At CU Denver, experiential learning is encouraged. In the College of Arts & Media (CAM), students can gain valuable skills while figuring out where to land in the film, arts, or music industry. Thanks to Denver’s vibrant arts and music scene, landing an arts internship isn’t as hard as it sounds.

What are the benefits of an arts internship?

1. An internship can help your job prospects plus help you in school – According to the National Survey of College Internships 2021 Report, students who participate in internships experience benefits after college and even during it. Compared to those not taking an internship, internship students:

• are 14% more likely to receive a callback for a job interview
• enjoy 6% higher wages
• have 3.4% higher grades

While your experience in an internship has a lot to do with the effort you put into it, if you strive to do a good job, the outcome can be positive.

2. Internships teach you real-world skills – Real-world experience is the main benefit students get from an internship. Especially in the arts industries, where some skills are better caught than taught, internships can provide a kind of learning that is hard to come by in the classroom.

Current CAM student Bianca Lipton is interning with the nonprofit organization Youth on Record as a Podcast Production Intern. Bianca has picked up valuable skills she’ll be able to use in her post-graduation career. In addition to technical skills like learning the strategies and equipment it takes to record and produce a successful podcast, Bianca has also picked up “soft” skills like how to conduct an interview “in a productive and meaningful way.” She’s also learned “the value of storytelling in all forms of media, including radio, podcasting, music, and interviews,” she says.

3. Internships expand your network – Internships put you in situations where you are meeting new people, off campus, in professional settings. Not only will you meet professionals doing what you would like to be doing one day, you’ll likely also meet peers who will compose a big part of your professional network after graduation. Bianca’s experience at Youth on Record has afforded her connections she might not have made without it. “I know internships are not only great resume-builders but are great industry opportunities…[They] are a great way to network with other people who have similar interests,” she says.

4. Internships help you figure out what you really want to do – This might be the most important reason to take on an internship. Internships let you try out a particular job in an industry before fully committing to it. CAM alum Natalie Maul Ruskaup took an internship at the live music venue Your Mom’s House in Denver. Her responsibilities included helping find new acts, reaching out to potential bands to fill opening slots, and even putting together entire shows on her own. “That experience gave me a solid understanding of the live music landscape,” Natalie says. Especially since there are many paths to take in the music industry, Natalie’s advice is to “try everything” you can while studying. “Employers really value people who know where they want to be. Take risks while the stakes are low,” she advises.

So now that you’ve been convinced to do an internship, how do you get one?

A great place to start is the Experiential Learning Center (ELC) at LynxConnect (located in the Tivoli Annex, above the Film & Televisions classrooms). This office can help you search for, apply for, and follow through on internship opportunities. Additionally, asking your CAM professors if they know of anyone hiring interns is another good place to start. Even if you find out about an internship through a faculty member or even on your own, the ELC can help you optimize your resume and application and subsequently increase your chances at landing that internship. Additionally, the ELC has other useful information, like how you might be able to get paid for an internship that is technically unpaid.