Looking for more information on how internships can benefit your child, and how we help SCA students with internships?  Here’s an overview of why internships are important, and how the Internships Program through Industry Relations helps students!

WHAT’S AN INTERNSHIP?

Internships are positions at companies that are specifically designed for students.  They are not assistant or entry-level positions, but rather on-the-job training geared towards teaching students how the industry works and basic tasks that they can expect to be part of their job description upon graduation.  Many internships also assign long-term projects to their interns with a capstone presentation at the end, so they can practice their skills presenting in front of higher level staff.  

Some internship programs also include workshops and opportunities to connect with higher-ups at companies, as well as fun ways to network with other people at the organization — a few examples of things we’ve seen internship programs do with this respect are beach days, free lunches, and even group trips to Disneyland.

Internships last between 6 weeks-3 months, and coincide with semesters (fall, spring and summer).  Students typically work between 8-20 hours per week during the school year, and can work up to full-time over the summer.   Opportunities can be paid or unpaid for school credit; if unpaid, employers must comply with strict federal guidelines to ensure that students are receiving school credit compliant with USC for their work.

The goal of an internship is to not only teach students what they could expect if they worked for the company, but also to give interns an inside look at the industry that they’re working in while they still have the ability to tailor their studies towards their individual career goals.

BENEFITS OF INTERNING WHILE IN SCHOOL

The entertainment industry is a tough business to break into.  One of the most common ways that people just starting out can get their foot in the door at major companies is to take on an internship while in school.  Here’s just a few benefits of interning that we’ve noticed:

• On-the-job experience - companies like to hire employees who have experience; interning is a great way to develop experience to eventually work their way up the ranks in companies

• Increased professionalism - students learn early on what is appropriate protocol at work, so they can be better ready to take on an entry-level position upon graduation

• Better communication skills - by practicing written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills in a professional environment, students are better able to expect and anticipate how to communicate with entertainment professionals of all ranks

• Opportunity to try out industries and companies - internships typically last 6 weeks-3 months; this is a perfect opportunity for students to test drive industries and companies in roles within the company to see if they like or dislike the role before having to worry about taking on a full-time position for pay

• More information to work with - simply put, more information makes for a more personalized, beneficial learning experience; an internship can teach a student that they love a particular field in entertainment, and can further take classes to tailor their resume towards that field in the future, or conversely, they may find they don’t like a particular field and can gear their studies and experiences towards things they could see themselves more happily doing upon graduation

RECOMMENDED TIMELINE FOR STUDENTS BY CLASS YEAR

With each class year and semester, there are certain goalposts we recommend for students as they consider their career goals outside of school.  Below is an outline of what we recommend students do in each semester of school so that they are prepared for life beyond graduation in an entry-level position:

FRESHMAN: TRANSITION/EXPLORE 
FALL TERM 

• Get comfortable with college and living independently. 
• Attend special screenings, guest lectures, and Q&As on a variety of topics. 
• Take tours of the various studios around Los Angeles. 
• Get involved in SCA student groups http://cinema.usc.edu/studentgroups/index.cfm. 
• Attend at least one industry event this term. 
• Join the SCA Facebook and LinkedIn groups. 
• Get familiar with Student Production Office (SPO). 
• Navigate through the SCA Community website.
• Look at events and announcements often. 
• Read trade publications i.e., thewrap.com, variety.com, etc. 
• Crew on upper classmen and your classmate’s projects. 

SPRING TERM 

• Think about your career interests: what kind of job would you like to have? 
• Start exploring what those careers entail. 
• Visit the USC Career Services website at http://careers.usc.edu/. 
• Visit the SCA Job Board website at https://cinema.usc.edu/jobboard/. 
• Attend at least one industry event this term. Attend special screenings, guest lectures, and Q&As on a variety of topics. 
• Read trade publications i.e., thewrap.com, variety.com, etc. 
• Crew on upper classmen and your classmate’s projects. Note: Most freshmen do not intern during their first summer. 

SOPHOMORE: PLAN 
FALL TERM 

• Attend a Student Industry Career Group Meeting. 
• Attend a Resume Boot Camp session. 
• Attend at least three Industry Events 
• Focus your elective classes on aspects of the cinematic arts you find interesting or would like to learn more about. Familiarize yourself with the SCA Job Board and the Student Industry Relations Office. 
• Participate in internship and career fairs and career related events to explore your options and network with potential employers. 
• Crew on upperclassmen and your classmate’s projects. 
• Read trade publications i.e., thewrap.com, variety.com, hollywoodreporter.com etc. 
• Think about your career interests: what kind of job would you like to have? 

SPRING TERM 

• Develop your resume. 
• Create your elevator pitch. 
• Create a professional website for yourself. Include your resume and work samples. 
• Crew on upperclassmen and your classmate’s projects. 
• Have coffee with faculty members. 
• Conduct informational interviews with faculty and industry professionals. 
• Read trade publications i.e., thewrap.com, variety.com, etc. 
• Think about your career interests: what kind of job would you like to have? 
• Visit the USC Career Services website at http://careers.usc.edu/. 
• Visit the SCA Job Board website at https://cinema.usc.edu/jobboard/. 
• Apply for internship or summer employment related to your career goals. 
• Start applying in March and April for summer internships 

JUNIOR: BUILD 
FALL TERM 

• Attend at least three career related workshops.
• Research companies, careers, and possible internship sites. Create a prospect list. 
• Arrange informational interviews with faculty and Industry Professionals. 
• Network with faculty and classmates about internships. 
• Take advanced classes in your area of interest. 
• Continually update your resume to reflect your new experience. 
• Read trade publications and learn about possible careers i.e., thewrap.com, variety.com, etc. 
• Visit the Career Services website at http://careers.usc.edu/. 
• Visit the SCA Job Board website at https://cinema.usc.edu/jobboard/. 
• Work an internship. 

