First segment of... The Internship Diaries...ok that's a dumb name.

It's hard for many people to understand but when your in the arts you very rarely get paid for what you do. At least not until you've put in about a million hours of volunteer work. (I'm not there yet.)

The thing is if you are in this amazing field, you put in the work any way. Even when teachers and advisors tell you that you'll need at least 4 internships in a museum or gallery before any one will actually hire you, and even when you submit work to exhibition after exhibition and don't get accepted.

The thing you must never forget is, there are perks to being an intern.

The most obvious is the free education. If you pick the institution that suits you best you'll learn things they just don't teach in college.

Tip: If you pick a small museum like a historical house or local art gallery you will get to do things that larger museums leave only to the professionals.

My first internship was at a house museum in the town I grew up in. There was one full time employee, one part time employee, and a handful of very dedicated volunteers. This meant they needed any help they could get. It also meant that I was taught to use Past Perfect (it's a software for cataloging artifacts) and to accession artifacts and send letters of thanks, and I even illustrated a coloring book.

Tip: Each opportunity will help you find your place in the art world. Take the time to visit the museums where you are thinking of applying, to see what there mission statement is and maybe talk to past interns. It's kind of like picking the right school to go to.