Firebook_Jose-Benitez_Internship_Presentation

After about 5 weeks into the semester I had finally started my internship. I was extremely nervous and kept thinking about how my first day would be like on my long ride on the LIRR. I was anxiously awaiting my stop because I just wanted to get started. It would be my first time actually doing design work out in the field.

My supervisor, Mr. Miller welcomed me with open hands and showed me around his other business location. He had apologized for not having a location up and running for Firebooks, but assured me that it was in the process of opening shop in Brooklyn or Queens. He is a busy man and I understand he can’t do it all at once so I was cool with it. He gave me a desk that had everything I need to start off with. On the desk there was a wonderful iMac, bunch of post-its, notepads, writing utensils, external HD, and much more.

He then led me to the conference room they had with a long round table and comfortable seating. He began discussing with me the full specs of the new company he wanted to create. I began to jot down all the important things he had said. Then he handed me first task, which was to create a logo for Firebooks. I was given a two week deadline because things still needed to be established on his part. I asked a couple of questions that would give me a certain direction of what the logo should be like and from there I went to my desk to begin my research. I made a mind map out of some of the research I have done, but it didn’t stop there. I took some key items and wrote it on post-its and laid them out on my desk. Even little sketches have gone on post-it, but some I didn’t like so I crumbled them up to throw them out. Mr. Miller then stopped me and told me to not throw those out because even though they may seem silly that can always spark out a new idea with the others ideas I come up with.  Then without realizing time was already done and they day was over. Time really flies when you get into something you really enjoy doing.

Continuing from where I left off in my other entry about anxiously waiting for more details on the internship opportunity. I have come to find out good news. The company Firebooks is looking for an intern and there’s no pay. At this point I’m not upset because I can really use it. They are a startup social media company that is basically the Facebook for firefighters. Firebooks will need the whole brand identity, which is perfect because it’s something I love to do.

My friend has given me the email of one of the two owners of the company to contact him to send my portfolio and resume. Good thing that I took portfolio class last semester so I had that already done. I made sure to get home early that day and write up that email or someone else might snag up the opportunity. I was nervous to actually send out the email because I wasn’t sure what to write and when I did I thought it wasn’t good, so did a lot of research in what to write in the email. I felt better of myself after that. Now I just hoped my work was good enough for them to take me on board and be part of the team.

I waited a couple of days for a reply back and sure enough I got one. I was nervous to click open the email so I prepared myself for the worse. Luckily enough it was nothing, but good news. Mr. Rocco Miller wanted to interview for the position. We set a day for the interview. The day finally comes where I meet my supervisor in person. The interview goes well and tells me a little more in depth of who they are and what they’d like to accomplish. The only downfall was that they have yet to establish an office space so we would meet in Long Island, which one of his other businesses is located.

It’s still weird to me that we meet every two weeks, but that’s great for me because I get more time to look for an internship and get more work done.

Week two of internship. I have yet to land an interview for interning somewhere. As days go by I get more and more nervous. I would hate to be left behind on an important class. It only makes things harder when I have to work full-time on top of senior project, which is already a handful and trying to find time to search for an internship. I’m an Easy Tech Supervisor for Staples so there was a lot of time invested in keeping my team on track and being on top of sales, budget and customer satisfaction with our work.

It seems a bit more promising at this point. One of my friends has informed me of an opportunity of an internship with a startup company. He couldn’t really tell me much, for he did not know the full details. He has told me to give him a day or two to find out a bit more. Now I play the waiting game.

It was finally the beginning of the semester, which I was excited about and at the same time I was nervous. Excited because I knew I was at the end to finally say I got my bachelor’s degree. Nervous because I’m taking two big major classes, internship and senior project.

I was worried on the first day of class because I still haven’t acquired an internship and just kept thinking to myself that more than half the class would have one while I don’t. Then I come to find out that I wasn’t alone in that boat, people were still looking for one still. I kept looking for paid internships, which is my mistake because I limited myself. I then opened my search and didn’t mind taking something that didn’t pay. I even asked my friends to ask around to help me out. The week had gone by so quick that it was already Sunday. I had no luck week one fearing I would go to another internship class without one.