It is that time of my life where the future is, well, somehow blurring into the present. That is, I'm currently approaching a time where I must select an internship for fall of 2005 that will probably, at the very least, provide a strong grounding in a specific area that will lead to a full-time job at another company in the same area.
After a very sucessful interview, I feel like I have a very strong chance of being offered this one internship at an amazing theatre company in their marketing department. I received a phone call yesterday (after all the interviews and reference checking), but I was not home, so I got a message requesting that I call them back. He sounded cheerful enough that I currently am under the impression that I will be offered the position. I'm not an optimist in the least, so usually when I think these things it's for a logical reason.
In any case, I need to call him back today to find out whether or not I'm offered the internship. But- I have an interview tomorrow for an internship at a high-tech PR agency, which is an area I'm very interested in going into. While the theatre internship lasts 10 months (and provides housing), the internship with the PR agency is only 6 months and as far as I know, housing is up to the intern for the finding.
However, both places say that there is possible career growth for interns. The thing is, at the theatre company, which is a relatively small organization, it's basically- if a position happens to be available after you finish you're internship and we like you, we might hire you. Whereas the PR agency described the internship position as a job with the possibility of leading to a full-time position within the agency.
The only thing is, do I want to leave theatre entirely, or do I want to cling to it doing the only thing I might be offered to do-- ie marketing, pr, etc. If I'm in theatre, honestly, I want to direct. I feel like I'm going to get stuck in this trap of marketing- which is great to learn- but, while I love the idea of theatre as a whole- my passion is making good theatre. Marketing for someone else's idea of good theatre, well, is not exactly my idea of a fullfilling life.
But this IS only one year. And it would be at a really awesome theatre company. AND I might get to meet Tony Kushner. AND-- it can't hurt to understand marketing before moving on to my next position in life.
I partially feel like if I'm lucky enough to be offered both positions (which, according to my current state of self-belief) I think might be possible, the ideal situation would be to do the theatre internship sept-june/july and then move directly into the 6-month pr internship. That will give me a good year and a half to explore both areas and figure out what I want to do- without giving any opportunities up. But...
I don't know. A part of me really wants to work with this PR agency. My socialist side is saying- don't sell out- don't sell out-- but my "I like to have money to make art on the side" side is saying "sell out so you can afford to paint and do what you love. Your job shouldn't have to be your life!" -- And that's the thing. If I was a director in theatre, I wouldn't mind my job being my life. It might pay next to nothing, but that would not be why I would choose that career path. Sure, theatre's need good marketing people (they're damn important) but-- I don't know if that's something I'm really passionate about.
Yesterday I went to this multimedia showcase where I showed my published clips to a variety of people who worked in advertising related fields. They all were impressed with my writing ability as well as my plan (what? I have a plan?) and said that I'm on the right track. It's really nice to hear this when I'm 2 and a half weeks from graduation. Still, it doesn't really tell me what job I should choose for the rest of my life...
But PR just sounds fun, especially the company I'm currently applying to work with (their website, at the very least, makes them sound great!) -- I do have a phone interview with them tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to request a few days to think about the position at the theatre company before letting them know if I'm going to take it.
At least both of these positions are only short stints. If I choose one or the other and end up hating it (which hopefully I won't) it's really not the end of the world. I know that. But still... I want to be happy in the coming year. And I want to feel like I can really be the best I can at the tasks I'm assigned. I know what it's like to feel like I can't offer a lot to a position (ie, my current internship with two journalists, where the only thing I'm good for is designing the website- and even that looks like relative crap). BUT, I know I'm a good thinker & strategic planner- which I'm sure would be a strong skill to have for marketing or PR. I guess the idea of working with a high tech PR agency (whose client list is quite impressive) appeals to me because I love technology and think it's the bees knees of the corporate world. Afterall, for some reason, I feel like it's alright to ethically market technology. Well. I feel better marketing technology than having to try to get press for a bad piece of theatre. And seeing as I'm the toughest critic I know, there will certainly be times when I'll be asked to figure out how to get an audience to come see a show that I personally think is awful. There will also be times when I will be part of a theatre company doing new work that makes me proud to work for that theatre company, that really comments on social issues and is well acted, designed, directed, etc. But at least with technology- well- there won't really be any subjective tie to it. A company will come out with a new product, which I will most likely think is cool, and then after I figure out exactly what it is, I will try to get it press. This will be easy because I'd basically be writing press releases and explaining things that I'm fascinated with. Ie, one client of this pr agency is macromedia. I love all the macromedia products and am always excited when they come out with something new (although I can't afford it myself.) I just think it would be lots of fun to work in the world of high-tech PR, not to mention that the growth potential is there and that I could really, within the next 10 years, find myself in a job that would start putting some money in the bank for savings (that would also include healthcare and other benefits.)
The companies website lists the benefits for their employees (not for their interns, but still)-- and the list is impressive. They have a $500 per year "balance fund" that allows their employees to be reimbursed for anything from french lessons to piano lessons. They also provide gym membership and a ton of other really great incentives to do a good job. Yea, so right now it seems like I'm a lot more excited about the PR agency opportunity than the one at the theatre company. Not to mention that I could definitely end up not being offered any of these positions and having to kick myself for being so confident about this at the moment.
