Man Repeller Round Table: The Summer Internship

For this week’s round table, we spoke with our summer interns about the establishment of The Internship.

Leandra Medine: What have you found to be the most compelling parts of being an intern — here or otherwise — thus far?

Hadley Mendelsohn, rising college senior: I really enjoy the initial stages of interning anywhere because it’s fun observing and figuring out a new workspace, trying to get to know a culture, as opposed to just one person. It’s been very different at each place.

Hannah Kellner, rising college senior: Internships are really interesting (as opposed to a job) because the people in charge of you are asking, “What do you want me to do for you? How can we help?” Versus, “I hired you — what can you do for me?”

Leandra: I think that across the board, startup employers — and because it’s 2015 — are realizing that it is very, very important to make sure everyone who works with you are happy as you are. You don’t want to build an environment that people dread waking up to come to. Emma, what about you?

Emma Hager, rising college sophomore: I’m a curious person, so I love being exposed to everything. I really don’t think I have an entrepreneurial bone in my body, but I find it so interesting to hear about analytics and strategy — that part never really crossed my mind. And of course, being exposed to this particular website, which I’ve interacted with online for so long — to be able to sit in the office where it all happens — it’s really nice and almost sobering in a good way, you know? To realize that it’s not all a fairytale. It’s actually extremely hard work, and it takes a lot to maintain a site. And I think that it has been quite rewarding for me to realize that, at the end of the day, we are all just out here doing our jobs.

Amelia Diamond: When I started my first internship, I had stars in my eyes about entering the “glamorous world of fashion.” But that doesn’t last long — it’s hard work. I had to do some strange things at internships. There were long hours, rude people. But by the time I got to my last one at a big magazine, I was disillusioned in a healthy way. I was able to approach my time with just that mentality you mentioned: this is work, and I am here to do my job.

Hadley: It’s a good way to test yourself, to see if you are actually committed to working in this industry. Or any industry. Internships are supposed to be temporary — you’re supposed to play around and see what you like.

Emma: It’s kind of like being infatuated someone. You start off infatuated with that person, and then when you’re finally together, you have to work things out because at the end of the day you’re both humans. And it’s very real. You have to realize that the fairytale does not exist. Nothing substantial can operate in that realm.

Leandra: I think there might be value in taking that a step further, and realizing that we’re all, across the board, just human. And we are all equals based on that accord. There is never an appropriate reason to feel like someone is above or below you.

Has it been difficult to find internships? What’s the process of achieving one like? I haven’t been an intern in five or six years, but back then, it was about trying to leverage connections if you had them, sending desperate emails if you didn’t.

Hannah: It really depends on where you are trying to find one. I applied to a whole bunch of places last summer and a lot of them didn’t respond. This one was a special case, I guess. I cold-emailed and got a response. But I really do think it’s hard to get one. I have a bunch of friends who applied to, like, twenty places, and heard absolutely nothing.

Amelia: Everyone is looking for an internship, but what’s funny is that everyone I know is also looking for an intern. Friends in the industry email me pretty regularly asking if I know of anyone looking for an internship, so whenever someone doesn’t work out for Man Repeller but seems interesting, I pass them along.

Do you guys have someone at school telling you what to expect, or how to prepare?

Emma: For the most part, I’ve just heard stories from friends. That’s how I learn, I guess. But it’s hard really to glean anything from someone else’s experience, especially in fashion where everyone seems to be be pushing a different vision, and each of those visions involve different tasks.

Leandra: In your previous internships, did your bosses ever make you feel as if you were a part of something larger than you? That you were working towards something?

Hadley: Mine did! I was in a program where you only worked with one supervisor, and you were their only intern on your days, so you got to build work relationships with the supervisors. At the end, my supervisor asked if I could do freelance work, so that was really good. It felt like she appreciated the work I was doing.

Hannah: Mine was a little different because the faculty started without a graphic designer, and then I came in and took on that role. It made me feel like part of the team because there was no one else doing my job. I was immediately the go-to person.

Leandra: Do you feel as though the internships you’ve had have helped you figure out what you want to do after college?

Hannah:  I learned I didn’t want to be a graphic designer, so for this summer I sought out  business development internships, like what I’m doing now. I hope this helps me figure things out a bit.

Hadley: I’m pretty clueless, but I think I want to be working within editorial/the fashion industry. I definitely now know that I do not want to go into interior design, which I originally thought I did. One of my friends said it’s all about crafting a story, so I’ve been trying to stay on a linear track and achieve my end goal.

