Fall career and internship fairs are almost here. Are you ready? Some schools and their surrounding communities rely heavily on the career and internship fairs as a way to source top talent. So is the case with the university represented in today’s #myinternhustle feature. Read on to learn about Leslie, and her experiences with public relations internships in the Nashville music industry. I love how she used her internship experience to learn what she did and didn’t like, and adjust her career path accordingly. That’s what it’s all about, folks!
—
Name: Leslie Colloton
Education: Belmont University, Major: Music Business, 2013
Did you have a dream job or specific career path in mind when you started college? If yes, what was it?
I always knew I wanted to work in music, but was unsure exactly what I wanted to do or how I was going to break into the industry.
What internship(s) were a part of your Intern Hustle?
- Summer & Fall 2012: Capitol Records Nashville – PR Department Intern
- Spring 2013: PLA Media – PR Department Intern
How did you get your internship(s)?
Belmont has an entire department committed to helping students find internships, and we actually had to intern 1-2 semesters in order to graduate in my degree field. Belmont helped me secure my internship at PLA Media. They basically had an online internship board that you could check for available positions. The school also had a huge intern fair 2x a year that would bring companies in from around Nashville, in the music industry. As students, we could apply in person at the intern fair as well. My internship from Capitol Records Nashville came from a co-worker at Nordstrom where I was working at the time during school. My co-worker was an up-and-coming country singer, and she brought me along to an event where I met the Capitol Records team and was offered an internship.
Name the top three highlights from your Intern Hustle.
- Working events at both Capitol Records Nashville and PLA Media. I thought it was so cool that they actually trusted the interns to help and be around the artists.
- At PLA Media each intern had to create a newsletter once a semester to send to other industry professionals, with current press releases, stories and little tidbits that we had written. It was so amazing to press send and feel the huge accomplishment after working on it all semester.
- I got to attend the big label CMA Award party as an intern for Capitol Records Nashville, and be a part of the biggest night in country music. It was incredible to see!
What is one of the biggest challenges you faced during an internship and what did you learn from it?
The biggest challenge I faced while interning was probably getting over my fear of asking questions. I was too afraid to ask questions. This in turn would require that I sometimes had to repeat work in order to get it the way my supervisor wanted, instead of just getting clarification the first time around.
What is the most unexpected skill you gained from an internship?
Patience. I realized that my task was not the most important in the grand scheme of everyone else’s jobs. I had to learn that the world did not revolve around what I was doing. It’s a tough one to learn but I am very glad I got that out of the way when I did. 🙂
What internship advice do you have for college students?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, or even ask your supervisor to lunch to get to know them better. Most of the time jobs will come from who you meet, not what’s on your resume. Don’t be afraid to use the time at your internship as a resource to get to know the company and the people that work there.
Did your desired career path shift at all based on your internship experience(s)? If yes, in what way?
I learned I did not want to be in PR, but that I still wanted to stay in the music industry in some way!
Were you offered a job as a result of your Intern Hustle? Tell us about it!
Well, not at first. I graduated and worked in healthcare for 3 years, mostly in sales/digital marketing. When I was between jobs someone from HR at Universal Music Group (now owners of Capitol Records Nashville) saw my experience and thought I would be a good fit for my current job. The rest is history. Today, I do work with some of the people that I had initially interned for, strangely enough!
Anything else you’d like to share about your Intern Hustle?
Just that internships are the best way to learn what you do and don’t like about a job. I think it is crucial to intern before jumping into the post grad world.
And for the final question…What’s your party trick?
Hula Hooping!
(Considering hula hooping is extremely hit or miss for me…color me impressed!)
—
If you’re interested in learning more about similar internship opportunities, click here to check out Universal Music Group and here for PLA Media.
Do you have a #myinternhustle story to share? Or do you know someone else who does? Email me and I’ll send you the details on how you can apply to be featured.
