An event internship can be a great way to gain additional experience and even get your foot in the door of the job market. But, not all internships are made equal. While some will offer you a wide range of experiences, others will leave you stuck by the photocopier.
But what can you do to make sure your event internship is a valuable experience? Here are some points to consider before, during and after your internship.
#1 What will be your key role/responsibility during the event internship?
Establish early on what you will be expected to do on your internship. That way you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. Sure, not every experience during an internship is going to be glamorous, but it’s important to find out whether the opportunity is actually what you are looking for.
If there is something in particular that you want to try, ask if it will be possible to take that role? While it might not be feasible, you’ll never know if you don’t ask.
#2 Find out if you will get paid for the internship
Some internships will pay, some don’t. But, find out beforehand, so you’re not left surprised. Even if it is an unpaid internship, there might still be some financial assistance available like lunch provided or travel to work covered.
#3 Try and get as many different experiences as possible
There are a wide range of roles within the event industry. So, use your internships to try and experience as many of these as possible. Volunteer to try new roles and put yourself forward for opportunities. Ask if it is possible to work across a few different teams or perhaps shadow different people, so that you get a much wider perspective of everything that is happening.
#4 Build up your contact base and ask questions
Internships are great opportunities to meet new people. Take advantage of this by building up your network. Find out whether the people you’ve been working with are happy to connect with you on LinkedIn. And see if anybody you worked with would be happy to provide you a reference in the future.
While on your internship, take this chance to ask as many questions as possible. Find out about how other people got their jobs. Knowing the routes that they have taken will help give you a much clearer idea of what you should be doing to get your dream job.
For more advice about working in events, follow @LiveRecruitment on Twitter.