Well, I guess I should go prepare myself for the day. Toodles
After a very sucessful interview, I feel like I have a very strong chance of being offered this one internship at an amazing theatre company in their marketing department. I received a phone call yesterday (after all the interviews and reference checking), but I was not home, so I got a message requesting that I call them back. He sounded cheerful enough that I currently am under the impression that I will be offered the position. I'm not an optimist in the least, so usually when I think these things it's for a logical reason.
In any case, I need to call him back today to find out whether or not I'm offered the internship. But- I have an interview tomorrow for an internship at a high-tech PR agency, which is an area I'm very interested in going into. While the theatre internship lasts 10 months (and provides housing), the internship with the PR agency is only 6 months and as far as I know, housing is up to the intern for the finding.
However, both places say that there is possible career growth for interns. The thing is, at the theatre company, which is a relatively small organization, it's basically- if a position happens to be available after you finish you're internship and we like you, we might hire you. Whereas the PR agency described the internship position as a job with the possibility of leading to a full-time position within the agency.
The only thing is, do I want to leave theatre entirely, or do I want to cling to it doing the only thing I might be offered to do-- ie marketing, pr, etc. If I'm in theatre, honestly, I want to direct. I feel like I'm going to get stuck in this trap of marketing- which is great to learn- but, while I love the idea of theatre as a whole- my passion is making good theatre. Marketing for someone else's idea of good theatre, well, is not exactly my idea of a fullfilling life.
But this IS only one year. And it would be at a really awesome theatre company. AND I might get to meet Tony Kushner. AND-- it can't hurt to understand marketing before moving on to my next position in life.
I partially feel like if I'm lucky enough to be offered both positions (which, according to my current state of self-belief) I think might be possible, the ideal situation would be to do the theatre internship sept-june/july and then move directly into the 6-month pr internship. That will give me a good year and a half to explore both areas and figure out what I want to do- without giving any opportunities up. But...
I don't know. A part of me really wants to work with this PR agency. My socialist side is saying- don't sell out- don't sell out-- but my "I like to have money to make art on the side" side is saying "sell out so you can afford to paint and do what you love. Your job shouldn't have to be your life!" -- And that's the thing. If I was a director in theatre, I wouldn't mind my job being my life. It might pay next to nothing, but that would not be why I would choose that career path. Sure, theatre's need good marketing people (they're damn important) but-- I don't know if that's something I'm really passionate about.
Yesterday I went to this multimedia showcase where I showed my published clips to a variety of people who worked in advertising related fields. They all were impressed with my writing ability as well as my plan (what? I have a plan?) and said that I'm on the right track. It's really nice to hear this when I'm 2 and a half weeks from graduation. Still, it doesn't really tell me what job I should choose for the rest of my life...
But PR just sounds fun, especially the company I'm currently applying to work with (their website, at the very least, makes them sound great!) -- I do have a phone interview with them tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to request a few days to think about the position at the theatre company before letting them know if I'm going to take it.
At least both of these positions are only short stints. If I choose one or the other and end up hating it (which hopefully I won't) it's really not the end of the world. I know that. But still... I want to be happy in the coming year. And I want to feel like I can really be the best I can at the tasks I'm assigned. I know what it's like to feel like I can't offer a lot to a position (ie, my current internship with two journalists, where the only thing I'm good for is designing the website- and even that looks like relative crap). BUT, I know I'm a good thinker & strategic planner- which I'm sure would be a strong skill to have for marketing or PR. I guess the idea of working with a high tech PR agency (whose client list is quite impressive) appeals to me because I love technology and think it's the bees knees of the corporate world. Afterall, for some reason, I feel like it's alright to ethically market technology. Well. I feel better marketing technology than having to try to get press for a bad piece of theatre. And seeing as I'm the toughest critic I know, there will certainly be times when I'll be asked to figure out how to get an audience to come see a show that I personally think is awful. There will also be times when I will be part of a theatre company doing new work that makes me proud to work for that theatre company, that really comments on social issues and is well acted, designed, directed, etc. But at least with technology- well- there won't really be any subjective tie to it. A company will come out with a new product, which I will most likely think is cool, and then after I figure out exactly what it is, I will try to get it press. This will be easy because I'd basically be writing press releases and explaining things that I'm fascinated with. Ie, one client of this pr agency is macromedia. I love all the macromedia products and am always excited when they come out with something new (although I can't afford it myself.) I just think it would be lots of fun to work in the world of high-tech PR, not to mention that the growth potential is there and that I could really, within the next 10 years, find myself in a job that would start putting some money in the bank for savings (that would also include healthcare and other benefits.)
The companies website lists the benefits for their employees (not for their interns, but still)-- and the list is impressive. They have a $500 per year "balance fund" that allows their employees to be reimbursed for anything from french lessons to piano lessons. They also provide gym membership and a ton of other really great incentives to do a good job. Yea, so right now it seems like I'm a lot more excited about the PR agency opportunity than the one at the theatre company. Not to mention that I could definitely end up not being offered any of these positions and having to kick myself for being so confident about this at the moment.
Well, I guess I should go prepare myself for the day. Toodles
Well....I wish I could help you but only you can make this kind of choice. But no matter which you pic I KNOW you will be great at it