Free Friday

Summer School

 Instead of a normal blog entry, I decided to share one of my assignments for my internship course. We have a total of three assignments throughout the summer and this particular one concentrates on what I have experienced, the pros and cons, and any helpful tips to those searching for internships next year.

Basically, this is my view on my internship at the High. Enjoy!

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I am halfway through my internship at the High Museum of Art, but I feel as though I have already grasped all the skills and traits my internship has in store for me.

What I experienced:

-I know that the projects I am assigned are appreciated; however, there is no instant gratification because everything is planned for 2013. It gets a little frustrating to have minimal authority and to simply perform basic intern assignments.

-I have also experienced that working in a cubicle setting there is a chance to meet those around you, but more of an opportunity to hide from chatter and to get actual work done.

What I liked and disliked:

-I like working in Midtown Atlanta and being around mini cultural hubs.

-Because the High utilizes an official intern program, there are 18 other interns running around the office. The benefit of so many interns is that my department has two interns assigned to them. The two of us are able to collaborate on assignments, and it’s just nice to have someone experiencing the same thing to be one cubicle over. Along with having another intern to experience things with, I have enjoyed spending time with all the interns as we have weekly curatorial tours and Lunch and Learns through the internship program. The program is very well organized and beneficial. Fridays are always a highlight of the week, apart from the obvious.

-Most of all, I enjoy working in the world of art! I have grown a high fascination for art as a whole.

-There are some things I have not thoroughly enjoyed with interning at the High. Of course, these flaws are out of the High’s hands, but I have to pay a daily fee in the parking garage. As a matter of fact, the price just recently increased from $3 a day to $5 a day. It’s not a terribly high increase, but when working for a total of two months you really begin to remember you’re working an unpaid internship.

-The other unfortunate thing is I have not been able to display all my skills throughout the internship. I do not have the chance to try design or event organization, so I am afraid my super advisors haven’t seen my full potential.

-As the PR intern I was excited to work under the Director of Public Relations; however, the communication department is currently lacking this position. Because of this I feel as though I may be missing out on projects and learning skills because I do not have a specific supervisor in my field. (Don’t get my wrong, my current advisor is great. I just wish it was more PR-related than marketing-related).

Pros/Cons:

Pros –there are other interns to relate with, working in Midtown Atlanta, interning for a reputable and well-known institution.

Cons­ –cubicle life is hard to get familiar with, pay to park, not many creative hands-on projects, typically not a “hire after” opportunity.

Skills needed:

You will need to be somewhat familiar with Microsoft Excel –I have literally used it since day one. Also, you need to have time management skills. You may be assigned 4 projects within a week, all with different priority settings. Be sure you can manage your time and a lot an acceptable amount of time to general projects, while keeping a close eye on high priority projects.

What should you do to acquire a good internship:

Don’t be afraid to apply to an opportunity. You may hear that everybody is applying, or that it is a very competitive internship with a hefty application process. You may even have family, friends or faculty suggest looking for another option. Apply anyways. I went up against 140 other applicants. Sure I was nervous, but I was selected, and that helped instill faith in myself and my work.