It's that time of year again: the time of year when college students scramble to perfect their resumes, spell check their cover letters, and push out internship after internship application.
Oh, the joys of being an upperclassman. It seems in this city that people will tell you, time and time again, it's not what you know, it's who you know. I've come to realize that is almost, inexplicably, exactly the truth. My freshman year of college, I applied to 22 internships for my spring semester. Yes. Twenty-two.
I entered college with a brief videography job from my senior year of high school, and volunteer work. I knew it would be a miracle if any internship for which I was applying asked me for an interview, much less hired me. Still, I had to start somewhere. I guess a miracle came because, come January, I was an events intern for the New York City Office of Emergency Management, the government office of NYC that deals with emergencies and natural disasters. I was working for a new kids program they had recently started, and those volunteer jobs from high school happened to be at a children's hospital and tutoring elementary school kids. They needed someone with experience working with children and as a public speaker. Luckily, I also had experience with competitive speech throughout high school. Then began my crazy busy, no time for anything life and my three-year-long-and-continuing coffee addiction.
Fast forward to now, the fall semester of my junior year. I'm currently working on my fifth internship. It's sort of like a habit to me now; once you enter the hustle and bustle of New York City, nothing else feels satisfying. This semester, I'm interning at a beauty and fashion PR firm on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Every day is filled with celebrities, beauty product launches, fashion shows, and the glamor of NYC.
My very first week at the internship happened to be Fashion Week and involved running around Manhattan in taxis doing hair tests, grabbing coffee, running to shoots from the Upper West Side to Little Italy. I know now that the fast-paced and hectic office space is what suits me and what keeps my energy in full swing. And the view from my office is alright.