An Internship at Studio Center

My time at Studio Center, which lasted two and a half months to fulfill my 150 credit hours, was the best choice I could have made when choosing an internship. With the assistance of my two wonderful mentors, Haleigh and Rusty, I was able to be myself and create. I could be open with them and come to them whenever I needed assistance. Their guidance allowed me to succeed and even gain their respect and trust. I learned from almost every member and department while assigned to Studio Centers’ Social Media team. 

If I had to say one thing they could do to improve the experience for future interns, it would be to move the intern’s workspace closer to the assigned department. Initially, I was told to complete assignments and tasks upstairs away from Haleigh and Rusty, only gaining experience from doing things by myself. I asked them if I could stay in their office to learn firsthand, and they agreed, which was a reason I was able to gain the experience I did. Being able to brainstorm and ask questions face-to-face was great for me.

Some career paths or roles I discovered through my internship experience was the importance of social media managers and creators. Both of these interested me before I began my internship at Studio Center. Still, during my time there, I saw firsthand how much fun creating content for someone’s business or organization is.

Some new knowledge I gained from my experience at Studio Center was that, sometimes, it is better and easier to create graphics or videos with a simplistic mindset for specific projects. Going over the top at times can make your creations more clunky and fill up the screen too much. While some skills I obtained over the 3 months I was there were the use and navigation of Canva, creating graphics for Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, learning how to take the best possible pictures for said graphics, whether lighting, action shot photos, and more. Also, I realized how vital research is when obtaining a new client. When landing a new business, looking into the competition and seeing what the company is doing on its social media platforms is essential. 

Here are some examples of graphics I did at Studio Cetner over time!

My next steps for my profession are to reach out to multiple companies that need a hardworking, team-oriented individual who will pour everything into their work to impress and gain the respect of my peers and the business I am creating content for. I will be actively on LinkedIn and Handshake to connect with these companies and meet with ODU’s career development services to use these resources to my advantage. 

Some advice I would offer future interns working at Studio Center is to make sure you come in prepared and ready to work, use this opportunity to your advantage, be open, be yourself, and always ask questions, even if they may seem dumb. Studio Center is an excellent place to learn, create, and observe from outstanding individuals who are open to spreading their knowledge. The best decision I have ever made!

Some BTS shots from restaurants like Saltine, Varia, and Couture Med Spa!