Things I wish I knew before taking an internship off-campus

1. Introduction: the value of an internship
2. The difference between school and work
3. Prices, budgeting, and time management: differences
4. Corporate culture, workplace environment and dealing with coworkers
5. Housing: how to select
6. Transportation: planning the commute
7. Reflection

1.      The value of an internship

An internship is a great opportunity to “get your foot in the door.” Internships also allow for students to network with a new job prospect. There is always the possibility for being hired from the intern site after graduation if you have connected well and the company or organization has a need. Internships allow you to see how an organization or company works and “try before you buy” into any particular job offer.

Internships are becoming the norm as entry-level professional jobs require experience. To get experience, you must get a professional gig. But without experience, you cannot make that happen. The concept that broke this cycle was the internship. College students who were working toward non-professional degrees could work a practicum in a real-world setting, earn college credit and get the experience and connections to enter the professional world. Since there is no certification for journalism, an internship is almost a requirement.

2.  The difference between school and work

School: deadlines affect grades but are flexible. You screw up this week, you can make it up next week. In a work setting that is not possible. Every minute counts. Professors will not say anything other than “try harder next time” maybe. Employers will yell and belittle you. There is no room for explanation, even with things beyond your control. If the bus was late, no one cares. School you have housing. School you are fed. Work you are not. Internships are a form of work and most are not paid.

3.      Prices, budgeting and time management

In college, the most expensive thing you would buy on a weekly or monthly basis would be a pack of notebooks and pencils. The large expenses of school are planned out and books are bought in advance. If you are relocating off-campus to do an internship in another city, there will be expenses involved like groceries and rent and utility bills. Budgeting is very important. Here is some advice that I have learned from my experience: buy food that is as cheap as possible and as easy to make as possible. Time is money, too. Pasta is cheap and easy to make. Ground beef and pork are relatively cheap meats. Also try to maximize the life of your foods. Canned and dried foods are good for this. Buy the large loaves of bread and store in the refrigerator. If food goes bad, that is money you have wasted. Again, time is money.

There are things you will have to worry about that you didn’t in college. Taking out the trash to the dumpster, getting the mail, making dinner, calling the landlord to make repairs to the building (many times, roommates are lazy and don’t take care of things they should). If you take a great internship in another city, be advised you must consider these things. Cleaning takes time as well. I did a weekly schedule where I would make sure to take out the trash the day before collection, spend x hours on any internship work that has is requested beyond the scheduled hours, and time to get food ready for the week. Eating out is expensive, so I made meals in Tupperware. Little things like this help to move you through the internship. I wish I knew this before I started.

4.      Culture and environment

Workplace culture varies by organization. Fitting in, from my experience, is the most important part of working in a place. Knowing the appropriate attire, how to interact with the other people in the workplace, and feeling even a little bit a part of the team are important. No one can teach you this. But the right questions are often helpful. The duties the supervisor gives are often straightforward, but don’t be fooled. Ask about any resources the organization has to help you. Ask when it’s appropriate to ask questions. Ask if the work is team work or solitary work. Look around the place. What are the decorations? What do people have on their desks? What kind of music is playing? Are the people friendly? Are they arrogant? They selected you by first impression so you are entitled to evaluate them on first impression. This is more important than you think. And finally, do you feel comfortable? Built up tension can become a bigger problem if you don’t address it right away.

And remember that even as an intern you are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/statutes/whd/FairLaborStandAct.pdf) and the Sexual Harassment Act (http://www.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html).

5.      Selecting housing

First, find temporary housing as close to the job site as possible. Make sure there is good transportation to the site and that the housing is cheap. I recommend checking http://craigslist.org/sub. This is a list of opportunities for sublets. Sublets are sub-contracted leases often made by people in a lease who need to get out but weren’t able to end their lease. Prices of housing vary. When I went cheap housing was a rent of $350 per month. Be aware that 2+ bedroom means you will have roommates in close living space of you. Be aware of your living preferences. If you want roommates, make sure you will get along. Do you need to have non-smokers? Will your roommates drink? Are they loud? Do they stay up late? Are they respectful of you and the fact you must do work? Are they messy? Are they responsible? Remember that people that you may get along with may not be people that you can live with.

6.      The commute

Keep an eye on gas prices. Is there public transportation? Does it get you there efficiently and on time? Make sure and figure out the bus routes before you start the commute routine and ideally have your commute practiced and perfected to make this process easier. If by car, make sure and time how long it takes in traffic and figure out what times are best to leave.

7.      Reflection

Cities are evil and cities are good. They simply are big and over-bearing and you must be prepared to adapt. They are where many of the best opportunities for journalism majors are. Know yourself and reflect on your changes and the world around you. If you get stuck, ask. The worst someone can do is refuse to answer. Ask how the bus routes work. Ask for directions to the street your internship is on. Questions that are answered and solve small problems can become the first step in preventing larger problems. Just like the internship, the only way to get your foot in the door and fit in is to simply fit in. Networking applies to so much more than job offers.