The Second-Half (and a few internship lessons here and there)

 My internship was for an events venue but it had other components too. The set-up was a little confusing for me because I was interning for two different people, sometimes three. It's hard when you have a number of supervisors who want you to do three different things at the same time. So while I was handling a monthly outdoor art market I was also making brochures, fixing the website and doing odd jobs for the events venue. Here's a little preview on the "second'-half" of my internship.

The venue is mainly a theater but it can become an entirely different setting for any event. People rent the place for private parties, conventions, poker tournaments, even Hellcats filmed a number of their scenes within and outside of the venue. It's pretty exciting but most of the time we have to tiptoe our way in and out of "secret passages" because of security. 

These are the fishes in the aquarium, when I was stressed out I would stand right in front and stare at them, sometimes for a whole two minutes. It's good to find a peaceful spot in the office once in a while.

My main job for the "events" side was to create an events package for customers and partners alike. I did a lot of tweaking here and there every time the big boss wanted something changed or noticed something she didn't like.

I must say I had to learn a few things on the spot like making this computerized version of a floorplan sketch. I'm no interior designer but neither were they and this was the closest I could get. I also updated their website with the venue package and added some links they wanted on it.  My boss approved of the final outcome so I felt relieved.

For the other odd jobs, sometimes I would help set-up the bar before an event. This includes putting the glasses in the dishwasher and stacking them up perfectly. I also check on the ice machine once in a while. Making your own ice saves a lot of dollars when holding an event.

I've also done coat check preparations. You simply put the numbers on the hangers and match them with the ones you give to the guests.

Racks and racks of hangers. I've only done this task once, it was quite easy. Most of the time the person who handles the door and the coats is the nice and friendly Chris. He also does the different seating arrangements for the theater for whatever purpose.

We buy these poker chips at the dollar store and spray paint them to gold. Guests use these as drink tokens because they're easier to keep and don't get wet unlike paper stubs. Holding these golden chips is kind of fun too.

Wow, look I'm organized!

I have a list of things I've learned throughout the internship. I keep terrorizing myself with a facepalm and the question "why didn't I think of it any sooner?!" 

So for internships, no one's usually there to guide you or to talk to you about what you should do before, during and after the internship. I've had a few coaching from my facilitator but aside from the usual "be as invisible as possible, never be annoying, make things easier for them" tips, there were a few that I had to learn on my own, most of them out of my own sheer stupidity and absent-mindedness. 

1) Don't Give Up on The First Interview. You will go through several interviews and no guidebook will tell you how each one of those interviews will go. I've been to several interviews and not one of them were the same. It will be hard trying to adjust yourself to match the personality of the one interviewing you but you'll get the hang of it. So just go out there and send out your CVs. It is a training ground.

2) Keep an internship journal which I totally forgot. List down the things you're doing, things you've done. There are different kinds of boss, my immediate boss told me email our Big Boss about the tasks I've accomplished so that she knew I wasn't just sitting on my laurels. My boss said this made you look pro-active.

 3) Never be too hard on yourself. This is after all an internship, not a job. You're supposed to learn, you're not supposed to be perfect so, so what if you screw things up? It may seem like a life and death situation but unless there's nobody dying then it's really not.

4) Know what stresses you out. This is in connection to post number 2. For the whole duration of my internship I was stressed out, anxious and agitated. If I had pointed my finger at the exact reasons why I was feeling such I wouldn't have been so hard on myself. Sometimes it's not you but it has something to do with the company you are working for. Sometimes there's a lack of organization within the group, a lack of manpower, even a lack of  communication. Learn from this and try fixing them as best as you can.

5) Ask questions if you don't get it, let them clarify. I don't mean that you should always be asking questions, most of the time I figure things out on my own but if it involves unclear directions which may result to complicate consequences then by all means, ASK. They say experience is the best teacher but if one can avoid making a mistake then why not just do that?

6)  The Exit Kit. Not everyone has to do this but for my case I had to. The exit kit is all the things you leave behind to whoever is the next in charge. Because I was the only intern and had access to numerous things I had to leave them with inventory lists, access to passwords, emails, contacts and so on. I also left them materials and posters used during my work there. It's best to prepare something like this because if your ex-boss asks you for certain stuff, you know where to point them to.

7) Keep in touch. They may not have any positions available for you after your internship but who knows, in the long run they'll remember you and ask you to apply, even better join them?

8) Nobody Can Tell You "You Will Never Work in This Town Again!". Thankfully nobody's ever told me that but I just remembered my mentor telling us that. There will be times that you will mess up but nobody can tell you, you won't ever find work again. Word spreads fast in the film industry (or in any other) yes, but f*ck that! If they don't hire you, go indie. They're not the authority on employment, and I'm sure as hell they're not God! 

and lastly

9) Be Sincere. In interviews, even in working with other people, I believe that that's one of the greatest super power that will help you. I'm not judging but sometimes you can see through other people's personalities by interacting with them. I had one interview with a long-time advertising director and he came off as arrogant and condescending although his actions seemed to be very helpful, I had an uneasy feeling about him. Another time, in a group interview although the woman and her partner were very sociable there was a hint of insincerity in her excitement and friendliness. In a interview for a clothing brand my friend noted the insincerity of the interviewer, on another interview with a different company we both noted how the interviewer seemed very kind and sincere. I've worked and met with different people in the fashion and art related fields and I've met a number of very kind and sincere people. The feeling you get from them varies greatly from the superficial. There's a happy aura and a warm feeling abounding them. So if you can sense someone else's pretense then I'm sure the other person would also sense yours. 

An internship may have so many complications in such a short period of time. I haven't exactly dealt with it and now it's over. I did enjoy my internship but two months is never enough to be the perfect intern. In the real world, that's just a short period of adjustment in the workplace. So although I may think I must have been the worst intern of all time, my boss may not have thought so. Internships are different for everybody and this is just my take on it. I don't even remember half of the lessons I'm supposed to retain thanks to my awful memory.