Every Tuesday, I have a 100 minute senior seminar class where we talk about, hmm, pretty much nothing. Sometimes I take something valuable away, like last week's lecture but most of the time, I end up BBM-ing my friend next to me. Today we talked about our plans for after graduation.
Everyone in this class has completed a 5 year program in Music Business at over $40,000 a year. Obviously, it wouldn't be wise to shell out this kind of money for something you would a) never use and b) never make a return on that investment. So what do you think my classmates are planning on doing after graduation? Well, the responses were anywhere from "a regular old 9-5" to "I don't know, probably some landscaping." I'm not here to judge anybody and if that's what is going to make these people happy than they should go after that. But why spend 5 years studying the music business? Then someone said that they had to accept reality that it is too hard to work in the industry, and this is when I got annoyed.
Yes, its hard, but getting out of bed in the morning is hard for me, should I not do that anymore? Freshman year, I sat in the same classroom with these same people, in a class called "Intro to College" and all of us said our goals were to get jobs in the business after graduation.
Its really easy to lose your drive, or to think what you want to do is too hard and give up. When I was in high school, I used to loathe telling people what I wanted to be when I grew up because they would snicker and say, "Yea...that sounds cool but what are you really going to do?" Now I just tell them to wait and see.
My point here is, don't lose sight of your dreams. Don't be afraid to go after it just because it won't be easy...do you think we would have just watched President Obama's addressing Congress tonight if he gave into the fact that his dream was going to be a hard one to achieve?
So I'll leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes:
"Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. You got a dream...you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves; they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period." - Pursuit of Happyness
"Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. You got a dream...you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves; they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period." - Pursuit of Happyness
Labels: goals, intern, motivation
The company where I spent my very first internship was a little less than just unorganized. Our filing cabinets were stuffed with oversized promo t-shirts, Jiffy envelopes, candles, and snacks. The lone assistant desk was a mess, covered with receipts from the year before, old Starbucks cups, and random post-it notes of messages left weeks before. This was my first experience at a record label, and with no prior expectations, I just accepted what was presented to me.
I had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right but I did what was asked of me and along the way, attempted to clean said desk and filing cabinets. I started working there in August and by October I was growing tired of the office antics. Its not that it wasn't fun, because it certainly was and I look back on my time there fondly, but I was so eager to learn, and there was just nothing going on. It was a Thursday night and I was glad the weekend was approaching. All day, something just didn't feel right. There was absolutely no work to be done and so we all just waited. At the time, we had a consultant come into the office every so often. I'd heard he was trying to help clean up the company and make it better, and I admired him for that because I saw the potential it had. But in the other ear, someone was telling me not to trust him, that he was plotting something big, and it was only a matter of time before the bottom dropped out.
Well, that Thursday it did.
First he went into the president's office, and brought along the heads of promotions and marketing. They were in there for a while, the conversation was barely audible through the paper thin walls and when they came out, something did not look right. Then, the consultant called in the interns. We sat on the couch in the office while he stood in front of us. A while back, someone had told me he wanted to talk to all of the interns and ask them what they wanted out of this internship. I knew this wasn't that conversation. He paced back and forth, hands in his pockets, finally he looked up and abruptly said "Frank*, Michael*, and Tom* no longer work here. I will be taking over with the help of their assistant." All of us interns just sat there quietly, waiting for more. We were all wondering the same thing, "what does this mean for us??" He spoke again, "As of right now, we will be cleaning out the office, and re-working the business model. We don't know how long this will take, but once we're through, we will call you guys to come back and intern. Does anyone have any questions?"
Now, I'm no fool. I only had until December until my internship was finished and I had to go back to school. And during this period, you must be interning, otherwise the university will purge you and it will be as if you dropped out of school. Everyone just sat there, dumbfounded I'm sure, but no one was speaking up. This guy just came up in here and snatched our internship from us after we'd all worked so hard to get it! I wasn't letting this one go. Before I knew it, I heard my own voice saying, "Are you serious? What do you mean, you'll call us to come back? How long will that be????" With no emotion he said he didn't know how long, but that he would definitely get into contact with each of us. He said it shouldn't be that long. This response wasn't enough for me, I felt like I'd fought so hard for my spot there and I didn't want to watch it go that easily. So I spoke again, "I understand there is no way for you to know how long this will take, but please, do not give us the run around here. If we won't be coming back, then just tell us so we can be prepared." All he said was, "It shouldn't be more than a week."
