With the temperature climbing higher and the days getting longer, it's clear summer has finally arrived! Summer is the perfect opportunity to pursue interests and endeavors that us students might not have time for during the semester, and many Arts students use the time off to secure an internship.
Pursuing a degree in Arts can mean so many things – from pursuing a career in politics, to creating sustainable city infrastructure, to performing center stage in one of our beloved Montreal theatre halls, there is truly no clear-cut path to follow in the Arts. With a faculty as broad as ours, the career opportunities are limitless. That’s why having support systems and resources like the Arts Internship Office are crucial in our journeys as Arts students in finding the perfect summer internship. I spoke to a few Arts students interning through the AIO this summer about their exciting next few months.
Charlotte Pink, U2 Urban Studies and History, recently received an Arts Research Internship Award (ARIA) through the Arts Internship Office and will be delving more into the relationships between Canadian communities and the cities they reside in.
What does your research project involve?
My internship explores two historical freeway projects, Ville-Marie Blvd in Montreal and the Georgia Viaduct in Vancouver. Through spatial analysis and archival research, it explores what conditions produced these projects and how the communities they were driven through were affected. With this internship, I am most excited to deepen my knowledge of the social and spatial implications of freeway projects and expand my abilities in both archival and GIS work!
How does it relate to your degree in Arts?
As a double major in Urban Studies in History, this project relates to my BA as it approaches a topic that requires both spatial and historical analysis. It looks at a historical process using both ArcGIS and archival materials. I am very grateful to be able to conduct a project that is so multidisciplinary through this internship!
Alice Wu, U3 English Literature, just finished her last semester at McGill (congrats, Alice!), and has previously completed two internships with the Arts Internship Office. She offered insight on how certain internships will often act as foundational steppingstones for future career pursuits.
Where have you interned in the past?
During my second year at McGill, I applied for AIO funding so I could take on a communications internship at KlezKanada, a Montreal-based Yiddish cultural organization. That funding made all the difference in my career trajectory. It allowed me to gain valuable work experience that was related to my major, and that set me apart every time I applied for positions in the future.
The next summer, I got two internships: one at Vehicule Press, which I learned about from an AIO posting, and one at CKUT, for which I got AIO funding for the second time.
How did your internships relate to your area of study?
I studied (past tense feels weird!) English literature at McGill. As such, writing has become my bread and butter. And through my internship experiences, I’ve been able to apply lessons I learned in class about diction and syntax to a wider range of texts, from social media posts to poetry manuscripts to radio news scripts. I not only developed a diverse skill set as a writer, but also greater confidence in my abilities.
What was your most valuable experience?
I’m not sure I had a singular most valuable experience. In fact, I think the aggregate of all my experiences is what I value most. It taught me about the kinds of work I enjoy most and how to pace myself when I’m working 9 to 5, day in, day out. That requires a different kind of energy from sprinting to the finish line when you have a term paper due at midnight.
Juliet Morrison, U2 Honours Political Science, procured a prestigious internship with the Canadian Delegation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria.
What does your internship involve?
Most of my work revolves around assisting the team on the Forum of Security Co-operation, the OSCE decision-making body for politico-military security. I attend weekly FSC meetings and draft a report that gets sent back to Ottawa and select embassies worldwide. Although they can be long, the meetings are fascinating because there is always a strong focus on current affairs, like the Russo-Ukrainian war. As the OSCE is the only international body where Russia, Ukraine and the US meet each week at the same table, it is interesting to see how the meeting unfolds in response to frontline developments.
The internship has been very exciting so far. The work is cool, and Vienna is a gorgeous city to spend the summer. With all the international organizations here, there are also lot of interns running around, so it has been a highlight to meet some of them and learn about their experiences.
How does your internship relate to your areas of study at McGill?
I got really lucky with my internship because it is closely tied to my two programs: Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, Feminism, and Social Justice. A lot of the topics discussed at the OSCE are subjects that I have studied in my political science courses. Seeing states navigate these issues in real time illuminates the strengths (as well as the shortcomings) of multilateral diplomacy more concretely. All in all, it has been very cool to witness “diplomacy in action” at such a pivotal time in global politics.
The OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security also aligns with principles taught in my GSFS courses. I have been fortunate to attend many events on the women, peace, and security and agenda, and have found that OSCE discussions will often explore conflict through various perspectives to capture how it affects different groups in different ways.
Do you have any advice for other Arts students looking for internships through the AIO?
The AIO was very helpful in facilitating the internship and answering my questions about the application process. They connected me with previous OSCE interns who kindly gave me insight into the work of the mission and how to get set up in Vienna. When looking for internships, have a good understanding of what you want from a position and what you bring to the table. Communicating your strengths well makes for a more competitive application overall. Also, apply to positions even if you feel underqualified! Every organization is looking for something slightly different so let them decide whether you are the right fit or not because you never know.
Clearly, Arts internships can take a variety of forms, and getting real-world experience in a field you’ve studied for months, if not years, is always eye-opening. As someone who has personally taken on a few different roles and responsibilities throughout my life, I’ve come to realize that every internship has its strengths. Even if you take an internship and it turns out to not be your life’s passion, it happens! Taking risks is how we find out what interests us and what doesn’t, and the Arts Internship Office is the perfect place to start. If you want to learn more about applying to an internship through the AIO or are interested in pursuing a research project with a professor and applying for an ARIA, visit the Arts Internship Office website for more info.