In our previous Current Issues in Digital Media and Game Design class, eight students gave presentations on their summer internships. The presentations were focused on what they learned during this period and how the internships were important for them and their careers. The students interned at big name companies such as NCSoft, Bioware, and Activision which was personally very impressive.

Almost all the presentations were focused on what they learnt from their internship experience. Some of them got inspired by different career paths and some of them were more focused on achieving what they had already set out to do. Internships are about personal growth and understanding yourself more than anything else. It was very inspiring for me, and gets me motivated to get that crucial industry experience as that is what sets the tone for your career.

Almost all agreed that getting an Internship in a specific company takes a lot of research about that company and not just your skills in your domain. A company while recruiting will not only look at a candidate’s skill set but also if he/she is a fit in the company’s culture. This was something I hadn’t thought of before and gave me a whole new perspective on how to tackle those nervous interviews. Some of the students had the opinion that making connections in the industry and being yourself holds the success in getting yourself a good kick start in the industry. This also holds true in many cases which gets me to the conclusion that it’s all about the balance. It is all about the balance of how you present yourself depending on recruiter/company you are dealing with.

The presentations were really helpful for students like me who are looking for their first break in the industry. I got a lot of information about companies, cultures and companies in other countries like Japan and Korea. I would like to thank my fellow peers for sharing their knowledge which will surely be helpful for others in the future.