 88 has allowed me to become a more confident designer by acquiring the ability to think in a more client-focused way. I’ve learned how an agency works day to day as well as the value of honest collaboration in an agency setting. This experience has also been a great, practical way to assess where I want to go with my career and has given me knowledge and perspective that will be invaluable to me in the future.
Olivia Thomson is currently a Design Intern at 88 Brand Partners