Having been in the working world for three years now, I sometimes forget the joys of being an intern. I don't think I realized then how much that experience meant. Take a trip down memory lane with me, if you'd like! Here are the five things I learned from being an (unpaid!) intern:
1. Interning is hard, but if you put in time, effort and are completely engaged it pays off big in the following ways: great letters of recommendation, a killer few lines on your resume, people who are willing to go to bat for you when your future-employer calls them and long-lasting relationships!
2. Intern for someone who was an intern (as they are likely to remember their favorite mentor, and may take on that role for you)!
3. Ask questions...and not just from your intern supervisor! I stepped out of the accessories closet (which was my assigned role at Cosmo) and learned a lot, just by asking! From volunteering to help with fashion trend boards to asking how Market Editors pull together their FOB pages, those in-the-know will teach those willing to ask.
4. Internships aren't reserved for summertime! One of my best memories from college will always be the time I spent in Amy Flurry's office with her during the school year. My assignments were varied, I got quality one-on-one time with a pro and I got to leverage my learnings in the classroom.
5. Internships are the best networking tools! Having used Amy's advice to secure my Cosmo internship, I followed up, thanked her and let her know that if she ever needed an intern, I'd be her gal. Lucky for me, reaching out paid off and (as mentioned in learning four), I got ample and excellent experience.
...Here is where I am going to establish that I have an affinity for exclamation points.
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