My Summer Internship in Events
A very important part of professional development from college into the real world is getting an internship in order to gain experience in the field you want to pursue. Many students struggle when it comes to finding and securing an internship, but I was fortunate enough to find one pretty quickly that fit. I am so glad to have had this experience at The Reading Public Museum. I feel like I learned a lot of valuable information during my time here as well as improved upon skills I need in order to be successful in the events field.
Throughout the summer, I helped with 19 weddings as well as a number of other events including proms, baby showers, business breakfasts, and dinners. I learned the ins and outs of events at The Museum. I also got to practice my attention to detail, which is a very important skill when it comes to events. I was able to see each stage of an event from the initial inquiry, to showings, to final walkthroughs, and finally the actual event. I also gained a lot of experience in the office during the week with the background tasks that are involved when planning an event that a lot of people do not know about.
Additionally, I got a taste of different departments at The Museum that deal with different kinds of events and activities. Each staff member I worked with was extremely helpful in making sure I was getting different experiences to really make my internship worthwhile. I would be invited along to meetings even if they were not in my department so that I could sit in and observe. I got to work with almost every department in The Museum at least once. I was able to try multiple kinds of events in order to see which ones I liked the best. Most importantly, I felt very welcome at The Museum. This experience has influenced me personally and professionally in a very significant way. I feel much more prepared for a future in event planning, and more confident about my choice in career paths. I am very happy that I was able to spend my summer working here, and I am so grateful to have met all these amazing people!
Kelsey Klinger
East Stroudsburg University, 2019
