Journalism Major at University of Texas – Class or 2020
How would you rate your overall experience this semester?
10/10!
What was something you didn’t expect to learn and did?
I didn’t expect to learn how to communicate with clients. It is arguably one of the most important things for a business. One client will lead to 10s more, so it is important to know how to make them feel special and always say yes to their requests. I was impressed with how many extra steps Jenny took to make the whole experience better for them. Everything was hands-on. She would explain a concept and let me experiment with it. I felt like I had an actual purpose in this business and my work was making an impact.
Would you recommend this internship to future students?
YES YES YES!
What part did of the internship did you enjoy the most?
I honestly enjoyed being in Jenny’s presence and watching her do her thing. Even though I learned a lot from her tasks, I learned the most from watching her run her business, hearing her talk on the phone, and interact with clients, venues and other photographers. She handled every problem with grace and took charge like a boss lady.
Do you feel the experience you gained will be beneficial to your future career goals? Anything, in particular, stand out?
The material I learned didn’t just stay in that office. I was able to take it with me and apply it in every aspect of my life. With my own photography, she has helped me shape it into a professional business. I now know how to really work with my clients, manage my expenses and create clean workflows. I take the professionalism I learned and applied it to various jobs and school life.
Were you comfortable working in the home office setting? I felt very comfortable in the home office. Probably safer than a real office. At first, I was taken aback a little and questioned whether this was going to be a beneficial experience just due to the casualness of the office. Yet I was blown away and wished all of my internships were like this.
How was your experience assisting at weddings and shoots?
This was such a fun and unique experience. The best way to learn the tricks of the trade is to immerse yourself in it. I learned so much from Jenny just by watching her interact with the clients and move around the room. She did this exceptionally while pregnant too!! She’s the boss. Even during the stress of a big wedding, she was able to pull me along with her and tell me why she is doing something and the importance of what she is doing. I was able to assist in the creative direction and solve issues that arose.
Did you have fun?
I had so much fun! Jenny made the whole environment feel very safe and welcoming. We started off each day with coffee and tea and digressing the current topics in the news or pop culture. I learned not only about how small businesses run but I learned more about how the world ran as well. I felt like I could take what I learned in this small business training and apply it to a larger idea.