I walked out of the office enraged. If they were going to be "cleaning out" the office, why didn't they want interns there? Isn't that the work no one wants to do?? And one week wouldn't even be enough time to sort of the mess in one filing cabinet, let alone the entire office. None of it made sense to me and the whole thing sounded slimy. We all packed up our stuff that night and walked out together. I e-mailed the president, marketing head, and promotions head later to exchange information and one of them asked for my help in future projects.
I waited one week. I called the consultant, no answer. I e-mailed him, no answer; so I e-mailed again, and still no response. I knew it was over and set out looking for a new internship. I was in a bad spot here, it was the end of October by now, and I would only be available to intern for two months, who would want to hire me? I scoured the internet and started sending e-mails asking people for informational interviews because I thought this would be more likely than finding an internship. I grew frustrated and angry that this had happened so suddenly. I e-mailed two of my bosses from the company asking if they knew anyone that needed any intern. Two days later, I had two interviews set up and I ended up taking a marketing internship at another record label where I worked for the full two months. It didn't take that long; it was only the first week in November when I started my first day there.
The moral of the story is, expect the unexpected. I never saw that coming but I didn't let it stop me either. I spoke up for myself in that office and because I accepted the fact that I would not be returning there, I was able to find another internship. I maximized the time I had left to intern somewhere else and never gave up.
Labels: first internship, intern, intern vault
Something's in the air, and no its not Cupid-pixie-dust-residue. It seems everyone is extremely worried about where they're headed in life. I've had my share of hysterical late night phone calls to my mother about where I'm going. But when my professor felt the need to spend half of today's lecture discussing it, I realized just about everyone in my class is worried. Maybe it's because of the instability of the music industry, or the instability of the economy all together, but it seems everyone is struggling with this.
The professor talked, for a very long time, about how he came to be a professor of the music business. Turns out he started out as a high school band director, went to grad school, then had his own, very successful, recording studio, ended up filling in for a professor at my college and was hired, all the while performing as a professional musician. 20 years later, he's still here, but the interesting thing was that he said he truly enjoys teaching and it wasn't until his 40's that he started.
Forty. Years. Old. Can you imagine?
He assured us we will try on many things before finding the perfect size in the music industry and most importantly, he told us that this was O.K. Personally, I can't imagine doing anything different than what I'm setting out to do, but what I really took away from this lecture is that it's okay if you don't know what to do or how to get there. Sometimes, all the little things you're doing don't add up in your big picture, and its hard to see how an economics class, or organizing your boss' filing cabinet matters at all. But eventually, each tiny piece of the puzzle connects and you've finally achieved your masterpiece. It's not going to be easy, its not supposed to be. If it were, everyone would be doing it! It's a constant struggle to not only achieve your goal, but to silence the voices in your head telling you that it's impossible.
So maybe you don't know exactly where you'll end up, how you'll get there, or how long your stay will be. Its more important that you know it's okay if you don't; eventually we'll all come out on the other side better than we were.
Labels: advice, goals, inspiration, intern, lessons, motivation
I have to admit, I was a little more than slightly jealous when Vin hired a new intern to replace me after I left. Not that I don't want someone around to help him and Big Boss, but really just because I didn't want them to like her better than me!
Obviously, I got over it because leaving that internship meant I was also leaving my duties as Professional Car Sitter for Big Boss. At the end of January, I e-mailed Big Boss to thank her for the opportunity to work for her, something all outgoing interns should do! Also, I wanted her to remember me, particularly when May rolls around and I'm in need of a job. She wrote me back thanking me and saying she would welcome me back anytime. I figured probably as an intern, but to be recognized, and thanked, for my hard work was well enough for me. That same day, I got an e-mail from Vin asking for some myspace help. He didn't know about my exchange with Big Boss, but it just so happened both e-mails arrived the same day.
I was intrigued, to say the least, by the e-mail from Vin. I didn't understand why he wasn't having his new intern do this. Did she not know how to do it? Did she quit like I had wanted to so many times during those early days? Did she do such a good job that she was above myspace maintenance??? I signed on AIM and sure enough Vin was online so I IMed him, and explained how to update the page how he wanted. Then I stopped, remembering that as an intern, my main job is to make my boss' life easier, so I asked if he just wanted me to go ahead and do it. I updated the page while we talked and finally I asked how the new intern was working out and he said that there wasn't enough money to pay interns the big weekly stipend anymore so the company only kept the really valuable interns that were in the office more than 2 days a week. I felt kind of bad for him, to go from having two interns to none, and told him I didn't mind helping out if the page ever needed updates. He thanked me and told me he'd definitely keep me in mind if he heard about any job openings. Obviously something I love.
