Questions about landing internships

[Shaolin7]

I'm following the lead taken by Dished, asking about internships and what to expect. I would have posted in the other thread but I didn't want to hijack hers! Anyways, here goes:

1) Are the internships usually reserved for fresh grads, or do companies consider all applicants for a role?

2) Do applicants go through the same sort of rigourous interview process for internships, as full time positions, or are they slightly less formal (i.e. are there art tests that must be completed as well, for positions like these)?

3) Are there established procedures or protocol for applying to these internships, or is it mostly referrals that land an interview? And if you don't really have those sorts of industry connections, how would you go about inquiring into internships without being perceived as a nuisance, or having your inquiry sent straight to the delete folder?

I have rarely, if ever, seen advertised spots for interns, and they seem even more difficult to land than regular salaried jobs. There's so much competition for a handful of proper concepting spots; I had thought it would be more beneficial for someone like me to make a slower transition through an internship role, where you're afforded the time to learn as you earn the commensurate experience. Yet even those positions seem next to impossible to get! Anyways, if some of you could kindly shed some light I'd greatly appreciate it. I know Seedling has a great thread going, and I've read through it many a time but thought I'd follow up a bit more. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond.

[tatiana]

The internship that I had at an animation studio, and the internships that are offered through the toy company that I work for currently - are for students only, not recent grads or non-students. I'm sure there could be some exceptions, though.

Generally internships are only for students because the internship is also considered a class at the school, follows the semester or quarter or summer session, and because school credit is gained for their particular degree. The studio I interned at had a relationship with the school that I was going to - and I knew some people that worked there so I had their support and interest as well; the company that I work at currently has a relationship with FIT and SCAD through their internship programs (my Art Director is an alumni from SCAD). I believe that in some instances there are also tax write-offs for the company (I'm not sure how that works, but that's what I've heard). The internship requires the students to submit reports to their class instructor and this allows the teacher to moniter the student/intern to make sure that the student is gaining value during the internship; and that the company is a good partnership for the school for future consideration.

If an internship that is offered isn't for students or isn't partnered with a school, you have little guarantee that you will be gaining useful experience for your career or have opportunities to work with a mentor in your field of interest...and don't forget, it's not what's considered a "living wage". Internships are frequently offered with rather low pay. And in some cases, no pay at all.

However, if you're not a student and you're interested in an internship, contact the company that you would like to have an internship with and see what requirements they have. Check the company website - sometimes they have that info posted. It also doesn't hurt to ask so call their HR department or send an email...and it definitely shows that you'd like to work for the company in the future.

[Dished]

Hey man,

You wouldnt have trashed it at all,actually if you want I can post your post and tatiana's reply on that thread so that it's all in one thread,so that whoever looks for this stuff in the future wouldnt have to check out multiply threads.

[Shaolin7]

Tatiana, thank you so much for that information. It's rather disappointing to hear that the spots are reserved for students, but it makes sense I suppose. That experience, the knowledge gained from working with and learning from those industry vets is paramount in my mind, so pay would not be that much of a concern.

I guess I'll go ahead and e-mail companies and see what sort of response I get. Quite often, there are website disclaimers asking people to not send out general inquiries to the contact addresses provided so that's why I've been reticent about doing so. Thanks very much, again Tatiana!

Dished, sure... if you don't mind I would be happy to have this thread consolidated with yours. Thank you too!

[tatiana]

I'll repost my info in the other thread.... :)

[Seedling]

Internships aren’t necessarily just for students. At our company, the majority of our interns have been college graduates who were looking for a way into the games industry.

As for interviews, the interview process gets more vigorous as the importance of the position increases. Internships are at the bottom of the totem pole, so the interview process is going to be about as mild as possible. (I had only a phone interview for my internship, for instance.)

How a company finds its interns will vary widely. Internships can be very formalized, as when a company teams up with a school to offer an internship for credit; and internships can be flexible, sloppy, spur-of-the-moment positions that are not advertised (i.e. “we have an amazingly good college grad knocking on our door who doesn’t know the first thing about computers but who can draw up a storm. Let’s make an internship for him and see if he learns the computer stuff well.” Or, “crud, we need another artist now, but we don’t have the budget for a full-time employee. Do we know any recent graduates who might make good interns?”)