Internship Application Season
Alexandra Godfrey
Hello readers! For our second issue of PRISMA I’d like to give you all a look into PRISMA opportunities and offer some on-campus opportunities for portfolio season.
First, I’d like to introduce myself. I am a second year student studying a joint degree of Sustainable Development & International Relations. Originally from Massachusetts, US, I’ve found myself scattered across various courses and extracurriculars relating to photography, design, art, etcetera back home and here, at university. I figure writing a bit about myself may help you, the readers, gain insight on my background experience in photography, so you can then decide for yourselves the level of credibility in my writing. I’ve done photography for The Saint, publicity for HMS Pinafore and Women for Women on-campus, while holding positions in Social Media, Marketing, and Event Photography for L’Oreal through On-Campus Promotions and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In high school I explored various creative art subjects, whether that be in creative writing (and reporting), graphics, 2D, CAD, and drawing.
Louise Anderbjork, our founder, created this magazine in hopes of offering the student body a chance to explore their creativity in a published format, supporting photographers at all levels. The PRISMA team offers photo contest entries to non-committee members and the opportunity to submit a photo story. If you are trying to enhance your LinkedIn or gain photography experience, I highly recommend checking out the link in our social media bios for more information! My main role as editorial editor is to increase awareness of photography related opportunities on and off campus. In this section you will often find opportunities and tips for anyone interested in photography!
In this editorial, I will be focusing on photography relating to students and how you can expand your photography-related skills and training to prepare for the upcoming internship season. As we all know, internship deadlines are fast approaching. The summer months will be here before we know it and anyone looking for a summer position can most definitely be found stressfully cranking out applications on their university accommodation floor, especially if their application includes a portfolio. Hopefully I can shed some light on local photography opportunities to quickly bolster and organize your application before those deadlines have passed.
*I would like to clarify that these recommendations are opinion-based. These suggestions are general guidance from previous interviewers’ and employers’ and from viewing others' portfolios and resumes. Applications are specific to an employer.*
As internship application season progresses, something to focus on, especially in more creative sectors, is your portfolio. Do you feel like you may be missing out in certain photography sectors? Offer to do publicity for an upcoming show this semester, there are some great ones in the running, or sign up to publish something on PRISMA. St Andrews is easily one of the more aesthetically pleasing towns in Scotland and landscape photography sessions are not hard to do when you have a couple hours free in the afternoon. I would personally highly recommend heading down to Castle Sands at sunset for this. Much similar to a cover letter, a portfolio offers an expanded version of your experiences with specifics and explanations, so take time to think up a brief analysis of your photo prior to an interview to keep conversation flowing. St Andrews offers events through the Careers Centre’s which can not just help with basic resume building, but also portfolio growth and employer advice. The university page largely suggests gaining publication status on-campus, like by submitting to an issue for PRISMA. Broadening your portfolio’s reach through offering to photograph sports games, event nights, or shows show diversity in your photography and creativity. I would recommend keeping watch for upcoming balls or other events as they may look for publicity skills or photographers for their social media as their advertising continues. Careers Connect often has various opportunities being posted for students to look into and can be beneficial in staying up to date on internship deadlines.
The photos I’ve included are from in and around St Andrews; don’t underestimate how lovely the town looks in nice lighting!
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 2.