Summer Internships for King's Students
Three King’s students see the summer break as an opportunity to put into practice what they have studied all year in the classroom. Kristen Lee ‘14, Clara Lefever ‘14, and Abigail Murray ‘13 have secured impressive summer internships that will allow them to explore potential careers and expand their education.
Kristen Lee, an MCA major, will return to her home in Maryland this summer. For three months from the beginning of May to the first weeks in August, she will make a forty-five minute commute from Maryland into Washington, D.C. to work thirty hours a week at the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. Her internship involves compiling media clips, researching with the communications department, and assisting with administrative tasks.
For Lee, this is the perfect internship both because of her career goals and because of her love for baseball. “I love watching the game, “ she admits. She became a loyal Nationals fan after the team relocated to D.C. in 2005. “I want to go into sports PR and communications,” she says. “This internship allows me to get my foot in the door and say, ‘I work at Nationals Park.’ That’s pretty much step 1 of getting into this industry.”
Clara Lefever, also an MCA major, began an internship this spring with Press Play Productions, located in Chelsea, and will continue her internship over the summer. “This is the most perfect internship I could ask for,” Lefever says. “It fits perfectly under the MCA major.”
Press Play describes itself as a production company that creates and produces socially oriented content. They have produced several reality TV shows including Exiled, a spinoff of the MTV show My Super Sweet 16 that shows spoiled rich kids what life is like in third world countries. As an intern, Lefever works closely with producer Jenna Arnold, researching ideas for potential TV shows and writing episodes. This internship provides Lefever with invaluable experience for a future career in documentary film. “Film is a really effective way of spreading a message and inspiring people. Through a film you can make a whole country aware of a problem,” Lefever explains. She wants to work on documentaries that show how people have value at all stages of life.
Abigail Murray, a business major, has secured a management training internship at Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Chelsea Branch in New York City. Her internship will begin on June 3rd, a day after Murray returns from Turkey with King’s International Ventures program. Enterprise pairs each intern up with a mentor. Murray’s responsibilities will include selling insurance on top of rental plans, selling cars, driving cars to pick up customers, or relocating cars to other branches. Murray explains that Enterprise does not want any cars sitting in the garage, but needs all cars to be constantly rented out.
“It’s kind of like a big puzzle everyday,” Murray admits. “I love the team dynamics. Everybody’s got each other’s back. We all want to make this company better.” She points out that everyone who works at Enterprise must start out as a management trainee. “Everyone works their way up,” Murray says. “Even the CEO started as a management trainee. He can connect with the employees.”
What advice would these interns give fellow King’s students who are hoping to land their dream internship?
“I was scared because I was a freshman that I wouldn’t get the internship,” Lee says. “Don’t give up. Keep applying. And pursue something you are passionate about.”
Lefever stresses how important it is to be outspoken about your future career. “Talk to people,” she urges. “Tell professors what you want to do and what you want to get into. Internships are a great opportunity to try different things out and dabble in other fields of work you might be interested in.”
Murray credits her coursework in the business major for preparing her for her internship. “Even if you’re not sure you’re going to get the internship, work on presenting yourself well,” Murray advises. “Run your cover letter by several different people. Practice interviewing.”