Students tout importance of summer internships

Internships have earned a bad reputation in recent years as companies large and small have been accused of overworking and sometimes never paying student workers who were hungry for experience. But at SCAD, students report the skills learned while interning this summer far outweigh any negatives.

“I went in to this internship thinking I would only sit in on meetings and get people coffee, but I am doing real work that matters,” said Molly Magerman, a third-year Industrial Design major, who’s working at Reebok outside Boston.

Magerman, who minors in Accessory Design, is helping design footwear for Reebok’s 2017 and 2018 seasons. The work is rewarding, because she’s participating in real-world work and encountering all the challenges students simply can’t learn in a classroom alone.

“I have gained amazing insight into how industries work,” Magerman said. “As students, we aren’t exposed (things like) copyrights the competition between companies and costing of materials.”

Most SCAD students say they’re treated like professionals and given tasks that mirror that of their full-time colleagues.

“I’m responsible for guiding the full design process of product features from inception to release,” said Joe Kennedy, a third-year UX Design major from Fort Myers, Florida, who is interning at New York-based Skillshare, an online educational company catering to creatives and entrepreneurs.

Like most UX designers, Kennedy says he dreamed of working for one of the big tech companies, but working at a smaller tech outfit has proven to be just as valuable.

“You would expect someone in their field to ideally want to work for the big name companies, but being at Skillshare has made me think otherwise,” he said. “I work alongside my manager, who’s the only other designer on the team. Interning here has given me the opportunity to actually have an impact, as I’m treated just like an employee.”

At big-name companies, however, students say they’ve learned plenty while also contributing to brands they have long respected.

“It’s been my dream to work for Nickelodeon for as long as I can remember,” Emily Satterfield, a fourth-year Animation major from Greenville, South Carolina. “Being here has not only been a job, but an incredible learning opportunity.”

Though Nickelodeon brought on 26 interns this summer at its Burbank, California, studio, Satterfield said she’s worked really closely on high-profile projects with industry professionals.

“Each intern works for a different series or department,” Satterfield said. “For my specific department, working with (the animated TV series) The Loud House, there are only two interns, including myself.”

Part of the reason SCAD students say they’ve enjoyed their internships so much is because they came into their various summer jobs with a strong foundation laid in their academic programs.

Jose Criales-Unzueta, a third-year double major in Accessory Design and Fashion Design, said SCAD’s Collaborative Learning Center, which pairs teams of students and professors with companies seeking design-based concepts and solutions, well prepared him for his role as a handbag design intern.

“My internship program gives me the opportunity to work in a group project with interns of other areas in the company (merchandising, store planning, and ecommerce),” he said. “I am thankful to have been a part of a CLC project with Fossil in spring 2016. My CLC experience trained me well for this situation.”

In fact, his biggest hurdle was working with other interns who didn’t understand the advance industry language SCAD students pick up in the classroom.

“We have a very specific language and at SCAD we are surrounded by people who always understand what we’re talking about, so trying to go back and explain myself in a simpler non-technical way has been a challenge,” Criales-Unzueta said.

That’s not a unique situation. Other SCAD students say they’ve been impressed that their skills outpace interns from other universities.

“At SCAD, early on in the advertising curriculum, (the professors) teach you what’s outdated and what’s in,” said Camila Bengoa, a third-year Advertising major, who’s interning with Marc USA, a Chicago-base advertising agency.

“I would imagine they teach (copywriting) at every school,” Bengoa said. “But, the first weeks I struggled a little with my copywriter partner because her writing was a bit outdated. She told me her (college) curriculum didn’t even have copywriting classes.”

Bengoa said she’s leaving the program with greater appreciation for what she has learned in the classroom and for how the creative process plays out in the working world.

“SCAD has pretty much prepared me for a lot in the few classes I’ve taken,” she said. “I’m so grateful to have taken Introduction to Advertising with Art Novak. That class taught me just about everything I needed and so much more.”

All the students interviewed for this story encouraged their fellow students to take advantage of internships, and to not be discouraged if at first they don’t find the right position through traditional means.

“If you really want an internship, there’s always something out there for you. You just have to dig deep and don’t expect to get your dream job on your first try,” Bengoa said.

She recommends using the SCAD Job Portal and attending SCAD’s Career Fair, but also search job-posting websites and ask friends who have interned or worked for companies you admire.

“Networking is way too important in creative careers, so take advantage of the ever-growing need of creatives in this society,” she said.

Being prepared for impromptu interviews is key, however.

“Be proactive and start getting your portfolio and branding ready regardless of what year you’re in,” said Esmerly Simé Segura, a third-year Industrial Design major who’s interning for Kohler.

“Don’t start by saying your work does not meet the standards of the job market because you’ve barely taken any major-driven classes,” Segura said. “This is not your call to make. Let them decide whether or not you are a good fit for their company.”

“Also, take advantage of all the resources SCAD Career and Alumni Success has to offer, and do not be afraid to ask all the questions necessary to your adviser,” she said. “SCAD has all the tools you need to get that dream internship and more.”

If you can’t find a job through SCAD, sometimes fate and a good LinkedIn profile will help. Just ask Hyatt Mamoun, a third-year Film and Television major who interned for The Biscuit Factory, a production company that supplies content to The Smithsonian and Discovery channels.

“Back in January, I was researching … young women in the documentary film industry, and I came across this girl who works for National Geographic named Katy,” Mamoun said. “She was really impressed by me, and said that I am one of the last classic documentary filmmakers, and we became really good friends.”

The two met in New York later that year, and Katy referred Mamoun to The Biscuit Company. That led to an internship that Mamoun calls her “dream” opportunity.

“I am doing something different every day, from calling various embassies in Africa (for the Discovery show), to visiting the National Archives, to take pictures of vintage print ads, to (being a production assistant) on set,” she said. “SCAD has definitely helped me excel in set etiquette, which left my producers super impressed.”

For students contemplating an internship, Mamoun says to aim high and be aggressive.

“Always go for it,” she said. “The sky is the limit. If there isn’t an application on the job website, email them. Email every single contact you have a remote interest in, because you never know who will say yes. … You’ve gotta have hustle to make it in any media industry.”