Interning: A Graduate Student Perspective

No matter where you are in your academic career, internships are important. They allow you to figure out if you are heading into the right career path, or if maybe your passions are elsewhere. They help you grow in the professional world and understand so much more than we can ever gather from textbooks and lectures.

Being a graduate student, this is not my first go around with interning, but it was not until USA TODAY NETWORK that I discovered what I want to do for my future career. Internships give us the chance to see if our passions in school truly line up with what we want to do in our day to day lives. As an undergrad, one of my experiences made me realize I was heading in the wrong direction; however, this experience lead me to where I am now, a marketing intern with USA TODAY NETWORK in Greenville, SC. I could not be more grateful for those experiences years ago because they lead me to find what I want out of a company, coworkers, and overall working environment.

With that being said, I have some advice when looking for an internship. Working for USA TODAY NETWORK has been a blessing and has taught me more about myself than I could ever thank them for. Sure, I am an intern; I should be saying how much I love the company I work for. But I truly mean it. The team I work with believes in me. They help me with developing and preparing for a career, that for me is only a few short months away (wow does time fly by). And having been through the “internship hunt” for many years, I think I now have an idea of what it is you need to know before applying.

So here are my tips:

1. Know your Passions. When looking for an internship, think about what makes you excited during your college classes. Do you enjoy numbers? Do you want to be creative? Make a list and see what it is you believe will make you excited to go to work every day.
2. Ask Questions. One of the most intimidating parts about any interview is the final few moments when a potential employer asks, “Do you have any questions?” Always have questions prepared for the interview and be sure to understand the day to day life of their interns. Are you a part of the team? Will it be mostly shadowing? Will you be able to work on projects during your time there? What is the work environment of the company? Ask any questions that you feel are necessary to know if the internship is the right fit for you.
3. Speak-Up. One of the things I have learned from USA TODAY NETWORK is that my bosses want to learn from me just as much as I want to learn from them. Being an intern, you are a fresh set of eyes for the company, and you might see something that your bosses do not because they work on this work all the time. In terms of marketing, I have a different perspective on social media due to how I use it on a regular basis, and my bosses greatly appreciate that insight. By speaking up, I was able to share my opinions and see them come into play for the NETWORK’s Insider Program. The more you speak up, the more you will gain from the experience.
4. Attend Additional Events. If the company you are working for is hosting events, has meetings you can sit in on, or anything extra that can add to the skills you are learning, GO. It is so important to find the time to gain as much experience as possible while interning, and these type of events are great for networking because you get to meet more people in the company. You also get the opportunity to learn about new projects, goals of the company, and more about the day to day life of the professional world. Any additional opportunity is worth the time because you don’t want to feel as though you missed out on anything during your time as an intern.
5. Lastly, Have Fun! Get to know your bosses and coworkers. Going to work should never feel like a chore. You should enjoy your time, feel like you are learning, and develop friendships and work relationships. If you are not having fun, maybe it is not the right internship. Believe me when I tell you that enjoying what you do every day makes a huge difference!

I hope these tips help in your internship search. They helped me find USA TODAY NETWORK, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that I love every day of work. Some days are busier than others. Some days I feel like my to-do list keeps on getting longer, but I enjoy everything it is that I work on, and that is what matters. I have learned about marketing, social media campaigns, and so much more, which has made every day with the company wonderful. Shout out to my Greenville team, Autumn, Carole, and Jennifer for being such amazing mentors and proving the value of being an intern. Thank you for showing me how wonderful it is to work with USA TODAY NETWORK. With a little less than a month left in my internship, I am sad to see the time going by so fast but have enjoyed every moment this summer has brought me.

Thank you USA TODAY NETWORK for redefining what it means to be an intern and making us each a part of the team.