Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

The Importance of a Head Start

I came to realize that getting a head start is a huge advantage. The age range of interns vary but I am currently the youngest intern at the company. Today a new intern joined the team and while getting to know her, I found out that she is 29 years old- a whole decade wiser than me. I was intrigued. I continued asking her why she switched from her old job (clothing design) to become a production intern. The answer was quite simple; she liked production more. That is the thing about the fashion industry. Companies only want to hire you if you have experience. Since there are so many aspects, you have to do your time and learn first.

This is not at all uncommon. Another intern who graduated three months ago from New York University said that companies would not hire her because she did not have experience. Furthermore it is even harder to get internships when you have graduated college because of the legal aspect of everything (companies receiving free labor without offering college credit). Sow how incredibly lucky am I that I am able to try out different sectors before committing to one or before it is too late?

Lastly, it is safe to assume that the earlier you start, the more people you will know. Like every other industry, many jobs are gotten through connections. Two of my mentors started out as interns and have said that the company is more likely to hire a past intern. They know the intern’s habits and personality already.

I find it funny how I am nearing the final week of my internship because I never intended on doing one this summer. “I am just a freshman”, I told myself repeatedly. It took this long to realize that “I am just a freshman” was really just another way of saying “I don’t want to work this summer”. This internship ended up being not work but a hobby.