Printed on August 27, 2007
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"Hello" Nine-to-Five and Pantyhose World
Rachael Cansler
Intern, Creative and Marketing
National Geographic Domestic Home Entertainment
Young professionals are entering a world market rampant with issues I'm sure our parents never had to deal with fresh out of college. With many of us facing menial, or no, entry level professions often completely sidetracked from what we'd really like to do, the dark shadow of loan repayment and grown-up bills cast over us, it's difficult to feel optimistic about saying "goodbye" to textbooks and "hello" to nine-to-five and pantyhose. Furthermore, given the state of the union, the idea of relocating seems like a geographical game of roulette that could make or break how quickly graduates wean themselves off ramen noodles powder-mix Gatorade. Suddenly growing up appears an insurmountable colossus and I find myself considering graduate school as a means of prolonging my oblivion to such dire considerations--and don't even think about mentioning interest rates to me.
Intern, Creative and Marketing
National Geographic Domestic Home Entertainment
Young professionals are entering a world market rampant with issues I'm sure our parents never had to deal with fresh out of college. With many of us facing menial, or no, entry level professions often completely sidetracked from what we'd really like to do, the dark shadow of loan repayment and grown-up bills cast over us, it's difficult to feel optimistic about saying "goodbye" to textbooks and "hello" to nine-to-five and pantyhose. Furthermore, given the state of the union, the idea of relocating seems like a geographical game of roulette that could make or break how quickly graduates wean themselves off ramen noodles powder-mix Gatorade. Suddenly growing up appears an insurmountable colossus and I find myself considering graduate school as a means of prolonging my oblivion to such dire considerations--and don't even think about mentioning interest rates to me.
Recently I attended a talk by Patrick Noonan, Vice Chair of the National Geographic Education Foundation Board of Governors, and Trustee emeritus of the National Geographic Society. The talk itself, mostly about environmentalism: the business, was invaluable and completely fascinating to me, but, more importantly, I think Pat began on a note that I hope every intern at National Geographic Society bears in mind every time they feel estranged in Washington, DC's bustling atmosphere or wince under a particularly tedious Excel spreadsheet assignment. Given the challenges we face as young, unestablished professionals, I can't help but take pause when I consider how much more developed I feel I am compared to six months ago--less, even. National Geographic affords so many deeply rich opportunities to their interns, so many avenues for knowledge and connections that I think are seldom found by seasoned professionals. How many doors have opened for me in the last two months? The answer to this has significantly benefited my blood pressure since writing the beginning of this post, as I hope it does for anyone else who perhaps could have done without their reality check of the day.
Maybe being an intern at National Geographic is not quite, as Pat put it, "the very best of the best" or similar, but the people I have met, the skills I have learned, and the overall encouraged participation in vastly diverse projects and inter-departmental goals have given me a self-awareness as a strong, prepared, valuable professional. I'm not disillusioned to the mountains my peers and I will be faced with summiting, but I am absolutely confident that I have what is necessary to go far in my life. Pat yourself on the backs, interns, we're here!
Maybe being an intern at National Geographic is not quite, as Pat put it, "the very best of the best" or similar, but the people I have met, the skills I have learned, and the overall encouraged participation in vastly diverse projects and inter-departmental goals have given me a self-awareness as a strong, prepared, valuable professional. I'm not disillusioned to the mountains my peers and I will be faced with summiting, but I am absolutely confident that I have what is necessary to go far in my life. Pat yourself on the backs, interns, we're here!
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2 Comments
Great blog! Very insighful! I love the title of the blog and how well it relates to the message of the blog.
Insightful comments although some difficult to hear and process. Seems tragic that our best and brightest are challenged with such heavy issues. On a more positive note, I'm thankful for institutions such as NGS and the efforts they bring to the table to provide outreach and meaningful experiences for young professionals facing their entry into the adult world. Invaluable!
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