Internship Insight

In preparation for our Student Design Competition, we thought we'd talk to 2012's first-place winner Chris Allen to see how his prize internship at Sports Illustrated went this summer. Read on to hear about his experience and get yourself psyched to start working on your entries for this year's competition (remember, you win money and more in addition to the internship!). But now, let's hear from Chris...



SPD-U: As an intern at Sports Illustrated this past summer, what were your main duties?
Chris: Mostly page layout and photo/illustration work. The nature of the illustration work changed each week, but I consistently worked on the same group of pages for the magazine and iPad.  

SPD-U: What was the coolest thing you got to do?
Chris: I got to do a full-page illustration on the Chicago White Sox which was pretty cool (see image above). I made caricatures of the starting lineup, and I had never done anything like that before. I also got to do a series of posters for this year's Heisman candidates; as a fan of college football that was neat.

Here's a photo illustration of Tiger Woods Chris also got to do:

SPD-U: Anytime you start a new job or experience, we all find that we have some weaknesses. What skills did you find you were weakest in that you now want to get better at or suggest future interns consider working on?
Chris: Within a few days of working at SI, I realized how average I was with Photoshop.  There were so many tips/tricks/tools that I learned how to use over the summer that I never knew existed. As far as interacting and working with the editors and staff, I never felt nervous or intimidated because of how friendly and helpful everyone was. I always felt comfortable asking for help or clarification, and the entire staff was exceptionally welcoming.

SPD-U: What was your favorite and least favorite part about living in NYC?
Chris: My favorite part was how much there is to see in the city. I spent most of my days off roaming around and exploring different neighborhoods, it was amazing to be within walking distance of anything I wanted to see. Also, the food. The options are endless. Nothing really sticks out as my least favorite part, so I'll go with the unearthly warm temperatures in the subway stations.

Were you an intern recently and got to do some cool stuff you'd like to share with our readers? Email us about it at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com