Looking Forward

I really thought waking up every day at 8 this summer would be the death of me. As any typical college student knows, scheduling a class before 10am is often going to cause more than a couple of skipped classes or inadvertent naps in the back row. But surprisingly, it’s been not too difficult to drag myself out of bed every morning to make the 45 minute commute to work; in fact it’s been relatively easy. So I had to ask myself why a class at 9am in which it would take less than 10 minutes to walk to, and would last a total of 50 minutes of sitting and listening could cause such grief in my life when I actually look forward to my many minutes on the crowded metro, my somewhat long stroll through the morning sunshine on busy streets full of harried commuters, and eventual destination to a frankly stuffy office affectionately called the intern pit to sit under fluorescent lights for 8 hours straight? It’s because I love what I do at Nat Geo TV. If I’ve learned anything at my internship this summer it’s a confirmation that I’m heading in the right career direction. Although the actual duties as an intern are not what I am aiming to do ultimately, I look around at all the various producers, associate producers, coordinators, editors, etc. and realize the endless possibilities and potential of what I could do, and that makes me excited.

Working in the media and television specifically, has shown me that you can make your job into whatever you want it to be. In regards to the kind of work environment, fast-paced vs. quiet and contemplative; clear direction or free reign; team work or solitude; thinking rather than doing, television allows the freedom to choose your desired work environment. If you’re more of a doer, who likes to do tasks individually with structure, and likes to take their time in a quiet environment, be an editor. If you’re more of a thinker, a people person, who likes to be surrounded by hustle bustle and to think on your toes, then you would do well as a producer or in development. The possibilities are endless. What’s become exponentially clear to me in my 9 weeks so far at the internship is that in this business you truly carve your own path. It is a career that is constantly in motion, you move from one task to the next, to different projects, to different shows, to different companies, even to different countries. It’s a career path that encourages change. One thing I know about myself is that I get easily bored. I guess the restlessness that I feel when I’ve been in one place too long stems from the constant moving that goes along with being a military brat. So when I’m constantly busy I’m happy and with saying that, media seems to be the ideal work environment to soothe my itchy feet. I’m still unsure of which exact direction I want to take in this career field, but I know that I have the potential to choose the where, what, when, why, and how about my job and that’s the thought that continues to get me up every morning.