Olivia Brown, Campus Carrier Features Editor
“Boot Camp.” Those were the words Loren Solomon, founder of Advertising For Good (AFG), an Atlanta based advertising firm, used to describe the summer account service internship I had recently been hired for.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, boot camp is defined as “a program or situation that helps people become much better at doing something in a short period of time.” Internships are intended to introduce people, mainly students, to the field of work they are planning on entering after graduation; you usually learn the basics to prepare you for the work force, and most internships take place during the short summer months (though some are available in during the fall and spring semesters as well).
I was shocked at the time, but I quickly realized that Loren had described exactly what an internship was supposed to be: boot camp.
As I’m assuming, most students, especially me, expect an internship to be one of those summer jobs where all you do is make coffee or lunch runs for your bosses. We never imagine it would be a job where you learn any major skills; it’s just an “in.” However, that couldn’t have been more wrong about my internship at AFG over the summer.
On my first day of work at AFG, I was able to sit in on a meeting between Loren and one of the consultants working with her. I probably learned more in that one meeting than I have in any of my classes at Berry so far. I don’t mean to knock on any of the professors at Berry, but there is a clear difference between learning theory in the classroom and working through actual situations in the real world. However, even though I learned more in that one meeting, it seemed like everything that I had learned here at Berry up to that point was now coming together because I was experiencing it firsthand at the internship.
In addition to sitting in on various meetings and doing administrative tasks, Loren, along with my other bosses, Madeline and Amelia, allowed me to take on tasks that weren’t necessarily in my job description, but were tasks that I enjoyed doing. For example, I had the opportunity of designing an e-newsletter that went out to all of AFG’s contacts, clients and even potential contacts. It was awesome. I was able to do something I love (layout pages and graphic design) in an environment where I was able to receive feedback from some of the best in the business. I don’t believe I would have gotten that kind of opportunity at any other job or internship. It was an experience that has changed and shaped the way I think about design.
My internship at AFG got my feet wet and introduced me to a field that I want to work in after I graduate. Even if you intern somewhere doing something that you realize isn’t exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life, it’s ok. That’s the beauty of internships. It’s an experience/job that you don’t have to make a long-term commitment to. And, honestly, interviewers love seeing those on your résumé. Even if I hadn’t enjoyed the internship as much as I had, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. The experience I gained while working for Loren, Madeline and Amelia was incredible. I now know what to expect when I get my first full-time “big girl job.”
So my advice is to not be afraid of what internships… excuse me, afraid of what “boot camp” has to offer. Work hard; learn from it; and enjoy it as best as you can. It will be the experience of a lifetime.