Internships and apprenticeships are a time-honored rite of passage in many industries. We’ve asked some brilliant folks to share some of the most important lessons they learned during these early experiences in their career.
Riley Bean
My full time job started as my senior year internship needed to graduate from Grand Valley. Looking back, I have grown immensely as a professional since 2019/2020. That time of life has its own challenges, but they pushed me out of my comfort zone. This was so beneficial. Sweet Nectar Shop is a small business, and I wasn’t expecting as much as I have gained now from what started as an internship. I found a love for small businesses here. Working in small business and experiencing the sacrifices and grit that goes in behind the scenes is a skill I didn’t expect to earn. Read more>>
Salicrow
My internship if you would call it that began in childhood as my great-grandmother was my first teacher of the psychic arts. I also went through a significant opening when I was 30 in which my apprenticeship was with spirit itself, as I was taught by 5 spirits. I wrote about this extensively in my first book ‘Jump Girl, the intitiation and art of a spirit speaker’. (a memoir, North Atlantic Press 2018) Read more>>
Lauren Trivison
The summer before my senior year of college I was an intern at a local digital marketing firm in my hometown. It was with a boutique agency and within an hour I realized my boss was someone that would be a lifelong friend and mentor instead of just a boss that I would meet with once a month. I will never forget my first day as an intern when I had around 100 followers on social media and looked up to my boss who had over 1,000 and a thriving business. I remember asking her how she got so many followers and if I would ever get to that point. She told me she knew one day I would surpass her in following and in business in general and I thought there was no way. Read more>>
Simone Hunter
Back in college, I was the queen of internships! Every summer, I made it a point to secure a spot in someone’s media or communications department. I interned at the FAA, worked at Reagan National Airport, and even participated in a program that matched you with organizations for mentorship and professional development. I truly did it all—and looking back, those experiences shaped so much of how I operate today. Read more>>
Gabriela Reid
I was lucky enough to complete two different marketing internships while in college. My first was with a landscaping company and my second was with a tech start up in downtown Chicago. I will state both my internships were unpaid but I did get class credit towards one of my majors. Oftentimes there is a negative association with unpaid internships and although I wasn’t paid in a monetary paycheck I gained so much knowledge, insight, and experience through my internships. Networking and exposure was the greatest benefit I had through my internships. A fun fact about my internship experience is that when I was interviewing for my internship with BUNDLAR through conversation with CEO & Co Founder, John Martin, we learned that I worked for his brother Jim, while at James Martin Associates. Read more>>
Rob Reeves
The Life of an Intern: Challenging Yet Rewarding The life of an intern was both challenging and rewarding—a journey so memorable that my fellow colleagues and I would often joke about writing a memoir of our experiences. My path was somewhat unique. As a student at the University of North Florida pursuing a Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Chronic Diseases, I was part of a cohort of 18 students, most of whom were aiming for careers as Physician Assistants, Physical Therapists, MDs, or other roles in the medical field. Meanwhile, I was resolute in my goal: to become a Strength Coach and, eventually, a gym owner. Read more>>