So You Want to Intern at

Helpful tips from a current intern to the future intern.

When I first applied to ONTRAPORT, I did it on a whim without fully realizing what I was getting myself into. Luckily, it ended up being a great work experience and I got to meet some really cool people, but I do wish I had known a few things before I got started!

First, why choose ONTRAPORT?

Never mind the beautiful campus, or the fact that they're one of Outside Online's Best Places to Work. Apply to ONTRAPORT because of the people! I don't think you'll find a friendlier company culture anywhere. They also take really good care of their interns, and a bunch of them actually end up getting hired.

Flexible Work Hours

You get to make your own schedule, and they are very accomodating.

Daily Catered Meals

ONTRAPORT serves free breakfast, lunch and snack every day! Need I say more?

School Credit

It's unpaid...but they'll give you credit! And you also get valuable work experience.

FRIENDS!

Don't be shy! Get to know your co-workers, and you might get an invite to their occasional fancy picnics!

Sweet deal, right? But now we need to know more about you!

What kind of internship are you looking for?

Design Internship

The design intern works within a small team of 2-3 designers and helps to create ads, banners, slide decks, blog graphics, email headers, etc., for the Marketing Department. While there is an educational curriculum in place, you can expect to be doing some real time work as well.

To qualify for this position...

1. You are a Graphic Design major.
If not, any relatable design field is fine as long as you have a good eye for layouts and color.

2. Your best friends are Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
You know these bad boys intimately. InDesign is a plus.

3. You're detail oriented, but also efficient.
Knowing how to balance the two is key to being able to keep up with the work load.

LEFT: Example of what type of content you might be creating.

If you said yes to all three, then go ahead and apply!

But don't be fooled by the seemingly easy application. After you fill out the general online form, you will receive an email about sending a cover letter and resume right afterwards so have those ready.

1. General online application

2. Email cover letter and resume

3. Phone interview with HR (just relax and be honest!)

4. Skype interview with design team

And now you wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

And then you see an email from ONTRAPORT...

CONGRATULATIONS!

You're an official ONTRAPORT Design Intern, and now the real work is just about to begin! Here are a few tips for making the most out of the next ten weeks.

WEAR

DO: Business casual. Heavy on the casual.
DON'T: Homeless chic. Don't be that person.

TRANSPORT

DO: Drive. ONTRAPORT is on a hill, and the closest bus stop is a 20 min walk.
DON'T: Bike. Unless you have the quad muscles of a horse.

BRING

DO: Earphones. This is a Spotify-friendly work place.
DON'T: Laptop. ONTRAPORT provides a computer for you.

Making Your Schedule

• You get to make your own hours!
• The minimum requirement is 12-15 hours a week.
• That said, the max is 30 hours.
• The more hours you put in, the more you get out of it. I put in 25 hours a week, and I got to know everyone way better than I would have had I only put in the minimum. You also get to do more interesting work!

The Intern Project

• This is a personal project you take on during the last 5 weeks.
• You could make an infographic, a social media campaign, anything you want!
• At the end of the internship, all of the interns will present their projects so be ready to talk about the inspiration, process, and the final product.

*For example, "So You Want to Intern at ONTRAPORT" is what I chose to do as my project.

One last thing...

Relax, have fun!