Professional Development Forum

Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship? 

Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship? 

Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship? 

Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship? 

Excellent insight into the power of transferrable skills and mentoring, @Quinn Drew! That's the gift of aging/wisdom, though, isn't it, to be able to tie together the bits and pieces from different facets of our lives to make sense of the here and now. I often think how naive I was in my 20s, but how else was I supposed to know what I didn't know except to walk through the fire? (I think your pie chart I saw you post elsewhere would fit nicely here, Quinn!)   

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Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship? 

Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship? 

Greetings, Connectors!

A recent New York Times article explored the pros and cons of unpaid internships with social media influencers. Is Interning for an Influencer Worth It? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  It seems the experience you can get supporting a TikTok content creator for free is worth the financial sacrifice to improve your own shot at becoming an influencer.  

I don't know whether unpaid internships will be worthwhile for these young people, but I do know my unpaid internship decades ago was, as it taught me a couple of life lessons even if I didn't realize it at the time.

My unpaid college internship was for a one-woman PR firm in Chicago. I had reached out to her to volunteer my services over summer break before  senior year to determine whether public relations would be a good career fit. The PR woman shared office space with an event planner, and the two women, who appeared to be friends, often worked together on some really cool projects. I was learning a lot in just the first 2-3 weeks of my stint and  really enjoyed the work. But I couldn't bear how awfully the PR woman treated her suite mate. She talked down to her, screamed at her, berated her … it was terrible! After my third week, I told her my circumstances had changed and I had to take another job that paid me (which I did; a friend's office needed a receptionist and was willing to hire me for the rest of the summer), and so I left.

My lesson? Mutual respect and camaraderie are, for me, as – if not more – important than the work. I also got insight about myself, though it took years to see it: I wasn't forthright about why I left. Instead, I fudged it to avoid confrontation, which I now see was a recurring theme in my early life. And my lack of courage did her a disservice, because had I been upfront about why I was leaving, it *may* have helped her become a better person. I spent too many years handling tough situations similarly, and have since discovered I won't disintegrate if I share my thoughts, feelings, and needs with others, both personally and professionally.  

I'm really interested to hear others' internship stories. What was your biggest takeaway from your (paid or unpaid) internship?