Before I walked through the door on the first day of my internship at Telecommunications Industry Association I had already struggled figuring out how to travel in Washington, D.C.; it was like my freshman year when I had to ask people how to find the HUB. When I first saw the office, I walked into a colorful, recently remodeled space. In the waiting area sat a red leather couch and a Keurig station for guests. I pretended to flip though magazines and information endorsed by the company after the receptionist kindly welcomed me kindly and asked me to wait for the person who hired me. I looked around the room; they had a modest collection of artwork, an impressive filming studio behind a large glass window and a modern environment. I sat on the red couch in the most professional dress I owned, the least comfortable shoes, and more anxiety about succeeding in this program than I could manage.
After three weeks interning, I finally got over the rush of constantly learning about new projects, topics on Capitol Hill, how to use Outlook and where to find the shortest line for lunch. This was when my boss told me about a paid co-op position at Alcatel-Lucent doing public affairs where a previous intern had worked. He didn’t know much about the job but still encouraged me to apply. I thought there was no harm in interviewing but, after only three weeks, I still was shy about my skills. I barely felt competent at my current internship let alone having more responsibility somewhere else. Because of this, I applied with no intention of actually taking this job, especially since I just felt comfortable where I already worked.
During the interview, I expressed that I needed to remain interning at the first position to obtain college credits and told them I would only be available to work part-time. I actually said this as a way to ensure I would not get the job. That backfired. They loved my idea to work part-time, so they offered me (and another student) the job in order to share the responsibilities. I did not feel prepared to acclimate to a second job, but of course I accepted the new paid position my boss set up for me. I went through a few weeks of being assigned bigger projects through my first internship, while learning the framework of a new office in another city with new responsibilities.
This is what I learned about the future: Never get too comfortable, never stop interviewing and never pass up an opportunity just because you think you are not qualified. By always continuously embracing new career experiences, you will learn more about yourself and what you are capable of doing beyond a four year degree. If it was not for The Penn State Washington Program, I would have never learned that being the new guy and feeling like a freshman is not scary, it’s exciting. Never settling on one position and always learning a new one is the best way to build your skills and experience. Over the course of three months, I had taken on an internship, a co-op position, and my final college course before I graduate this December. As much as I missed State College and being able to live out my final semester on main campus, I ended my senior year feeling the way I hope I will always feel throughout my career, like a freshman.