How I Balanced Two Internships At Once
By: Emel K.
Tags: Digital Marketing Company, Intern, Internships, Balanced Life, Digital Marketing Agency

Six months ago, I accepted not one, but two internships. While I was in the interviewing process with multiple different companies, this had crossed my mind, but I hadn’t initially went internship-hunting thinking that I would be committing to two roles at once. It seemed impossible at the time, so I didn’t give it much thought.

However, when the opportunity presented itself, and I was offered two internships back to back, I didn’t have the heart nor the desire to turn down either one. I found value in both internships with sizably different companies, so I took a leap of faith and accepted both.

The main reason I wanted to do two internships simultaneously was because of how vastly different my experiences would have been at each individual company. I also figured it could help me speed up the process to figure out which path I’d like to pursue as far as my career goes, since many of my peers were doing one internship a semester, taking anywhere from a year to a year and a half to truly figure out what kind of company they’d like to work for.

The Best of Both Worlds

So it was then that I decided, if my request was approved by my employers, I would alternate between each location every other day. My plan was to spend Monday, Wednesday & Friday at The Saxton Group and Tuesday & Thursday at ReachLocal. Now it was just a matter of getting these days approved!

Being honest with my bosses at both internships was always my first priority. Before I signed off on any legal documents, I made sure both places knew I would be splitting my time in between the two jobs. I didn’t want to spring it on them as a surprise once I had already been hired, and I also wanted to start off on the right foot with full transparency. Since both companies weren’t competitors of one another, splitting my time between the two didn’t end up being an issue at all. It was a win/win/win as far as I was concerned.

Embracing Efficiency

This balancing act required some serious time management skills, which was never my strong suit in college. However, utilizing Google Calendar to schedule out my week in advance, planning for the upcoming day the night before, and saying no to unnecessary outings & hang-outs with friends helped me maximize efficiency over time.

I won’t lie to you though, it wasn’t easy. Alternating between two locations meant being able to switch mindsets & processes at each internship, since they both required a different set of skills from me. Balancing two internships full-time while also taking online classes meant saying no to a lot, especially to friends and family. If they invited me out for dinner, movie night, or just wanted to spent time with me, a lot of times I had to turn them down and ask to reschedule at a more convenient time. I didn’t completely say no to my social life however, I still squeezed in some fun time to keep my sanity, but I did make it very clear to my friends and family that I really wanted to buckle down and focus on building my skill sets this year, which is something they were very understanding of. Having a good support system is crucial to succeeding, no matter what you pursue.

Image by Unsplash — Courtesy of Michael Dale. Text Edit by Emily Khan.

Supportive Bosses

My friends and family weren’t the only ones who were supportive of me. The managers and bosses at both locations were incredibly understanding of any schedule changes I had to make, whether it was for class, or because I fell sick. I tried to stay on top of my schedule to the best of my ability, but I’m human, and life happens, so it was really helpful to have management that understood that and was supportive of me.

The Workload

Because the work was so tremendously different at each company, it kept things fresh for me. My MWF and TTR schedule kept me on my toes and excited to jump back and forth from one place to another. This might not be for everyone, especially people who desire clear cut structure and consistently, but I had went into this with an open mind that I would be open to any and all learning experiences, regardless of how difficult it became to manage it all.

When I felt in over my head, my support system reminded me that this was only the beginning of my journey, which helped me to stay the course. Since I’ll often find myself wanting to excel at a rapid speed, I also use meditation as a source of peace and tranquility when I needed a reminder to pace myself.

Setting Realistic Expectations

When it came down to what I was hoping to get out of my internships, the answer is and always has been to learn in depth about the marketing industry. I didn’t begin either internship with any expectations of landing a job at the end of it all. This may go against what a lot of students may believe. In fact, you may even be encouraged to create a lasting impression to land a job at the end of your internship by your parents and mentors. Personally, this was never a priority of mine. At best, I wanted to walk away with a vast amount of knowledge and a couple of solid references. If a full time job ends up being an opportunity presented to me, I’ll happily consider it. But for the most part, I truly just wanted to learn and gain as much knowledge as possible — which is something I’m happy to say I’ve achieved. I’ve learned more in the past 6 months than I have in the past two years of college. I’m so thankful for my wonderful internship experiences at The Saxton Group and at ReachLocal. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to accept both roles.

If you’d like to read about my internship at The Saxton Group, you can check it out here.

I’d also love to hear from you if you’ve ever balanced two internships, jobs, or another crazy combination. It’s no secret that more and more is expected from students these days, but our job is to keep up. How do you personally handle it? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!

You can also check out this great video by Gary Vee and his advice to someone trying to balance multiple jobs: