Nickelodeon

My name is Jane Yeon and I am a senior Animation major.  During the summer of 2016, I was an intern—or "Nicktern"— at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, California.  Growing up watching several of their shows, I was extremely excited and interested in applying for this internship program.  My interest only grew through research on the Nick Internship page of their website where I read their mission statement and applicant requirements.  I also had the opportunity to ask a MICA Illustration major, who interned at Nickelodeon the previous summer, a couple of questions regarding the program.  I then applied during the spring semester of 2016 after spending some hours tailoring my résumé and cover letter.

Once school had wrapped up for the semester, I received a response and interviewed over the phone with the Nickelodeon Internship Program Manager.  I was informed my résumé would be passed onto the Archive and Resource Library Department —the department offering the internship.  I was intrigued, even though I had never though to work in an archive, because, based on the summary the interviewer gave me of what the Archives is and does, it sounded like something I would really enjoy and seemed like I had the qualifications to work well with the team.  A few days later, I interviewed a second time with the Archives Coordinators and the following day received a phone call announcing I got the position and was beyond ecstatic!

I've learned so much throughout this internship and really believe that it is one of the best internships a student could ever have.  It was such a privilege to have this humbling experience!  The internship manager coordinated programs which were really beyond what I could imagine: lunches with executive producers, character design and storyboarding classes, as well as lessons on social media management and professional development—they had it all!  At its heart, Nickelodeon really fosters mentorship, which I witnessed on every level, regardless of what position an employee had.  This experience broke so many of my expectations of what I thought a large company with a plethora of established artists and successful works would be like.  It showed me that a corporation can uphold higher principles and ethics and still function on a creative level unlike any other.  They honestly put their audience—kids—first and were creator driven!  I can say without a doubt that I have come out of the internship program as a student who is more prepared and confident to pursue a career in the animation industry.