Princely Pursuits
One intern's view of business and beyond
Every summer, the workday gets a little brighter, with the fresh faces of high school and college-age interns filing into organizations to fulfill their interning duties. But what are today's interns all about? Do they view the business world in the same way their parents and grandparents do? And what will they look for in a career once they've finished their studies?
To find out, we interviewed Hodes intern Will Prince, who has already begun to plot his points on where he'd like to work after college, when he enters the dreaded “real world”.
Q. So, what made you decide to intern this summer?
A. I interned at Hodes last summer, and since it was an enjoyable experience, I decided it would be a good idea to continue the trend of fulfilling summer employment.
Q. What do you look for in a work environment and what attributes are most important to you as an intern?
A. Ideally, I look for an organization that is strict in its beliefs and work ethic, but also matches that seriousness with a lax environment and liberal feel. Being somewhere where productivity and an employee's occupational enjoyment are equally important--or as close to equal as possible.
Q. And down the road as a full-time employee?
A. It's really important in the resume-makes-or-breaks-you generation to show that you have experience in any given industry or business before you actually enter it. I look for the same attributes in a full-time employer as I do for an internship. In my head, interning for a company is basically working for a company.
And the saying, “All work and no play” really applies. I think more than ever, schools are encouraging students to find jobs that offer more than just good compensation. No one wants to be unhappy for the rest of their life, and so it makes sense that people will seek out jobs that are laid back, even if the work is arduous.
Q. Have you begun to scope out possible jobs, to see what's out there?
A. The jobs I hope to have are less confined to the usual categories of positions and employers. My first love is music, with cinema in the not-so-distant second place. I am going to art school in California for training in computer animation and digital art. The obvious move, after graduation, would be to work for a company like Pixar or ILM.
However, I'm really looking to break into the music or movie industry through another door than most would. I figure the background I receive at school will be good to promote my band (Your Darling Bell), self-produce our music (the school also has a music production program, which my friend/bandmate is enrolled in), and possibly direct my own movies with an abundant knowledge of the world of digital art (which most say is the future of movies, TV and media).
Q. Would you consider going to a recruiter?
A. Probably not. I am pretty sure I can fend for myself when looking for a job.
Q. Are you and your friends career-oriented? How important is having a career, vs. other areas of your life?
A. Right now, not too many of my friends are worrying about their careers. Being 20-years-old, we are only at the midpoint of our college years. I think the adjustment of being at a university has finally set in, and now people are ready to take the next step. Also, the idea of being employed full-time doesn't seem too appealing to most of us. I think everyone is afraid that fun leaves once your education ends. Most people call this transition “entering the real word”.
Q. What do you and your peers like to read? And, do you do most of your reading online or in print?
A. I and my closest friends are die-hard Chuck Palahniuk fans (author of “Fight Club”, “Choke” and “Invisible Monsters”). My favorite authors are Palahniuk, Jack Kerouac, Don DeLillo and Al Burian. My friends enjoy reading and discussing, and find reading to be the best way to gain knowledge on anything. The Internet has also made keeping up-to-date and researching so much easier.
In terms of my generation, in general, I don't think anyone really reads anymore. Besides my closest friends, I don't know too many 20-year-olds who read all that much. Most of them seem to prefer TV, music and movies.
Q. Millenials--people born between 1982 and 2000--are considered by trend experts to be self-confident, to jump from one job to the next, and to like teamwork. Does that describe you?
A. Hahaha. My teenage employment history was pretty jumpy and random. I never had the same job for more than three months. In terms of a more adult application to that theory, I think most people want to get locked in to a position, with the idea of being set for life. People in my generation (I was born in 1985) don't really seem to acknowledge the idea of climbing the ladder. We may be too eager to realize that most of us are going to have to pay our dues and work our way up to the top (if that's even where you want to end up.)
Everyone can supposedly be whatever they want to be, but that might mean you'll have to work in a cubicle for eight years and take a pay cut until you get to where you want to be. Our confidence is an asset and a detriment. To get anywhere, you need to believe in yourself. However, most things aren't served up on a platter. It takes time and the work may wear on you. I think any confident person needs to have a tote bag full of determination if they really want to advance.
Will Prince, who hails from Old Bridge, NJ, plays in a band called Your Darling Bell. He loves art, movies, literature and Brussels sprouts. In the fall, he will attend Expression College of Digital Art in San Francisco, CA.
Subscribe to our feed