Interning at Revision3 is awesome. We get to do work that actually gets noticed/published. Unfortunately for some of my friends, they aren’t so lucky. Why do companies think it’s cool to blog into space?

I wrote a post about it at HackCollege. Check it out: Blogging: The New Shit Job for Interns?

I wrote a post for another blog that I write for that draws from my experiences at Revision3 thus far. Check it out:

Summer Internships - Making the Most [via HackCollege]

Let me know what you think in some comments!

A little background

My parents live in New Jersey, my brother lives in New York, and I go to school in Boston. So when it came to choosing my internship you would think I would be choosing between the great cities of New York and Boston. Wrong.

I went to San Francisco

Why did I go to San Francisco? To expand my horizons. Moving out here as been a wonderful experience, and I am not sure if I would have been able to take this opportunity in any other circumstance. Remember, interning gives you a lot of flexibility. One, it is short term. Two, you are only responsible for yourself. Three, if it turns out to be a mistake, it is easy to fix. So even though I am loving my time out here, I would have had an exit plan if things turned out to be less than ideal.

What I am enjoying

The entire vibe of the west coast is so much different than the east coast. In general, the people are friendlier and open-minded out here. Evey thing is a little more relaxed, and people keep things in perspective and balance. Everyone that I know and have met out here has been so great in terms of helping me maximize my experience. Everywhere I go people are teaching me about the city and making sure that I am comfortable and having a good time. I’m couch-surfing this trip, and nearly every time I bring that fact up, another couch if offered to me - people are that inviting.

Mind you there are great opportunities in both New York and Boston

There is a lot of tech going on in these two wonderful cities, so that didn’t play a role in my decision. I figure that when I am done with my time in San Francisco it will be far easier for me to venture into opportunities in either city. As much as I love San Francisco I probably see myself staying east coast after school. I credit my family, and the New York Jets (and Knicks) for my decision

I have a secret and for a while, I’ve been embarrassed to admit it. My Facebook profile is missing a piece, my Twitter account has yet to comment and at every mention of New York (a city I’ve never even visited before) I have to bite my tongue to avoid divulging this personal bit.

I watch Gossip Girl. And I like it.

I find myself rationalizing this immature fondness much more than my pretentious coffee hobby, my iPhone ownership or even my brief “Toxic” obsession. But in my Gossip Girl rationalizations, a pattern has emerged: I’m convinced that the show is actually good. So, here I am, sharing a testament to its wisdom.

A lot has changed since episode 13, but for a while, there was a strict pecking order separating middle-class Jenny and moneyed-up Blair. Blair was atop a social group that Jenny was eager to join. Jenny would do anything to fit in, but it was usually these little demeaning favors: grabbing some coffee, dropping off library books, making ice cream sundaes for the director… wait a minute – that’s not from Gossip Girl! That’s from my one-month stint as a Production Assistant! What is happening? Have we entered televisionland?

I spent this May in Prague, working as a Production Assistant (PA) on the new GI Joe movie which comes out in about a year. As I caught up on my Gossip Girl viewing, I realized the parallels between the underhanded relationship in the show and the ones I was building on the set of GI Joe. But it’s much more insidious – it was for Jenny also. Everyone grins and bears it because it’s the standard for entry-level work, and most of the crew approves. It’s “paying your dues.” It’s the we-all-had-to-do-it-too story. Indeed, these are the same excuses for making a bunch of freshmen run through the Tenderloin late at night after guzzling a bottle of laxative. And it wasn’t until Jenny actually called it “hazing” – she actually said the word “hazing” in the show – and that’s when I realized what I was doing.

But being a PA isn’t exactly the same as earning your place on the football team. As a PA, you are getting paid and you are trying to get access to an incredibly exclusive industry. It’s a way of developing and demonstrating your work ethic. So, there’s nothing really wrong with it. You just get to prove your passionate commitment to… making lattes.

Don’t get me wrong – I met some incredible people in Prague – some who disagree with the “hazing” tendency of PA work, some who don’t. I’d even consider returning to the PA life for its stress-threshold-increasing virtues, but for now, it’s not for me.

That’s why I love interning at Revision3. It’s a collaborative methodology with a positive atmosphere. I might make a few photocopies while I’m here, but at least they’ll serve a purpose beyond showing my loyalty to Blair.

photo credit

The internship and culture

The most important aspect of an internship is the knowledge and general experience you walk away with at the end of your stint. If you fail to learn a thing, and at the same time hate your time spent with the company, then your internship was a complete and utter failure.

The co-workers

Within my first week here at Revision3 I have hung out with all of my fellow interns and have gotten to know nearly every employee within the company. Each and every individual working at Revision3 is super friendly and open to helping out. This connection within the company makes the whole internship program a more personal experience. If I were separated and disconnected from the rest of the group the experience would be far less enjoyable.

Opportunity

A big difference between a great internship and a horrible internship is opportunity. The fact that I feel as if my ideas and suggestions are actually listened to is a major plus. Rather than having my emails deleted or my voice muted, Revision3 makes sure to listen to and provide feedback. Living proof of this concept? This blog!

Outside of the office

Playing off of the enjoying the company of your co-workers, team chemistry building is another aspect of a wonderful internship. After work this past Friday a heap of the Revision3 crew (those 21+) went to a local bar to grab some beer and hang out. This weekend I grabbed dinner with two fellow interns and went out to a party with a few other full-time employees. The relationships within the office are not restricted to the office.

I want to work

The fact that I woke up this morning and was more than excited to get to the office is a clear sign that this is the type of internship that I will be getting value out of. If you love your work, then it really isn’t “work.”

What do you think?

What makes a great internship? What kind of things make a great culture?

About AJ

AJ Vaynerchuk is a web/marketing and business development intern at the Internet Television Network Revision3. He loves his family and enjoys sports and business (+1 if the two combine). You can follow him on Twitter or email him at ajv [at] revision3 [dot] com.