Stephanie Steiner | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ambition caught me at a young age, and as a result I’ve become quite independent when it comes to making life decisions. Being from the Midwest, it isn’t exactly commonplace for students to get an internship on a coast (so of course I decided to go for it). Too-many-to-count emails later, I got an offer to intern in Los Angeles and I headed 1456 miles west and learned a lot about living and working in an unfamiliar place. Here’s what you should know when deciding to fly across the nation and make the leap into semi-adulthood:

1 Advice is vital
So you are alone in this brand new place and have no idea where to go or what to do in your free time? Do your research and look up weekend activities in the city. Ask questions and gain insight from those who know the culture of the city. Don’t hesitate to walk to the coffee shop with the amazing iced lattes that your landlord suggested. And definitely don’t turn down the opportunity to go to lunch or be shown around the city a little bit with some of the people you are interning under. They are usually more than willing to tell you their favorite spaces to hang out or spots to grab a bite or bit of inspiration.

2 Modesty and honesty are key
Sometimes I can be pretty passive when it comes to speaking my mind or showing off my skills. I don’t necessarily see it as a lack of confidence, but more so as something I’ve been taught growing up. When I got to my internship, I was doing mostly social media, and I overheard the employees discussing a lack of graphic design help. Little did they know, I have graphic design skills. So, for once, I spoke up and told them I could help them out and it changed the entire scope of the internship. I got to do additional interesting and creative work that would result in greater portfolio pieces and a more vast skill set.

3 You are in the real world
Don’t forget that you’re now functioning like an adult and can push boundaries when appropriate. If you have a cool idea, then pitch it. The worst they could say is no or that there’s not enough time for it. Be willing to contribute to brainstorming meetings, and constantly go beyond what is expected of you. For the first week of my internship, I didn’t take a lunch break even though I was offered one because I wanted to get work done while I ate. This is not advice to overdo it, but rather providing ways that you can stand out and attempt to balance that intern/real world adult mentality.

4 A task is a task
Regardless of your familiarity with the area or the people you are working with, you will receive a long list of tasks promptly to arriving at your internship. It’s scary and stressful to try to run errands as well as understand the city, but it will help you grow an incredible amount. When I say a task is a task, I mean they aren’t negotiable items and need to be accomplished by someone at the company. Sending out gifts, packaging mail, making coffee, buying props, sending emails, calling random places – the list goes on. Treat every task with importance and you will be seen as more diligent and unafraid to take on whatever you are given (a great asset that will set you apart if they are looking to ask an intern to return).

5 Being yourself is underrated
It truly will not help you if you try to act like someone you’re not at an internship. Chances are, the workers there will read right through you and you’ll look even sillier. If you’re not into filmmaking and the rest of the workers know their stuff, it’s okay to say you don’t watch many movies and are more into CDs and denim. You like what you like and you won’t change overnight, so let them grow to like you for the person you are, because who you are is likely a reason they hired you in the first place. Being far from home can make you feel like a different person, but it’s never a bad thing to stick to your roots and pick up pieces of your new location to add to who you are.

Photo by Stephanie Steiner