I Landed a Job!

Hi, my name is Melanie Rainone, and I'm a senior from Cranston, Rhode Island double majoring in journalism and english with a concentration in creative writing. When I was visiting colleges, there was a word that was thrown around a lot: internships. I'm not entirely sure I really knew what they were, or what they entailed, but I knew they were important and that my college had to have them. That was a huge reason I ended up here at Hofstra. I knew I needed an internship, and I knew that there would be no better place to have one than New York City. Since being here, though, I've really come to understand what all of the fuss was about and why it's one of the most important pieces of the college search.

I've had quite a few internships during my time here at Hofstra, all of them at small companies where I was able to do a lot and make a big impression. Most recently I interned at Adventure Publishing, a company that produces toy magazines. As a journalism and English major who also happens to be a huge kid, writing, editing, and playing with toys was ideal. I was able to get hands-on experience in my field, but I was also able to get close to everyone in the office and offer my help wherever it was needed.

After finishing my internship, I continued to freelance for them and help out at bigger scale events. It paid off recently when, one morning, I got the call that Adventure Publishing is keeping me on full-time after graduation! When I was a kid, I always said I wanted to be a writer in New York City, and my internship was able to make that dream my reality. 

Internships are important because even if you don't end up working at that particular company, it opens so many job search doors. Maybe one of your supervisors will end up at another company, making it so you have an in there, as well. Maybe your boss' cousin's wife does the hiring at another company and your boss will put in a good word. Internships are a way to establish yourself as a reliable hardworker who is worth hiring. For me, I was able to leave a mark at a company that I could really see myself working at, and now I'll have the opportunity to do so!