Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Eleven (or And So It Led to This)

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Eleven (or And So It Led to This) Words of advice in the event you are offered a job:

You can, in fact, negotiate for a higher salary.  This is something I learned literally an hour after I accepted a job, mediocre salary and all. Don't get me wrong. It's a great salary to have coming out of college, but there is the possibility (which I will never know) that I could have had an amazing salary coming out of college. I get the job, text my friend from Martha about it. He asks me what my salary is. I tell him. He then proceeds to ask me if I had tried to haggle for a higher one. I was all like "uh. No. I was unaware this was a legitimate option."

His response was "you can always negotiate." And i was dumbfounded. And slightly angry with myself.

Make sure you ask questions during the interview about your benefits, how they will be doled out, and what they are exactly.  Otherwise you will be walking around in a cloud of confusion for the first three months, thinking to yourself, "What exactly have I gotten myself into, and what were the reasons I got myself into it other than my weekly paycheck."

Rejoice in that weekly paycheck.  A large portion of people who graduated with a photography degree (or any degree for that matter) in the last few years do not have that amount of stability and are crying on the inside while openly worrying about where they will find rent for the next month and eating one packet of ramen a day.

Figure out if your employer takes out taxes or if you have to do that for yourself.  There are pros and cons to both.  On one hand, you have exactly as much money as you think you do. On the other, you have to make sure to set aside about thirty percent of each paycheck, a painful and at times dangerous thing to have to do.  On one hand, you can barely write anything off.  On the other, lots of things could technically be written off when you are an independent contractor.  I would not; however, take my word for these things.  I would consult an accountant.  I still have not quite gotten to the part where I file my own taxes. In time, young padawans, I can give you advice on this as well.

Make sure you are going to like what you are about to plunge into.  It is not a great feeling when you set out to do something and then realize it is not exactly what you were hoping.  This cannot always be avoided.  In the case that you are duped and stuck with a job that is slightly off kilter, be sure to learn all that you can before you skip out of there. And, you know, make sure you skip out of there in a nice way so that those people still like you when it comes down to it.

In other news, More Adventures of Mumsy, Naughty Nicki, and I then I will fill you in on some things that Camille and I have been getting ourselves into.

Sunday was my mum's last full day in NYC. So we went to Hillsong. It was packed. Mum, Nicki and I were way back in the back by the door and we could not see anything because of all the people standing in front of our short selves. They did bring mom a chair, while we were back there and then they went in search of actual seats for her. WHICH THEY FOUND. Some nice lady gave up her seats so that my Mom could come up to the front and sit in a chair where she could see. I was lucky enough to get in on this as well. I did say that I would sit on Nicki in the aisle, but that didn't seem to be acceptable. So Mum being a gimp paid off. People are all kinds of nice to the injured.

Then we came home and made lasagna! It was delicious and yummy!

Monday morning, we packed mom all up and went on a bus adventure (I am now a pro at buses) to Kitchenette. The mecca of brunch food on the Upper West Side. I had delicious strawberry french toast and delicious strawberry sangria. They go surprisingly well together.

Then we went on back to the apartment and I had to sadly put my mum into a cab. Then there was post vacation depression. Don't laugh, you all totally know what I'm talking about.

That Wednesday, I went out to a release party with Camille. Camille and I have taken to going to random MeetUp group events and gallery openings that come into my works email box simply because we can.

We did not know who this girl was, just that there had been an email inviting us and we had our minds set on going. Who cares if this girls music was good or not (it was so not awesome). We got there, FREE hors d'oeuvre! This was great as I had come from work and had nooooooo dinner. We then decided we should at least by one drink if we were planning on staying a while and sip that thing for hours. FREE vodka drinks! Sure, they were watered down, but they were still delicious. We did not go crazy though, because we are responsible adults and did not want to have to go to work with hangovers in the morning.

So we are sipping out drinks on a nice couch by the stage when the girl releasing her CD comes out to sing and shake her thing. Everyone immediately stands up and crowds to the front so us short people are incapable of seeing. This is okay though, because I notice other short people standing on the couches so they can have a higher vantage point. We immediately follow suit. So does a tall guy trying to take photos with his point and shoot. I ask him if he would be so kind as to move his head to a lower level so us short people can see. Which he actually does, so I had to stop being snippy with him.

