Unlike most magazine and media interns, I snagged my first internship a few weeks after graduating high school. Yep, I’m a baby. While most of my friends are spending their summers nannying or basking by the pool, I bought a one-way ticket from Atlanta to New York City with a suitcase and a lead on a few fashion internships.
Snagging the Job
Despite my lack of experience, I hoped to land a Devil-Wears-Prada-esque internship, fetching coffee and keeping my head down in exchange for glances at the beautiful people and garments I saw in magazines. Instead, (thanks to Ed2010’s internship postings) I landed a spot on a small team for a brand new website writing fashion and technology articles.
During my interview, my future boss said, “I like you the best because you seem hungrier than any of the other applicants.” I was a little nervous about joining such a small team, but the job seemed to be a good fit. A summer of meeting new people and writing about them was totally my jam.
After I officially got the gig, my boss said, “This will be a crash course into the real world. You won’t be the same person when you leave as you are now.”
It sounds intense, but I was so in.
The First Week
Before I knew it, I was given my first real work email address and three assignments. The first two were articles covering breaking news in social media and technology, which seemed easy enough. The third was a little more unexpected: making a Twitter account.
My boss said it’s great for networking. “LinkedIn is where business people hang out,” she said, “Twitter is where the real talking happens.” Internship lesson number one, learned.
Outside the Office
Since my internship is part time and my knowledge of the city is limited, I’m dedicating lots of time to exploring my new hone and trying new things. I scoured Pinterest for the best street foods and Instagram for the most photogenic rooftops. Though I haven’t started my two writing assignments (oops), I am well on my way to kicking off an awesome summer. Let the adventures begin!
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