Graphic Design Intern Program

Learn about internships for graphic designers in this insightful interview. Learn why it’s good to have internships during your college years and what the experience might be like.

What initially made you interested in an internship?

At my college, we actually need an internship to graduate. So I didn’t have a choice, I just had a choice of companies where I could apply.

Why did you choose the company you did?

They chose me, really. There are tons of people applying to each internship, and you need one to graduate, so most people accept any offer they get. I know some people who didn’t get in anywhere and they had to do a summer internship. That’s not to say that I didn’t like working for my company. They’re a lot of fun.

What were some of your duties at your internship?

At first, I wasn’t given much responsibility. Mainly, I ran errands, answered the phone, took orders, did filing, and so forth. My internship was 12 weeks long, and at the end, I was given a client’s project to do, so I actually got some graphic design experience. They ended up really liking my project, and now I have a great piece for my portfolio.

Did you consider working there after your internship?

I liked it, but they didn’t really need another graphic designer, and I wasn’t interested in a secretary position. They gave me good recommendations, though.

What were some of your best experiences?

Doing the design project at the end was definitely the best part. I also really liked the people I worked with. They were just a lot of fun, and everyone was friends, so we hung out outside of work sometimes too.

What were some of your worst experiences?

I didn’t like answering the phone, because sometimes I had to deal with unhappy clients, and since I was just an intern I usually didn’t really know what was going on. I wish they would have trusted me to work on design projects from the start, but then again, you have to start somewhere, so even the “bad” parts of my internship weren’t that bad.