He starts talking to us and asking if we are enjoying ourselves (which two free vodka drinks in, of course we are) and it turns out he is in charge of the whole thing. This makes me laugh on the inside and try not to look scornful. I think I managed it because he tries to give us his card. He handed me one directly, hand to hand. But apparently Camille was not paying enough attention to him (there was a girl singing and dancing on a stage ten feet in front of us), and he starts moving his hand like he is going to slip the card INTO HER BRA. I shove her so that she notices this and has the opportunity to stop that from ever happening. Apparently I made a very horrified face at her, which she still remembers exactly a week later. She took the card from his hand and was very polite about it. She said "Uh Thanks," and did not mention his blatant disregard for personal space as I would have.

This incident is something I will remember for months, possibly years, to come. He was taking pictures the whole time too. Of us as well. I looked on the website later and I did not apparently make the cut, but half of Camille's face did. O the funniness. Camille and I at le party!

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Six (or God's Gift to New Yorkers)

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Six (or God's Gift to New Yorkers) Multitasking is God's gift to New Yorkers. They get excited about it in their own little ways, whether that is complaining about everything they have to do at once or rejoicing in the fact that they are so busy and have so much work.

If you can also do these things, and do it with a smile on your face (as talked about previously) you are set.  "Wearing different hats" (as one interviewer I talked to put it) is like gold.  Employers, whether at a real paid job or a fake job (as I like to call internships) want you to be able to do everything and anything and do it with pizzazz. This talent makes you eminently more marketable.

And it likes up the frenzied, crazed faces of your bosses.

In Other News, my mum is coming in the morning! This is exciting because a) I do not have to go to my real job for the next five days and b) MUMSY.

We are going to have tons of fun (even if my mother is currently gimpy cause she's done something crazy to her knee). We are going to try to go to a musical! and an art gallery opening! and the same bar/restaurant my cousin and I went to last night (LivingSocial is my jam).  And we will be doing it all on a kneewalker (you can legitimately rent the things for a week)! Well she will be, I'll just be in the background being jealous.

And taking pictures.

No seriously, there is a kneewalker photo contest.  I am going to take tons of pictures of my mother knee walking about New York and win that money. There will be knee walking in bars, knee walking in galleries, knee walking in Trader Joe's, knee walking at the Eiffel Tower (oh wait, wrong city).  I'm sure you get the picture though. (PUN!!)

Last night, was also awesome. I met up with the lovely Camille, which is always dangerous, and we painted the town red. Which means instead of going to a real dinner we went to Sweet Revenge, a cupcake and wine bar. A CUPCAKE AND WINE BAR! I got the Dirty Cupcake (because why wouldn't I), which is all chocolate all the time and paired it with a Guinness. Pure deliciousness. Camille partook in the Crimson & Cream with a glass of sangria because she is more classy than I am. Both were amazing and I will probably go again. Simply because it is a CUPCAKE AND WINE BAR. Enough said.

We then pranced on up and over to a gallery opening called Quiet Beauty: A Portrait Series, which was pretty awesome. Braden Summers takes some great photographs and looks good in a teal bow tie while he shows them off (let's be honest, I will pretty much instantly love anyone who wears a teal bow tie).  If you make it to NYC before May 10 stop by the Wonderland Beauty Parlor and take a look at them.

To end, here is a quote that one coworker said today. She doesn't know where it came from and nor do I, but everyone should ponder on it and use it to their benefit:

"Do not look backwards, as you will trip going forwards."

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Two

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Two (or Good Will in Truck Loads) Make your coworkers extremely sad to see you go, but happy you have an opportunity to get paid. This is done in a variety of ways, some of which we have already spoken of: a good attitude, willingness to do anything given to you, etc.  The more things you show yourself capable of, the more responsibility your coworkers will give you, which means you can then list those responsibilities as skills on your resume! I did a number of casting calls, finding certain photos for stories, researching copyrights, and finding out exactly who owned the license for some obscure illustration done in the 20's.  All of which I was able to twist to my own purposes and make myself look brilliant on resumes (for those who have not yet met me and therefore cannot know my brilliance in person).

My coworkers were behind this wholeheartedly because they wanted the best for me, and knew just what kind of job market it is out there in the big, bad scary world.  I knew I had worked hard and had gained respect so I had no qualms about leaving  (besides the fact that everyone I worked with was awesome). Which meant I had no qualms about conscripting those I worked with into giving me glowing recommendations.

Leaving on good terms with the people you work with is just as important as securing that all important first job.  The publishing and photography world is insanely small, chances are you will be speaking to those people again, no matter how you left that relationship.  Make sure you left it with a truck load or two of good will.

Part One