-Our Insight on Internships-
Written by Cecily Macari and Kelsey Jackson, Juniors at Keene State College
Studying Communication and working as Interns at Good Fortune Jewelry
As we climb the ladder towards graduation we are constantly hearing from our professors, advisors, and parents; “You need to start thinking about internships.” The word internship brings to mind everything that a college student does not want to grasp: the culture shock, the commitment, the feeling of “growing up”, and the stereotypes…
Some of these internship stereotypes conjure up the fear of being the “coffee run interns,” who become experts at balancing a tray of large french vanilla double shot coffees. There are also the “unpaid internships” that make college students cringe. I mean, who wants to work for FREE?! Then, we have the students who become just “the intern” and perform the menial tasks that no one else has the time to do. These students are lucky if they are actually called by their real name, instead of “intern”. And then, of course there is us!
Here is “Us”: Keene State College students Cecily Macari and Kelsey Jackson. We like to classify ourselves as “us” because we have been fortunate enough to find our balance. We have had experiences as the coffee runner, the unpaid position and “the intern”. Consequently, we feel as though we have a good grasp on how to develop an effective “give-and-take” relationship within the work place.
give-and-take, noun,\?giv-?n-?t?k\ : a usually good-natured exchange (as of ideas or comments)
So, you might ask, “What do you mean by developing a give-and-take relationship?” As interns, we have realized that our values and ideas are as important as those of other individuals in our work environment. This is why we feel it is so crucial to build relationships in the work place that allow and encourage the intern to share their innovative ideas, while also developing new skills. Here is an insight on how we developed our unique “give-and-take” relationship at Good Fortune Jewelry:
1.) We meet regularly with our supervisor! To ensure that we stay in the loop, we sit down at the end of a shift and discuss what we have accomplished and what we would like to do in the future.
2.) We ask questions! For example, when we cannot determine what kind of diamond we are staring at, we do not think of ourselves as unintelligent. Instead, we simply ask for guidance and assistance.
3.) Quality over quantity! At Good Fortune Jewelry (GFJ) we quickly learned that it does not matter how many tasks we completed each day. But rather, it was important to put our best effort into each and every one of our projects.
4.) We respect one another! In our environment, we find that respect is one of the key elements to ensure overall success. When all parties respect each other, we find that our overall happiness and work ethic is greatly enhanced.
Our insight on internships, is that whether the stereotypes are true or not, it is the experience that should conquer all. For “at work”, as in life, there is always something new to be learned.
Being in the environment of a fast paced business like Good Fortune Jewelry is quite an experience. And whether an internship proves to be terrible or terrific, it invariably gives college students a greater appreciation and understanding of our future life in the world.
And I mean, who doesn’t just love a good cup-o-joe anyways!
“Give-and-Take definition from:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give-and-take