Internships Are for Late-Bloomers Too

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Doing an internship in my early 30s was initially an intimidating idea, considering that this is a more typical process for students in their early 20s. Despite how unusual this internship could have been for me, I do not regret a second of my experience venturing into this opportunity during the last semester of my graduate program in Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas.

For those unfamiliar with the purpose of an internship, these are opportunities for students in higher education to hone skills and acquire practical knowledge in a professional setup. In my case, I am performing the role of an Instructional Designer intern at Aventiv, where I work collaboratively with subject matter experts to develop new content for internal training and development programs. I also assist different departments in revamping existing training materials to align with current technological advances and remote learning styles.

From whatever angle I look at this internship opportunity, all I see is a wealth of benefits to my career growth. On the one hand, I work in a real environment, creating content for actual customers—Aventiv employees—while learning from subject matter experts (SMEs) in the instructional design field and other company leaders. On the other hand, I am earning college credits that count towards my Master of Science in Learning Technologies degree requirements.

Balancing work and college responsibilities has been key to succeeding in my internship at Aventiv. In my case, the internship is full-time, meaning that I work an 8-5 schedule like any other employee at Aventiv. At the same time, I need to dedicate time to fulfill my obligations as a graduate student by completing the weekly requirements for my classes. Personally, finding that balance between being a student and a full-time employee hasn’t been a struggle since the work I do at Aventiv aligns with my degree. Thus, my education and professional practice complement each other effortlessly.

Another positive aspect of my internship experience is free access to the company’s internal learning management system (LMS) portal and tools to upload and create content. This is a huge plus, considering the high cost of software for content creation. Having free access to this technology is an outstanding opportunity to be exposed to the tools used in actual workplaces and develop new skills transferable to other work scenarios.

Since my internship started almost three months ago, I have worked with at least three different departments at Aventiv on projects related to training, development, and instructional design. My day-to-day activities include revising and responding to internal communication through Outlook and Teams, participating in trainings, scheduling one-on-one meetings with SMEs, researching information to develop training modules, and creating multimedia material for corporate education.

There is always more to learn. No matter how much time and experience someone has in a specific job - and in life as well - the learning process is ongoing. Specifically, I am eager to expand my knowledge of using Articulate 360 for creating training modules, and I am also interested in learning how to integrate AI features into content creation for corporate environments.

All things considered, I have a tight schedule every week, but I am grateful for every opportunity my peers at Aventiv trust me with their work. It demonstrates their appreciation of my eagerness to participate in their efforts to continue improving their employees' performance in the workplace. Without a doubt, I would encourage anyone pursuing a master’s degree to participate in an internship at least once. From wherever you look at it, it’s a win-win. And don’t ever let your age or other perceived limitations stop you from pursuing greatness in your educational journey.