Setting Your Standards High

By Corinne Feight

As I wrap up my last two weeks as an undergraduate student, I’m trying to tie up my loose ends. And though the reality of the situation hasn’t even really sunk in for me yet, I will be leaving Indiana for a bigger metropolis, New York City, come June. I have been dreaming of heading to this city since I first walked into Purdue freshman year, but I never really thought I’d be making this dream a reality. I accepted an internship at an advertising company and hope that this will help with my acclimation to this new city (where I’ve never been before!).

During one of my interviews for this internship position, I spoke extensively with one of the Creative Directors. She made it a point to spend a significant amount of time talking about the companies her business markets for. She was very adamant in making sure that I understood what I was signing on to do and what writing style was expected of me. I respected her immensely for this because she was making sure that I was interested in the field and not just the position. She explained to me how important it was to love what you do and that she would never want me to work in a place that I wouldn’t thrive in.

Taking the knowledge that I learned from that conversation, I want to pass on a bit of last minute advice for all the internship and job seekers. There’s that age-old saying, “Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Don’t discredit this. Remember to always set your standards high because you never want to end up in a position that you hate. This means that your productivity and efficiency will be low, which is not only detrimental to you, but also to the company you work for. Life is too short to waste any time doing things that don’t interest you.

There is nothing wrong with knowing what you want, and certainly, nothing wrong with not settling for less. Now, as a graduating senior, I wanted a full-time position. Yet, this Creative Director’s words echoed with me and I accepted this internship position on the basis that because I have never before written for the pharmaceutical industry, I want to test the waters before I commit to a position I am locked into for a couple of years. This decision has been the best one for me, but may not be for you. Just keep in mind that internships are great not only for experience, but also to help show you what you are interested in. I have done many internships that have showed me my affinity for certain aspects of professional writing and design. You learn as you go, and sometimes that’s the most rewarding part.

As I look toward my future, I am excited (and a little bit nervous), but I know that if I keep an open mind and a strong work ethic I will be able to find my niche in no time and begin making a contribution greater than just class assignments and projects. I am ready to get my feet wet in this new industry and city and hope that when looking for internships and jobs upon graduation, you, too, can be confident in what you want to pursue and keep your standards high.