By Aika Ishimori, ’20
When I started school at the College of Charleston, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do. I’ve always had a passion for different types of subjects. I knew I enjoyed exercising my creativity through writing, researching, visual arts, and music. With my many interests, I wasn’t sure what path I should take. I never really had a dream job. I explored several different majors, including Religious Studies and Geology, and finally settled into Arts Management with a concentration in Music Industry.
Like many incoming freshmen, I felt like I never had a clear goal in mind, so I took every opportunity that I could during my college experience. I figured that if I worked hard, took every opportunity that I could, and established good relationships with professors, something good would come out of it. Internships are a fantastic way to get some of that experience under your belt.
I have completed two internships during my college career, which have helped me establish connections in my career field, gave me concrete experience and new skills, helped me learn about my strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and was obviously great for my resume. I discovered both of my internships through CofC’s Arts Management page, where they post internship opportunities for students.
Unfortunately, many internships are unpaid, and I have found that there are some people who forget how being a college student can be a huge financial strain. I would like to clearly acknowledge and emphasize that I realize this is extremely difficult for some students. It is definitely a privilege to be financially able to work an unpaid internship.
CofC alumna Aika Ishimori, ’20 on air at OHM Radio in Charleston, SC
Still, I want to assure you that there are paid positions available, and even if you only find unpaid positions, it is possible to work part-time. In the Fall of 2019, I completed my internship at Charleston Jazz as a production intern as a full-time student while working part-time at the college bookstore. More recently, I worked at Ohm Radio as a studio assistant intern while working as a teacher’s assistant for introductory geology courses. I also was awarded a stipend from the Arts Management department, which was financial help for me. Definitely lookout for those.
My most recent internship at Ohm Radio was a fantastic experience. I was able to produce and host my very own radio show which I dedicated to introducing listeners to a variety of different genres and introducing guest musicians to the Charleston area. I interviewed guests, learned how to mike instruments, run the soundboard, edit audio footage, navigate and program new music and shows into the station’s software, and work on my public speaking skills (which was terrifying at first!). It was such an exciting experience which I’d never even dreamt of doing.
In the music industry, including recording studios, labels, venues, and musicians, I would say that there isn’t much diversity. The industry, like many other fields, must expand to include more minorities, people of color, and women. Leadership from diverse groups of people is necessary to advance the fields, promote inclusion, and to get more people involved. I am glad that through my internships, I had the opportunity to gain more leadership skills that have equipped me to become a strong minority leader in my field.
Photo Courtesy of Aiki Ishimori: Inside shot of Ohm Radio Station
Although I benefitted from these experiences, my advice for incoming freshmen would be to focus on your studies, mental health, and overall stability before jumping into several projects at once. It is important to do good work that you can be proud of and push yourself so that you have a bright future, but you don’t want to feel burnt-out and unstable early on in your college career. As an 18-year-old straight out of high school, I was bombarded with information about graduate school and full-time careers. Don’t push yourself past your limit.
That being said, please take every opportunity that you’re able to handle. It can be stressful, but it is worth it in the end. Not only do the internship experiences help you in future endeavors, but the experience itself is intrinsically valuable; it can be exciting, fun, and intellectually stimulating.