6 Things I Learned During My First Gig in the Entertainment Industry

You'll get to do a lot of cool stuff, but don't you dare lose your cool over seeing a celebrity in your office

By Elizabeth Freda Sep 30, 2014 2:00 PMTags
Hollywood SignStuart Westmorland/Getty Images

In-tern: / noun / a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, at a trade or occupation in order to gain work experience.

When we think intern, our minds usually jump to "coffee bitch" or someone who does the work that no one else in the office feels like doing, like stacking boxes or mindlessly entering data. An internship at E! Online, however, turned out to be quite the opposite. Here are a few things I quickly learned…

1. Act cool, dude

Oh, great, you saw Paris Hilton leaving the office. That absolutely does not mean you should Snapchat her and her little dog to all of your friends, especially because she will turn around right at that instant and give you a dirty look. Working in the industry, you learn immediately that "acting cool" simply means representing yourself and your company in the most positive way possible.

2. You'll get to do a lot of really cool s--t

You'll get opportunities you never thought were possible and even the smallest of tasks can turn into an incredible experience. When you're sitting at your desk on the first day of work and someone says, "Hey, I have this WineRack, who wants it?" Take that WineRack and be able to drink wine out of your boobs the rest of your life. When your boss says, "Want to stay late and cover the Emmys with us?" Say yes because you'll get lots of free food and bond with your hysterical coworkers. It'll turn out to be one of the best nights you've ever had.

3. Just say yes

It doesn't matter how intimidated you are, when a superior presents you with an opportunity to do a little something extra, do it. You never know whom you'll meet or what crazy, unexpected thing may occur. LIKE A WINERACK.

4. Feel free to humble brag

Allow yourself to be proud of your accomplishments. People may hate on your Instagram page, but you deserve to share what's going on in your life. If you love what you do and want to put it out there, the right people will be there to support you. Maybe just limit your social media frenzy to one outlet, however. People may not appreciate your 17-a-day Snapchat My Stories as much as you think they do.

5. Being an intern doesn't mean coffee trips and bitch work

Even if you found your internship on Twitter (we're not going to name any names), it could turn out to be the most meaningful job you've ever had. Plus, if you do your job well enough, your internship could turn into something a lot more i.e. lifelong friends and a job offer.

6. The real world can indeed be just as much fun as college

Just because your parents told you "college is the best four years of your life" does not mean your next best years can't be right outside of graduation. No matter how much you're dreading the real world, working in the entertainment industry is like a ~cool and glamorous~ version of the working world. You still have to work your ass off, but you'll get to do some of the more fun things in life.