I got another e-mail from him last week asking for more help. As much as I hate messing around with myspace codes that never seem to work quite how you thought they would, it sure is nice to be needed!
Labels: intern, internship, myspace
Stepping away from the usual Intern Chick chatter....
These words are coming from a raw place, a fresh wound that is still dealing with the shock of it all. This is what I'm dealing with right now, and I apologize in advance for the morbid nature of this post...but this week, I learned you could be here on Earth one day, and gone the next.
Just. Like. That.
What do you do with that? I've been asking myself that question for 4 days now, and I wish I had the answer to that one.
I learned to really value life, your own and those around you. To take great joy in the little moments: the watching mindless television moments, the ritual goodnight moments, the kind of moments filled with hugs, jokes, silence, and love. Life is so precious. You never know when someone is going to get taken from you and in a blur of tears, fears, and disbelief, you're standing over their casket, not exactly sure what you should be praying for, but fiercely praying all the same.
There are no condolences when you lose someone who should have had a good 30 or so years left, someone who wasn't sick, wasn't in any pain. You can't tell yourself at least they had a long, full life...because it just wasn't that long. You can't console yourself by saying "at least they're not in pain anymore" because they weren't in pain, they didn't die in sickness. All I can give myself is a slideshow of summer weekends, birthdays and Christmases with laughter and storytelling providing the soundtrack.
And fittingly, Lyfe said it best, "Sometimes, memories just ain't enough..."
Apparently, people can't leave comments on my page (thanks for letting me know, Sass!).
But now that I KNOW that, I strapped on my tool belt and thinking cap (you know the kind with the search light attached to it?) and I've fixed the problem. Now if only I could send out an invoice and get paid for this work, haha.
With that being said, comment away you lovely people. Just click the little gray link that says "0 comments" under the title of each post and tell me everything you want me to know!!
ALSO! If you have any questions, or need some advice, ask away, the whole reason I started this blog was to help others just starting out.
Love,
Intern Chick
P.S.
Very exciting job possibilities in the works, its soon but its just as exciting! Stay tuned with me lovers :)
Labels: blog, comments, housekeeping, random
I really strive to be the type of intern that has my sh*t together. I work hard to be the one with all the answers for my boss, to know where everything is when he/she can't find it, and to always be ready for whatever the powers that be may throw my way. And most of the time, I like to think I succeed. But when you're focusing solely on one part of your life, other things start to fall apart.
I can remember the summer before my very first internship. I had a ton of friends and a new boyfriend and was always hanging out and talking on the phone with them. I didn't have much else going on in my life and so at that point, my friends were my life. Then I started interning. I commuted three days a week into Manhattan and the other two days I worked a part-time 9-5 in my home town. On the days I went to New York, I would wake up around 9, get on the train, work until 8 or 9, and not get home until 9, 10 or 11:00 at night, if I was lucky. I stopped having time for a social life and to this day, my friends will mention a wild night out or a traumatic experience and I ask myself, "Why didn't I know about this? Where was I?" The answer is always the same..."Oh...that's right, I was working."
I'm okay with that, really, I am. It's just the nature of the music industry game, and I'm no second string bench warmer. The next year when I did my internship, I moved to Brooklyn and then I really never saw my friends, who wanted to visit me in the 'hood anyway? I made new, New York, friends but still I was always working. I again had two jobs so I would come home from my 4-day a week internship, and work from home through all hours of the night. Even when I did have some time off, I really wasn't in the mood for anything but sleeping, reading, or TV watching.
And the same thing happened this last time I interned, not that I was really surprised or anything.
Its something you have to accept is going to happen at some point or another. Maybe you'll balance it after a while, maybe you'll slack off at work so you can hang out with your friends, or maybe you'll be a loner like me and start an intense love affair with your cubicle. Its just important you face the reality. And that reality is, there will be a time you have to make a decision between the two.
Is there a right and a wrong decision? I don't think so...either way you're going to lose something. But whichever you choose--charge that to the game.
Labels: decisions, friends, lessons, music industry, real world, work
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