Should I Do A Creative Internship? - PROGRESSING YOUR CREATIVE CAREER
SHOULD I DO A CREATIVE INTERNSHIP?
Alright, so you have finished your Art’s Degree and now you want to get out there and start using it. Problem is you have zero professional work experience and you don’t have a professional portfolio, thus making it pretty difficult to find a job.
How will you ever make it over this obstacle?
Option 1:
You could apply for jobs and hope your art’s degree and portfolio of university projects sell your potential employers on your skills.
Option 2:
You could continue working on personal projects and add these to your portfolio before you apply for jobs.
Option 3:
You could do an internship.
Now, option 3 is probably your best bet as an internship is a great way to get professional experience and professional references on your C.V, but working on a personal project is not to be forgotten either. Your internship is where you learn how a professional business works, you learn the hierarchy and structure of the office/studio as well as where you as a designer/photographer/artist fit into the organization.
Of course, you learn and develop new skills, but it’s in your personal time after the workday and on the weekend where you really refine your skills as a designer/photographer/artist!
Look at all the greatest actors, sports professionals, designers, photographers and filmmakers in the world, do you think they got to where they are now by only working on their craft from 9-5, Monday to Friday? OF COURSE NOT! Every waking hour they are constantly practicing, evaluating and improving their skill sets. If you want to be successful at anything, especially creatively, you need to eat, sleep and breathe it.
Remember, everyone, you only get out what you put in.
