This is a series dedicated to highlighting the insights our students gained during their internships.
Name: Cindy Chen, School of Music
Internship:
ArtsForce Emerging Leaders Intern - 2013-2014
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) - 2014
Utah Cultural Alliance - 2015-2016
What responsibilities did you have as an intern?
Event organization and implementation, cultural policy research, newsletter management, website management, event management, legislative and arts advocacy, membership tracking
What new skills/knowledge did you gain from your internship?
Public speaking, networking, professionalism, team work, accountability, legislative processes, budgeting, self-confidence, working in an international environment, and goal setting
What connections did you make and how do you think those connections may help you in your career?
Through my internships, I made connections with my supervisors and my co-interns. These relationships are some of the most valuable because they are the ones who you will continue to reach out to after your experience is done. Not all of these relationships are as strong as others, but it is important to maintain them over the years. These relationships definitely helped me. They are the people who vouched for me when I applied for jobs and the people who keep me "in the know" about industry trends and news.
What advice would you give other students who are interested in a similar internship?
If you are interested in the areas of cultural policy, arts advocacy or arts administration, my biggest advice is to learn how to write well and read budgets. It is important to be able to present your ideas concisely. Develop creative, quantitative, and qualitative ways of thinking.
How did your internship compliment your arts education?
Throughout my university experience, I was always interested in "larger" issues that were going on in the sector (i.e. funding, policy, and management questions). At the time, I didn't know where to go to take classes in cultural policy or arts administration, so I ended up creating my own pathway by continuing my arts education, adding a political science minor, and finding internships that gave me opportunities to put my interests in action.
Are there other things you would like to tell us?
Internships are extremely valuable, but they are not the only way to develop professional skills. I learned lots of the skills I needed in my professional life through student leadership on campus, through part-time jobs I had off-campus, and volunteering. Keep finding ways to develop yourself and your network.