Go to college. Intern. Graduate college. Get a job.
A few weeks ago while on spring break I checked my e-mail. Expecting to just clear out some junk before it got out of hand, I was surprised to see an e-mail from someone named Dallas Dymes and the name of my last internship as the subject. I opened it and was two paragraphs in before I figured out that this kid goes to my school and wants me to help him get an internship at this specific company. I wanted to write back one simple question, "How the hell did you get my e-mail??" I decided to be a little nicer that that--I was once a sophomore, desperate for an internship in Hip-Hop and surrounded by professors and advisors who had no contacts to help me. I told him more about what I did on the internship, asked him where he'd been applying, and told him to try googling things like "music internship" or to add "hip-hop" to it. I really thought that would be that and I'd be done with it. I don't even know this guy and I don't remember signing up for any program to be this kid's mentor. Not that I'd mind, but really....how the hell did he get my e-mail?
Me: Hello??
I realized that going to school is not nearly as interesting as being an intern. The highlight of my week when I'm in school is when class gets out 30 minutes early...and I'm pretty sure no one cares about all that! But, since I am graduating in a month, I am looking for a job. That's not exciting either. Especially when your job search consists of pages and pages of jobs that could only be relevant to your qualifications on Opposite Day and message strains of me shamelessly promoting the fact that I am in need of a job.
I'll admit, its funny every once in a while. You know the kind of humor I'm talking about. The kind where you spend thirty minutes filling out an online application only to find that there's an error in the website and in the part on your application where it says "position applying for" yours is blank. Which means yours goes right in the garbage. It was funny the first time, and all around hilarious the second time. Or, its pretty laughable when after asking all your contacts if they know about any job openings they all inform you about the same one at the one company you interned at where you got a horrible evaluation for no reason. Ahh, don't you just love humor like that?
Well, one day last week, I decided to up the ante a little and turn the whole job-hunting thing into an even bigger joke. I made my facebook status say something like, "If I were in your shoes, I would DEFINITELY hire myself" Ha,ha,ha...it's all so funny. I did get a chuckle when someone in a very good position wrote, "If I had the money...," you know the kind of chuckle that brings tears to your eyes?? Right. But yesterday when I logged into my facebook account I had a message from an A&R that I know through a mutual friend. All it said was, "Give me a call when you get a second...I want to seee what you're doing now" I just so happen to know this A&R is in the market for an assistant. This job hunting thing just got serious. The laughs just turned into that queasy feeling you get when you get called into the prinicpal's office and you don't know why.
Does anybody have a Rolaid on hand??
The whole point of interning is to eventually get a "real" job. And in my case, a real job that ends once a week with a nice paycheck. But interning alone doesn't get you that job, and I'm finding I have to work even harder just to be considered for a job as I did when I was interning. I've really had to step my game up.
So today was my first day really trying to care about my internship and applying 100% of myself. Its hard when my Big Boss is out on medical leave and her assistant (we'll call him Vin* from now on), Vin shows up about an hour late for work. But, the day did go by pretty fast because I stayed focus on the menial tasks I was doing, instead of complaining to myself about how much I hate doing it.
