Unprecedented times creates unique internship experience for Ali Grutchfield
by Ali Grutchfield
Over the past year, COVID-19 has drastically changed societal norms with far-reaching, unexpected impacts. Yet, students are still trying to grow and learn by pursuing internships, but how exactly does one get an internship in this remote, new world? Last summer I asked myself that very question. It was a long journey filled with obstacles and unparalleled challenges, but overall my internship experience was a success that taught me just how resilient and resourceful I can be.
The main reason my internship was a success from beginning to end was that I developed a flexible attitude in all aspects of professional life. In a perfect world, I would’ve found a position as an on-set film intern, but I knew that was not possible, thus I shifted my search to post-production and computer-based positions. I was quickly met with the prompt of my geographic location and I laughed, as this had never been less relevant. But I had the realization that I could be anywhere and applied to positions nationwide. Although I lived in suburban Florida, almost every internship was remote, and I applied everywhere – Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle. The application and interview process was radically different, filled with online quizzes, personality mood boards and my favorite, the video application. Therefore, I took advantage of this and spent hours curating the perfect video pitching myself as both a person and a filmmaker.
After securing a position at a Los Angeles-based production company, I had to become well-versed in digital co-working platforms such as Slack and Trello. It was paramount to my success and my initial reluctance caused challenges sharing media, organizing schedules and providing feedback to others. The reality of working from home is that nobody reaches out unless you miss a meeting or status update. Therefore I had to schedule Zoom meetings or virtual coffee dates to make friends with other interns and get advice from higher-ups.
That said, proactive scheduling was another key component because of time-zone differences. But the harsh reality hit me when I agreed to a relaxing weekly meeting at 9 a.m. PST only to realize it was before sunrise for me. I quickly added my time zone to my email signature, ensuring I was never caught off-guard again. Another successful habit was establishing a different space for work and home, this made it easier to be in a productive headspace, but also not let meetings and brainstorming sessions mix into my weekends.
From this experience I can confidently say it’s possible to thrive in an internship during a global pandemic, however, there’s much more legwork in regards to flexibility and communication. Consider applying for a job slightly outside your ideal realm, you never know what new passion or skill you could find. Finally, my biggest piece of advice is to create opportunities. don’t be afraid to cold call or email companies you want to be involved with. This is an unprecedented time that calls for unprecedented innovation.
