interns

On Interning at Island Press: Venturing out of My Comfort Zone

For me, summer has always been the perfect time to venture out of my comfort zone to explore new opportunities that I otherwise would not have during the school year. This summer was no exception. Since the election, I had taken up a sudden interest in the environment, fascinated by how the world around us was changing, and not for the better. As a community health major, I decided that I wanted to intern someplace that would give me even more of an insight on the environment.

On Interning at Island Press: Truly a New World

Books have always seemed like magic to me, like an enchanted entity conceived out of thin air for the purpose of readers’ escape from reality. However, when I got the job as Island Press’ Production Intern, I quickly realized that it takes a lot more than just magic for a book to be published and that books throw readers into reality rather than help them evade it (real solutions, real change, real life).

On Interning For Island Press: The Editorial Experience

The best career advice I’ve ever received was not in fact career advice at all. It was a tweet, and it said something along the lines of ‘what you spend your time doing when you’re procrastinating, you should do for the rest of your life.’ After a brief google search looking for jobs that would pay me to binge watch Netflix, I moved onto my next, much more logical option: reading.

On Interning For Island Press: The Publicity Perspective

Ever since I was little, reading has been the only hobby that’s stuck around. I tried soccer, art, piano, and even basketball, but ended up eventually quitting all of those. Books have been one of the only constants in my life, which is why I always thought I wanted to go into publishing. It’s hard enough to tell people you want to go into an industry that everybody seems to think is going to disappear, but actually entering the industry itself? That’s even harder.

On Interning For Island Press: An Enriching Experience

After graduating college with a BA in Communications I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with myself. Having no luck with finding immediate employment I decided to try out some internships to pick up some experience and references. That was when I came across Island Press. I began my internship at Island Press having never worked in publishing before and having no idea what to expect. For the weeks leading up the internship I simply told people I would be doing social media for the company. This turned out to be a tiny fraction of the work that I performed for Island Press.

Island Press Interns: Where are They Now?

Island Press has had many interns over the years. After reading this interview with former editorial intern Joelle Herr, we wanted to know: what else have our interns been up to since their time at Island Press? We reached out to them and asked them to reflect on their time at Island Press and tell us a little about what they're doing now. From careers in publishing, to advertising, to cheesemaking, to full-time gigs at Island Press, check out what they had to say below: 

From Intern to Manager: Caroline Sperry's Story

Caroline Sperry first met Island Press in 2009. Eight years later, she shares the story of how she went from Production Intern to IT & Web Manager.

On Interning at Island Press: Conspicuous Consumption

When I was offered the web and social media internship at Island Press, I jumped at the chance to gain an inside look at an academic press. I began my internship knowing very little about marketing or social media branding. I vividly remember my first day at Island Press because it was the first time I had heard “conspicuous consumption” used as a technical term instead of the midnight pizza delivery orders to my house. This was my first delve into the world of environmental issues and modern terms and technologies. I had a lot to learn.

On Interning at Island Press: Vigor to Fight

The last time I went home to coastal South Carolina was different. I looked at the expansive salt marshes and brackish rivers I knew so well with a different mindset. It’s hardly the first time I’ve thought about climate change when thinking about home, but usually my mind tends toward a timid terror. The impending doom of the low-lying land I love so much has seemed like an inevitability for so long. This semester as the publicity intern changed that view.

On Interning at Island Press: I Can't Wait to Return

I am a junior at Georgetown University interested in pursuing a career in publishing. I major in English because I believe in the power of the written word. As Development Intern, I have learned that it’s not only the words written in books that affect concrete change.

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