As HC readers, we know you’re doing some pretty amazing things this summer. And as the summer gets under way, we’ve caught up with a few interns around New York City for a quick glimpse of what really goes on in the intern files. We’ve got three amazing interns to profile, so read on (and for even more intern chronicles, check out this story from HC’s Wake Forest branch).
Name: Sydney Ribot
Internship: Editorial Intern, Business Insider
School: Dartmouth College
What exactly is your role at Business Insider?
I am an editorial intern. Technically, I think I was tagged to do work for the SAI (Silicon Alley Insider) vertical, which focuses on tech-based entrepreneurship, but it’s flexible. There are other interns helping out with Money Game and Clusterstock, the finance-related sections of the site, who have more expertise than I do in that area (have worked at investment banks or focused on it at Columbia J School, something like that) and we all help out with assignments for the other verticals if they come our way. So for instance, I’ve had to “aggregate,” which is to say summarize, gather and curate other sources, for The Wire, which covers media business.
How did you land this gig?
A couple months ago, I was working in Buenos Aires at BAIS, a nonprofit, and getting frantic about the possibility of having to move back with my parents and…WORK FOR MY DAD…filing and doing admin work at his northwest Georgia Ob/Gyn office as summer employment, if I couldn’t find a paying internship elsewhere. That was pretty…motivating.
Anyway, I looked for internships that I would A) be interested in trying B) were available and C) were paying.
I had been curious about journalism and interested in social media, so I was scouring Ed2010’s twitter feed (despite not having one at the time), looking up things I was interested in. Then it occurred to me to speak to friends who had worked in fields I wanted to work in and ask for advice. One directed me to Business Insider, so I submitted a resume, spoke with the publisher and here I am, trying not to sweat (it) in New York City.
What do you study at school, and is journalism something you want to pursue?
Yes and no.
I study English lit, Spanish lit and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)…so, uh, not journalism. There is no “journalism” concentration at Dartmouth – it’s so liberal arts even the people who want to go into finance study economics.
I did write features at The Dartmouth for a few years, though, and now work at The Dartmouth Independent for the campus section. I enjoyed it, but I did that stuff because it was fun to know about things that are going on on-campus (okay fine, I’m a yenta) and people are having a good time. I actually am interesting in social media and tech and innovation, so Business Insider was an excellent opportunity.
Business Insider is quite different, because even though TDI (The Dartmouth Independent) is online, it is not primarily a blog and it still comes out with print issues.
It’s also unique because it’s as if the writers have 8, 9, 10 — or I guess in Joe Weisenthal’s case, 16 – hour shifts where they’re “on air.” Which is to say they’re online, writing, reporting, aggregating, curating, responding to comments. That’s exciting, even if I often need to unwind with longer-form journalism or writing…
Another reason I like journalism is because you don’t do it if you don’t like it, so you don’t end up working with people who are only there to pay your bills. I guess what I wanted you to get out of that was that people aren’t financially motivated, so they’re actually passionate about what they do, which is inspiring.
Not that I want to begin a diatribe on journalistic ethics…
Run through of my day:
I don’t have a “set” schedule – I have deadlines. But I’ll tell you what I generally do.
Mostly, I work on whatever other projects I have to do (I recently had to look through roughly 2,500 blogs to find relevant new contributing writers for SAI) and work on whatever articles I am working on. Occasionally this means calling people to interview since SAI does not do aggregation, mostly.
There are also a few editors from the other verticals (War Room, The Wire) who send me assignments — press releases and information to aggregate and curate or posts to do layout for.
To reiterate, the work is based on deadlines. If an editor tells me he needs something that day, it’s due that day and the 2,500 blogs, or whatever more long-term project I am working on, gets put on the back-burner until I finish.
The thing that I really like about this internship is that the people there are really invested in your learning. They’ll explain changes to you and most importantly, give you the opportunity to pitch your own articles and they GIVE YOU RESPONSIBILITY. Even the blog assignment, which could be considered drudgery, is neat because it means that they trust me to not be a complete bonehead and even if I can’t do derivatives (any more) or don’t know how to write computer code, they expect me to at least have the wherewithal to know which tech or finance blogs are relevant enough to pull.
Oh, and lunch? We’re paid to work 8 hours per day, so if you want to work 9 to 6 and take an hour lunch break, you can, but most people don’t. I also try to bring my lunch most of the time, anyway.
How do you get to work every day?
I walk. Mostly because I am lucky enough to live close enough that the distance isn’t walking-prohibitive, but I also avoid taking the subway, my other mode of transportation, because I start melting as soon as I descend into its humid bowels…
What do you wear to work?
As I mentioned, the dress code is “internet casual.” I err on the side of “conservatism,” in a really liberal way. You don’t have to be suited up or anything, but don’t have your goods out, obviously. I did see Dan Frommer wear a T-shirt that said “I (heart) Paris” the other day, though, so I guess that’s cool too.