Emma: I always knew that I wanted to write in some capacity, and fashion always made sense to me.

Amelia: So, elephant in the room. Payment. How do you guys approach the reality of needing an internship and knowing that not all of them — especially in this industry — pay? Many employers can only offer college credit, but…not everyone can afford to come to NY and do that.

Emma: This is a subject that I addressed with my parents. I know that this is a great privilege, and I think it has been important to keep the dialogue open about investment. It’s not only a financial investment, but it’s also an investment in my future. My parents are both in science, so this world is foreign to them. Still, they trust that I know what I need to do to get a job-job so that I am not living on their couch long after I graduate.

Amelia: Hannah, aren’t you sleeping on a couch right now? That’s kind of a sacrifice in some sense.

Hannah: I feel like my brother might be the one that is making the sacrifice — it’s his couch! But it is an investment, as Emma said. I have a few options for jobs after I graduate, so I wanted to treat this summer as a test.

Hadley: I worked when I was younger, and my other internship paid me, so I saved up money for this. My parents are also helping me with rent. It’s an investment, so you know you have to be committed to taking this seriously.

Emma: In some ways, the internship is the new college. Everyone seems to apply to every college, everyone seems to apply to every internship.

Leandra: I think the whole internship industry is going to get smaller before it gets bigger. Systems need to be put in place so that all of these college students are not just spending their summers working for free. That was not a “thing” ten years ago. And it’s not fair that someone who spent her summers working at a restaurant, or as a lifeguard, who is incredibly smart and educated, shouldn’t be considered for a job, right?

Emma: What’s interesting to see is how these other forays into the industry play out. My friend got an internship because of a series of tweets his future employer saw. I don’t know if these new methods are necessarily good things, but there are so many other platforms to prove oneself now. Especially in startup environments.

Leandra: I have been in business for five years and I have never had a business card. That’s sort of the thing about startups, you almost feel like you need to turn everything that has ever worked in a corporate environment on its head. Even if the systems in place are good ones!

What have you found to be the worst parts of interning? Generally speaking. (I was once asked to sharpen five hundred pencils for a big fashion show, and everywhere I attempted to sharpen these pencils — because it was an electric sharpener — people were kicking me out because it was too loud. I felt like such a little person!

Amelia: I have so many horror stories.

Emma: For me, the struggle — well, struggle is a strong word — is very much internal. Because I have little prior experience, I feel like I constantly have to prove to myself and to others that I am not inadequate. Because I have no way to prove that I am adequate, paper-wise.

Leandra: I want to wrap with two questions. First: what advice would you give to someone younger than you who is seeking an internship? Amelia and I can wax poetic on it forever, but at the end of the day, you’re the ones out on the field.

Hannah: My advice would be to just take every chance you can. Interview and apply everywhere. I got this one by just emailing.

Hadley: Twitter is actually very good for email-stalking. Well actually, no one has ever responded to me, so maybe it’s not the best approach [laughs].

Hannah: And always send a portfolio or samples if you have them.

Emma: Ask questions, and email people you admire. I do this! It can be as simple saying, “Hi, I have a follow up question about the thing you wrote,” or, “Hi, I am wondering how you got to where you are, or how you honed your skill.” You’d be surprised as to how willing people are to help. They really are. Send a direct Instagram message and see what happens.

Hadley: Utilize your friends and your network. You never know who knows who, who can help.

Leandra: Last question. What is one thing you’ve learned about MR that may be weird or interesting or whatever, but something you did not expect prior to working here?

Hannah: Well, how quiet it is in the office!

Emma: The seriousness of the office was surprising. It’s very commanding in that sense. I wasn’t expecting Leandra to be dancing around in palazzo pants, per se, but something in between.

Hadley: When I was interviewing over the phone, I asked about the office environment, and Amelia said, “You know, it’s not as loud and high-energy as you might expect. We’re writing all day.”

Amelia: I don’t want someone to come in here thinking that it’s gonna be a ball pit! But we do have fun once that stuff’s done.

Hadley: I love how intimate it is. It is really nice to be a part of company that is still so small, and still growing and developing.

Leandra: Thanks guys! Now let’s turn it to the readers. Tell us about your internships.

For more round tables, click here. Reading not your thing? Let’s watch some videos! If these ladies look familiar, that’s because they helped model gold tats. Photographed by Krista Anna Lewis.