The word “internship” will strike fear into any 20-something college student. For many of us, it’s a requirement or an obligation. While my degree didn’t require an internship to graduate, it still seemed like something I needed to do. Writing was a passion of mine, but I wasn’t sure how to channel that passion into a career. I knew how to apply my writing in skills in a classroom, but beyond that I had no clue as to how the world worked. My mother tried assuring me that an internship would help me find that passion. As all 21-year-old girls do to their mom, I shrugged it off and thought I didn’t need to listen.
I had always envisioned internships in a very stereotypical way - making copies, getting coffee and cleaning up the office. I didn’t want to do this. I needed a place to apply my skills and gain the mentorship to grow them. I’ll be honest, I felt a little lost with my future. I wanted to write, but I wasn’t sure what
career path was for me. I had not been presented with the opportunity to use my passion anywhere except a classroom. I wanted to find a place where I could use writing in the real world and be taken seriously as a young professional.
When I applied to intern at RJL, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard good things from past interns, but my sardonic personality couldn’t help but think of all the intern horror stories I’d seen online from random strangers at random companies. However, at the start of my interview I knew I had found something special. It felt like a casual conversation in which people were truly trying to get to know me. They wanted to know my skills but also what I wanted in an internship, not just what they imagined. I was an individual with aspirations to them and not a possible coffee runner. When I was asked about my writing, I felt an odd sense of pride. I knew I had finally found the opportunity to use my skills in a meaningful and real-world way.
An internship can elevate you in ways you didn’t know it could. During my internship at RJL, I was extremely lucky to be surrounded by mentors and supervisors who trusted me and wanted to see me succeed. I was assigned tasks that were beyond my comfort level but pushed me to be better as a professional and as a writer. Doors to opportunities were not just opened for me, they were flung open at rapid rates. I was handed task after task that taught me something new. Blog posts, press releases and website copy became new ways in which I was able to express my passion for writing in the real world. I had always loved writing. Of course, I did. It’s why I chose English as a major in college. But I had a very narrow view of how writing applied to the real world. Being an intern opened my eyes to the possibilities of what I could do with my degree and skill. RJL gave me the opportunity to use my writing for social media, ghost writing, data analysis, press releases and more. A passion for writing didn’t have to be confined to writing books or papers. It could be used in multiple aspects that go beyond the world of academia. As an intern, you have to seize the opportunities thrown at you. At the core of almost all my tasks as an intern was writing. I was fortunate to be at a company where they heard what I wanted. I wanted to write, so they gave me varying tasks that involved just that. I was given the opportunity to constantly be learning about myself, a business and writing. It was essential to not just my success at RJL, but RJL’s success overall. I was becoming an integral part of RJL because they trust their interns and want to see them succeed.
Internships get a bad reputation. Some deservedly so, but if you truly find a company that wants to see you succeed and wants to see you elevate yourself as a young professional, the opportunities are endless. Paying attention, giving your best and, most importantly, working hard, will allow you to find new opportunities that can help you find your niche and your passion.
