Senior Series: Amy's Internship Prep

I still remember heading towards the third floor, jogging up the stairs, and going to the digital lounge to print a paper before a lecture. I was on my way to the computer when I happened to glance at the big, decorated whiteboard and the phrase “Creating Your Own Content Calendar” caught my eye. I was a freshman at the time and just started an opportunity at a small music agency as a Social Media and Marketing intern. I really wanted to succeed at my first internship role and impress my manager; I saw this workshop as the chance to do so. The idea of taking initiative to create and pitch a new idea to professional adults was a bit intimidating, but I truly thought this would be helpful for a small agency with several artists that still lacked an efficient system to organize content. I followed my gut and attended the workshop. I ended up going back to the dorms to create my own content calendar before presenting it to my manager the next time I was in the office. He loved it and we ended up implementing my new calendar and system at the agency. 

Since that workshop, I’ve attended many more events, earned one of the Adobe course certificates (specifically in Premiere Pro), and up until the last time I was in the building, I still visited the lounge every other day to print. It is crazy to think about how that internship was almost a full 4 years ago. Now I’m a senior with several internships under my belt, more stories about my experiences in the professional workplace, and soon... a degree in my hand. 

Throughout my time applying for internships and even now as I go through the job interview process, the skills I’ve gained through various courses and workshops offered at the Digital Lounge frequently come up as a topic of conversation. While I’ve learned many things in my formal Annenberg classes, I supplemented my education throughout several semesters by attending events here and there at the lounge. Almost every role I’ve applied for asks about my skills working with various programs and software. Annenberg truly provides you with all the resources necessary to succeed. You just have to be willing to put yourself out there and commit your time to them. 

I also want to encourage prospective and current students to dedicate some time while at USC to attending the many speaker events held at Annenberg, held at other schools, and hosted by campus organizations. There are so many ways to add to your growth throughout college and that includes getting involved in clubs, volunteerism, and professional groups. That means attending events in the greater Los Angeles area, partaking in cool programming like Peaks and Professors (which is something I regret not trying), and taking those electives that both interest and intimidate you because you never know what passion you might uncover.

While four years may feel like a long time, it goes by quickly. Don’t rush and overcommit all at once but be open to trying those new opportunities that come your way.