Experience Necessary: Design School Internships
Author: BeginCollegeNowDesign students often get to have very hands-on, fun and interesting experiences in design school. According to the College Majors Handbook, 2nd ed. (c. 2004), about half of visual arts majors "annually engage in work-related training." Most design students seek out and participate in internships prior to graduation.
For example, interior design and fashion majors usually have the opportunity to participate in co-op (placement) programs that allow them to work with independent design firms, doing everything from administrative, organizational tasks to actually offering input and assistance on design projects.
Since there are many independent graphic design firms, as well as individual companies looking for designers to aid in their creation of promotional and website material, there is heavy competition for graphic design internships. Some businesses will pay interns, while others will hire them and offer college credit only, giving them a position that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. Many interns later receive permanent positions with the companies where they spend their internship.
Students involved in construction, construction technology and architectural study programs can also intern with private companies, observing and sometimes participating in hands-on building and design activities. Business-oriented design curriculums are rare, but those that do exist offer internships, with television networks,and major fashion lines and retailers. With good writing skills, a design student can gain internship work with a magazine or newspaper.
Finding internships is a combination of creativity, presentation skills and networking. It begins with an application that usually includes a cover letter and providing samples of work. A transcript that confirms good grades or a certain yearly standing may also be required. Schools often have career placement programs to assist students, as well. There are also organizations that students can join (for example, the American Society of Interior Designers, or ASID) to develop connections and network for work experience opportunities.
Be it graphic, fashion, interior, architectural, industrial or otherwise, there are plenty of opportunities for students to flex their creative muscle and participate in hands on internship opportunities before graduation. Such internships allow students to participate in creative projects, offering input and following through to well-designed finished products. And, the experience gained will serve them well in their professional lives after graduation.
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