Intern needs advice
Out of context: Reply #7
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- BarryP0
So, 8 years and 11 months go by ... and hindsight is 20/20.
I did move my stuff into their office and turned the internship into a $25/hr in-house freelance gig. I made enough money to live and became indispensable to their business. When outside projects conflicted with the in-house stuff they relied on me for, they were forced to reckon and ended up hiring me full-time. The business wasn't perfect, but I lived a couple blocks away and lived my life exactly as I wanted to, gaining valuable experience every day. It was the perfect entry into the industry, for me.
Perhaps my only regret: I settled right into that salaried gig and stayed with it for a long time - five years. I had more financial flexibility back then and could have taken more chances in the freelance world to gain a better perspective of the industry. I hunkered down instead. What opportunities did I miss? How could I have grown beyond what I knew and learned in that one little production house?
Regardless, that internship-turned-freelancer-tur... 'gig' gave me everything I needed to advance, professionally. I have since moved to a bigger city and settled into another long-term salaried position (4+ years) and I count my experience in that first job as the ticket that got me here.
I think it's now time to get out into the world and explore a bit more. Next stop freelance? Will update again in another 8 years, 11 months.
Thanks all for your advice!