It’s by no simple coincidence that SCAD touts a 98% employment rate. An internship is something that will set any recent graduate aside, giving them a much better chance of employment upon graduation. It’s the difference between, “I’ve graduated and need to start looking for jobs,” and “I’m about to graduate and already have a job lined up for me.” It’s no wonder that a lot of SCAD alumni graduated with one, if not two or three internships behind their belts.
Paid or unpaid, in your hometown or hundreds of miles of way, when it comes to an internship it does matter how, when or where you’re doing it but what you get out of it, — the experiences — that is what will snag you a job post-grad, doing what you love at a company that speaks your language. This summer, SCAD District’s Intern Diaries will outline the various internships SCAD students are participating in across the U.S. and beyond. Stay tuned to find out the many benefits of gaining experience in your field before graduating.
Karina Rovira attended the National Society for Photography Education Conference in Orlando, Florida and walked out of it with a possible internship with The Impossible Project, the only manufacturer of instant film for classic Polaroid cameras in the world.
“After that they said they had their HQ in Berlin, which I had wanted to return to, so after chatting for a while I asked if their was a internship possibility,” said Rovira, a fourth-year photography major from Alta Monte Spring, Florida.
“They said yes, possibly, so they gave me the email of the Photo Editor to send my CV and Resume. The application was very simple.”
Rovira is located in Berlin, Germany, shooting, scanning, editing, and archiving images.
“I decided to go to The Impossible Project because they worked with instant photography, which I did not have much knowledge on. So, I could grow a new perspective, and knowledge on different photography mediums.”
Rovira is the only intern working for the photo editor, with the only other interning working for the small, 35-person company, working for the Community Manager.
Stating her day-to-day to be fairly manageable, Rovira cites her SCAD Professors to be the reason that she’s managing so well at her internship.
“They have taught me both with photographic computer skills, and also professionalism. So, I would like to thank all the professors I have had so far at SCAD, because I can really see how everything I have been taught in class is important in the professional/ business world.”
She also stated how empowering it’s been being knowledgeable and well-prepared for the job.
“When I first got there I just really felt like I understood what I needed to do and what my job was. There wasn’t something that I had no idea what to do.”
What does the life of an Impossible Project intern look like?
Working Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to about 2-5 p.m. Starting the day with scanning any new images that the company has received, sourcing images online in social media and then archiving them.
“That’s like the base of my day, and the rest varies on each day. So, I can help set up a shoot or do my own shoot, print images out for presentation, and any other small various things that will pop up through the day.”
And getting to Germany wasn’t a small feet for Rovira. After saving up for rent and a plane ticket, the rest of the journey wasn’t quite as difficult due how cheap it is to actually live there.
“Compared to many other places where I know some people are interning at like New York, L.A., Chicago, my stay here is fairly inexpensive. I worked the summer before, and also sold some prints and such during the school year to save up money.”
As for her advice for those considering future internships:
“Just research and don’t be afraid to send emails out to people who may not be actively saying they are looking for an intern. If your interested just send one with your information, why you want to intern, questions, and reasons why you would be a good fit for interning with them. Be open to many possibilities because this is a great opportunity to learn so much.
Most embarrassing moment: I guess when Jessica (Photo Editor) wanted me to do a quick shoot with ice cream in the studio. We did not have any ice cream in the office so on a rainy day I went a couple blocks to buy 2 colorful 3-scoop ice creams and ran down the street like a lighting bolt. The ice cream was actually melting really fast so me and the other intern were just running through the office. We got to the studio with everyone watching us, trying to figure out how to shoot the dang ice cream as fast as possible before it was completely melted on the floor. People were just laughing at us, but it was a good time and memory!
To view Rovira’s work, visit her website.
Written by Asli Shebe.
Asli Shebe is a senior writing major from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She began working for District in 2014 as a staff writer, then copy editor, A&E editor, Chief Assignment editor and finally, Editor-in-Chief in 2017. Asli currently holds the record for obtaining the most job titles during her time at District. When she’s not writing for District you can find her biking around the Historic District of Savannah at odd hours of the day.
