Name: Kelly Tan

Year: Senior

Major: Journalism

Minor: Asian American Studies

CFS Program: Field Studies in Social Justice

Employer: Perfect Search Media

I spent a lot of time interviewing for internships in the winter, hoping to get one more work experience before I graduated and got thrown into the real world. Luckily I found one and was able to learn a lot about digital marketing at the agency who offered me a position. I wanted to go into marketing, so it could’t hurt to get a look at the analytical side of things.

It turns out that I have no interest in data and spreadsheets. While I walked away from this internship with a lot of knowledge, I’m not sure I’ll be applying it for my jobs in the future. I’m a writer and a journalist by training. I like words and I like telling stories, something I realized I stopped doing at the this internship.

I took the offer without consulting any past or current interns, which I regret. I had no clue what the job entailed exactly. I do not regret my decision to do this internship, but I do wish that I had known better what exactly I was getting myself into. When you choose your internship, make sure you ask tons of questions and talk to the staff. Talk to past interns and get their thoughts on whether you’d enjoy this position. They’ve been through it all, so they have the best insights especially if they’re pursuing a similar field to what you’re doing, But no matter what you do, get the most out of it. Even though I still have no interest in spreadsheets, I still learned as much as I could.