Being an Intern: the Good, Bad & Ugly
In November 2016, I embarked on the painful task of finding my first internship. As a 4th year law student, all I knew is that I had to get far away from any law textbook or court room in the hopes that my future and career would follow suit.
After sending out multiple emails and bombarding many companies with my CV! The online women’s mag W24 decided to take a chance on me! With only a handful of writing experience under my belt, little to no money in my pocket and The Intern as my only reference; I headed to the Mother City for my first internship.
Now that it has come and gone and the process to find another internship has begun, I figured that I should share a few things that I learnt:
The Good
The risk is worth it The risk of applying for an internship different to my studies or not knowing (among other things) whether or not I could afford my first month in a new city or how on earth I will manage to get to and from work was worth everything that I learnt on the job, outside of the office and about myself and future career aspirations.
Don’t be afraid to ask Whether it was pitching that idea to my boss or asking if you could I work on something else with them, I had to remember that the worst answer I could possibly get was NO! So, don’t be afraid to ask for help, clarification or even some advice!
Remember: Cape Town is always a good idea Doing your vacation internship in a beautiful city is amazing! Weekends will feel like vacations and weekdays won’t feel so bad with after work walks on the beach!!
Say Yes Agree to as many things as possible. From writing about a topic you have zero knowledge in to going for lunch with one of your seniors - use every opportunity to network and learn.
Be memorable Have a voice and give your input, make sure you deliver work that stands out from the rest and make as many connections and relationships with the people you work with. A memorable impression is one that could help you in the future.
Criticism is your friend As a budding writer, my internship taught me that not everyone will like what and how I write. Take all criticism with a pinch of salt and learn from it!
The Bad
Working full days in a caged office Although our office had a beautiful view of Table Mountain, I just didn’t understand why we had to come in to the office to do work that we could have done from anywhere (read: my bed). I think companies should be more flexible about where employees work from as long as they deliver but I guess my boss would miss out on seeing that nervous and anxious intern smile every day.
The 9-5 day will drain you The switch from attending 2-4 hours of lectures a day to 8 hour work days will leave you exhausted for the first few weeks! But keep in mind the dreaded 7:30 am alarm clock will become routine and seem like a breeze.
The Ugly
The intern salary In South Africa, interns are paid peanuts in most companies!!! Because clearly, to the working world, our lack of experience outweighs our need to eat, save money, pay back student debt or live comfortably! So, learn to budget!!! Oh and to everyone who argues: “In my days, interns didn’t even get paid”- Bye Felicia!