SPRING TERM

• Attend at least three career related workshops and events. Join the SCA Network Alumni Group 
• Continue to research companies, careers, and possible internship sites. Create a prospect list. 
• Arrange informational interviews with faculty and Industry Professionals. 
• Network with faculty and classmates about internships. Take advanced classes in your area of interest. 
• Continually update your resume to reflect your new experience. 
• Read trade publications and learn about possible careers i.e., thewrap.com, variety.com, etc. 
• Visit the Career Services website at http://careers.usc.edu/. 
• Visit the SCA Job Board website at https://cinema.usc.edu/jobboard/. 
• Develop a professional website for yourself with your resume and work samples. 
• Purchase your name as the URL, if available. 
• Apply for internships (early spring for summer internships). 

SENIOR: LAUNCH 
FALL TERM 

• Using your education, experience, and connections, it’s time to begin your job search: attend career related workshops: Job and Internship Search, Resume Writing, Successful Interviewing, and more. 
• Develop a list of companies that would be a good fit for you. 
• Visit the SCA Job Board to learn about new opportunities. 
• Meet with a SCA Student Industry Relations staff member to design a job search strategy. 
• Ask faculty and employers to be references for you. 
• Research companies/organizations and the career opportunities they offer. 
• Develop a self-marketing strategy. 
• Obtain an internship. 
• Hold informational interviews with industry professionals. Participate in career fairs and other related events to build your network of contacts in your field of interest. 
• Revise and update your resume and draft a cover letter. 
• Maintain contact with former internship supervisors and (if appropriate) let them know you will be graduating soon. 
• Develop a plan “B” to pay bills if you don’t find a plan “A” job. 

SPRING TERM 

• Your job search should become your number one priority this term. 
• Visit the SCA Job Board to learn about new opportunities. 
• Research other job search websites and network with alumni on LinkedIn.com and SCA Network. 
• Meet with a SCA Student Industry Relations staff member to review your job search strategy. 
• Revise/update your self-marketing strategy. 
• Ask faculty for job leads and references. 
• Research companies/organizations and the career opportunities they offer. 
• Obtain an internship. 
• Hold informational interviews with industry professionals. 
• Participate in career fairs and other related events to build your network of contacts in your field of interest. 
• Revise and update your website, resume and draft a cover letter. 
• Maintain contact with former internship supervisors and (if appropriate) let them know you will be graduating soon. 
• Develop a plan “B” to pay bills if you don’t find a plan “A” job. 
• Apply for jobs and let contacts know you will be graduating soon. Don’t wait until May!
• Network, network, network. 

HOW INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT INDUSTRY RELATIONS HELPS STUDENTS

We operate out of the Industry Relations office, which is an opt-in service for students for career counseling and guidance.  We are open for regular business hours year-round, including summer semester.  

Some of the services we provide for students include:

• WEEKLY DROP-IN HOURS - we offer times weekly where students can drop in for brief 1:1 appointments; these are great when students would like to receive a quick resume or cover letter review, have quick questions about internships, or are looking for some helpful resources

• MONTHLY WORKSHOPS - we offer at least 2 workshops monthly on rotating topics; past topics have included Resume/Cover Letter Bootcamp, Succeeding on Internships, Top 5 Reasons You’re Not Getting The Internship and Speed Networking

• INTERNSHIP NEWSLETTER - all SCA students receive a weekly internship newsletter via e-mail with schedules of events as well as featured internships of the week

• FEATURED INTERNSHIPS LIST - we frequently have companies reach out directly wanting to connect specifically with SCA students; we curate a list for students of listings from these employers that may not be on public job boards organized by field of interest, and send them directly on to our contacts at companies  Just a few prior Featured Internships List companies have included:

• Amazon Studios
• Roadside Attractions
• Annapurna Pictures/Interactive
• Skydance Media
• Sony Pictures Animation
• Blumhouse
• MGM
• Sundance Institute

• CAREER FAIRS - we offer internship career fairs where entertainment recruiters from large companies come to USC twice per year, in the fall and spring semesters. Just a small selection of past attendees have included:

• 21st Century Fox
• Abrams Artists Agency
• Blizzard
• CBS
• Discovery Network
• Disney
• Dreamworks
• Framestore
• Gersh Agency
• Illumination Entertainment
• Insomniac Games
• Paradigm Talent Agency
• Paramount Network
• Rockstar Games
• Sony
• UTA
• Viacom
• Warner Bros.

• SPECIAL EVENTS WITH EMPLOYERS - many times, employers come to USC School of Cinematic Arts specifically wanting to connect with students for their internship programs.  We offer tours and info sessions directly with companies throughout the year.

• APPOINTMENTS - we offer limited appointments to students to go over internship goals, resumes, cover letters, and any other internship-related topics they may need assistance with.