The People You Meet
Doing an internship at Heritage Mississauga was one of the best decisions that I could do as a History student, because it has introduced me to so many people, and has brought about some great friendships. First and foremost is your supervisor, the person who guides through your project and ensures that you are on the right track can also be a good friend in which you can occasionally kill time with at the office. Because of our relationship as coworkers, my network has expanded tremendously as my supervisor had introduced to dozens of other people who are also involved in the field of public history. Everyone should undergo an internship because of the countless connections you would make in your journey that would be beneficial for your future.
The place of my internship, and where I met tons of new people
The Skills You Develop
Undertaking a project is a big ordeal that requires the time and effort in order to be successful. Due to you always being on the hunt for new information, there are tons of skills that can be refined or learned. You would learn how to use primary sources to their fullest potential as you dig through their contents for more information, as well as discovering ways you can gain access to these sources, or even learn of new ones that can be used. Researching is only half the effort though, as your note-taking, writing, and editorial skills are also constantly tested.
The Heritage Mississauga Logo. Image taken from http://www.heritagemississauga.com/page/Membership
The Experience You Will Have
Aside from all the hard work, and the practicality of expanding your personal network, the experience itself is one of the biggest joys you could possibly have. I will never forget the moments in which my supervisor and I had discovered new information that could be utilised for our project for the very first time, as well as all the laughs and conversations that we had during our time working together. The internship had forced me out of my comfort zone at times and had me travelling across the Peel region at times in the hunt for information, and it is an experience that I will always remember
Be sure to check out the blogs of my classmates here http://sites.utm.utoronto.ca/historyinternships/blog