People dress reasonably professional, but no one’s trying to be fashionable or edgy. I’m here only for 2 months so I didn’t bring my whole wardrobe, and when we went immediately after work to this event at Gawker’s office, I felt like geek/frump squad rolling in.
Would you recommend this experience to college students, and why?
Yes, without question. BI is a great place to work for the reasons mentioned beforehand. Even if the snack room makes me never want to see another granola bar again.
Name: Jeanette Pelizzon
Internship: Public Relations Intern, Kara Ross
School: Franklin College Switzerland
Other summer plans: Taking a course in Italian at NYU
What exactly is your role at Kara Ross?
I am a Public Relations intern. I get to help pull jewelry for various photo shoots, celebs and stylists. That includes checking in and out the jewelry, packing it up and getting it where it needs to be on time. One of my favorite tasks is working on the blog. I also help out with whatever needs to be done around the office, even if it isn’t PR-related.
How did you land this gig?
My school doesn’t really have a program to help you find internships so I was on my own. A friend of mine in the industry told me about this awesome website called “FreeFashionInternships.com.” I spent hours looking for PR internships with companies that looked interesting. I didn’t even have a resume written when I started looking! Over break from school I went to a couple of interviews (also a first!) and was offered the internship at Kara Ross NY. I really lucked out because you couldn’t ask for a better internship.
What do you study at school, and is fashion something you’re interested in career-wise?
I attend a small college in Switzerland called Franklin College. Since there are only a little more than 400 students our majors are very broad. I am majoring in communications and media studies with a minor in marketing. After this internship I realize that I definitely do want to pursue a career in fashion. I am really excited that the fashion industry has started to focus more on ethical fashion. I am a huge fan of the one-for-one business model that companies such as TOMS Shoes use, and hope to one day do something with that.
Run through of my day:
8:00 AM: Dorm room: Wake up – after pressing snooze, of course – and get ready for class. I am a jeans and t-shirt girl but try and look nice for work. Today I have on my favorite pair of J Brand Jeggings, Michael Kors heels and vintage blazer. No jewelry because I put on samples when I get to work.
8:45 AM: Run to Starbucks or Jamba Juice on my way to class.
9:00 AM: NYU: I settle in for my intensive Italian class. Even though it’s the middle of July everyone in my sub-artic classroom is wearing a sweatshirt. Fa freddo!
12: 30 PM: Catch the subway from SoHo to the Garment District.
1/1:15 PM: Grab lunch and run to the office.
Until 6:30 PM: I put on my favorite Kara Ross pieces and see what needs to be done. After checking out some samples to various magazines, it’s off to find the perfect space for our upcoming launch party with my boss. Back at the office I help prepare for our sample sale by merchandising the pieces in the showroom. After we finish for the day everyone in the office heads out to preview the new Angel Sanchez collection. Angel, an amazing dress designer, used Kara Ross jewelry to complement his collection for the preview!
9:15: I get home, call my parents, shower and start my homework. I usually get takeout or delivery since I am a horrible cook! On Thursdays and Fridays I usually grab dinner with friends in Murray Hill. Since we went to an event after work it’s a little later than usual to get home.
11:30: After a couple hours of homework, and checking various blogs when I get distracted, I get in bed and watch TV before I fall asleep. I get to do it all again the next day!
Would you recommend this experience to college students, and why?
I would definitely recommend this experience to another college student because it is a great opportunity to get a feel for how the industry works and make connections. Being a PR intern, I have gotten to meet so many amazing stylists and it is so rewarding to see the jewelry you pulled being worn by a celebrity or making it into a magazine.
Name: Lilai Guo
Internship: Finance Intern, North Bridge Growth Equity
School: Dartmouth College
What exactly is your role at North Bridge?
The central theme of my internship at North Bridge is finding/sourcing investment opportunities for the firm. Here, we are focused on finding investment opportunities in the technology and technology enabled sectors. Also, unlike private equity and venture capitalism, we do growth equity, so in other words, we are looking for companies who are already chugging along pretty well by themselves but could use our capital to take them to the next level. Ideally, we are looking for bootstrapped, profitable, and growing companies but exceptions are of course made when deemed appropriate.
How did you land this gig?
Through the corporate recruiting program at Dartmouth – I interviewed for summer intern positions through most of this past winter.
Give me a run-through of your daily tasks.
I utilize various means to find appropriate investment opportunities for North Bridge, ranging from reviewing industry research to using market screens. When I come across a company that falls within our investment criteria, I will unload it into our proprietary database and then reach out to the company. When appropriate, an initial introductory call is usually set up with the associates. Before the call, I will usually give the associate a summary of what the company does and some diligence questions that should be asked. I usually sit in on the calls and take notes. Besides sourcing, I’m also responsible for helping the deal teams with preparing deal materials (i.e., investment memos, financial analysis, etc.) On Mondays, I present my investment opportunity finds to the partners and principles for feedback.