Internship Advice

           Looking back over the past ten weeks, I have been thinking about what advice I would like to have known before I started my internship. I believe this advice can apply to any internship, not just theatre.

            My first piece of advice to someone starting an internship is not to be afraid to ask questions. When I first started, I assumed that I couldn’t do something if my supervisor hadn’t explicitly stated that I could. I didn’t realize that she was a very busy person and some things had just slipped her mind. Eventually I asked if it would be possible for me to experience other things outside of my specific department and I wound up going to some really neat and eye-opening events. I am very interested in lighting design and because I mentioned this to my supervisor, I was able to sit in on tech rehearsals with the lighting designer. I was also able to attend Equity Principle Auditions and see how the casting process works, which is something I had never experienced before. Don’t just assume that because a specific event is not within your specific department that you cannot tag along. I found that people in different departments are eager to show interns what they do, especially if they do not get an intern of their own.

            My second piece of advice is to listen to as much advice as possible. I feel that I have absorbed so much information in this relatively short period of time that it is almost too much to process. Everything I have learned is also very relevant to my career path. By just sitting at my desk and listening, I have learned a lot about what to do and what not to do when working in either a theatre or an office environment. For example, a staff member recently left Second Stage and my supervisor has been trying to fill the position. One day while she was reading through résumés and cover letters, she walked over to my desk and began ranting about what a person should never put on a resume. It was an impromptu crash-course on applying for jobs that will be very beneficial to me in the future even if I don’t wind up working in theatre. I have also learned a lot about phone etiquette and professional language from listening to different conversations held at the cubicles around me.

            Lastly, as your internship is nearing its end, it is a good idea to sit down with your supervisor and talk about what you need to do to wrap up. The worst thing that could happen to you is to leave something unfinished that was crucial to the company. If this happens, the only thing a supervisor will remember down the road is how much of a mess was left. This can be detrimental when it comes time for listing references on future job applications. As my supervisor put it, it is important to be indispensible while you’re there, but replaceable when you leave. You want your future reference to remember how much of an asset you were and not be bitter about your leaving. My last week at the office, I spoke to my supervisor because I was worried about getting all my projects done in time as the department was handing me more and more little assignments. We were able to prioritize everything, so that I could definitely finish the most important tasks. It turns out another intern was coming in that month and they needed an extra task for her anyway. By just talking to my supervisor and being honest with her, I was able to avoid overworking myself and leave the job without any resentment toward me.