There are now more reasons than ever for completing a summer internship. From getting your foot in the door at your dream company and learning about the working world, to strengthening your skills and finding a mentor — an internship is so much more than just something to shove on your resume.
In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 60 percent of students with paid internships received a job offer before graduating. And while a lower amount, 37 percent of students with un-paid internships still received a job offer. (This discrepancy could be chalked up to job sector, type of employment, type of work completed, etc.)
However, just because interning is important for your future career goals, it doesn’t mean it has to be boring. The best way to take your internship experience from nay to yay is by adding food. Hey, everything is more fun when there’s food involved, even internships!
Here are some of the most unusual and exciting internships that the food industry has to offer.
1. Hostess: The Yacht Week in Croatia
While interning on a yacht might sound like the most glamorous job ever, it wasn’t all champagne and partying for previous hostess, Charlotte Cohen.
According to Charlotte, her “job included preparing breakfast and lunch for 10-12 guests daily, cleaning the common areas of the boat and keeping it tidy, and acting as a tour guide to the islands by booking restaurants, activities, and bottle service at each of the destinations.”
What most surprised her about the job was that “cooking for 12 people on a rocking sailboat wasn’t actually the hardest part. The most difficult aspect of the role was making every guest happy and accommodating everyone’s needs.”
“I learned how to think on my feet and find solutions in difficult situations. The nature of the job meant that you could never really plan exactly what you were going to cook or when, but kind of had to go with the flow. Sometimes you would plate the entire meal only to have a wave come and it would slide onto the floor. Sometimes the boat’s battery would die and your food would spoil, so you would have to improvise. These were all great skills that I can definitely transfer to other industries and roles,” Charlotte said.
2. Social Media and Production Intern: Food.com (Scripps Network)
Ellie Shanahan, who interned last year for Food Network’s website, Food.com, told us that her job involved “scheduling posts, coming up with ideas for Facebook live and social videos, and then also organizing them by getting all the things required for the shoot.”
She notes that her position as founder and editor at the University of St Andrews Spoon Chapter “definitely was helpful in writing about food.” However, she says, “Interning at NY magazine previously also helped me be confident in my writing skills for scheduled posts. For the production side, planning events for spoon was helpful because it requires a similar amount of planning and organization.”
Furthermore, Ellie says she was “surprised at how actually involved I was. At previous internships I definitely felt like an intern, but this past summer, I felt like my voice was heard and I was part of a collaborative team.”
3. Videographer: FungryTV Globemuncher
Malaysia-based FungryTV posts videos daily, with topics ranging from food hacks (such as how to eat a cupcake) to restaurant round-ups, and so much more.
Mallini Kannan (aka mylittlefryingpan) currently creates and films videos for FungryTV’s online channels. She says that she loves the role because “it’s rewarding me for me to be doing something I love doing anyways. And that serves as motivation to keep at working towards being a part of the foodie scene.“
Luckily for Mallini, this opportunity is paid, or she is at least paid enough to cover the cost of the meals that she films. This is really important, as with unpaid internships on the rise, many industries have become inaccessible to students who cannot afford to work for free.
4. Photography Intern: Saveur Magazine
Alexandra Tringali was lucky enough to intern with Saveur Magazine, a gourmet, food, wine, and travel magazine that specializes in essays about various world cuisines. A popular feature is the Saveur 100, an annual list of “people, places, gadgets, tastes, and techniques that are inspiring and exciting us in and out of the kitchen.”
“My job was to assist on photo shoots, conduct photo research on different locations and photographers around the world, assemble mood and inspiration boards that would be used to organize the upcoming issues. I even had some of my own photography published in an article showcasing different types of brandies. I absolutely loved everything about it,” Alexandra says.
She also has some advice for those hoping to follow in her footsteps as a photography intern. “If you aren’t passionate about your work or what you’re going to shoot, your images are going to reflect that. Also, be confident and proud of your work, and recognize that every experience is one to learn from. Accept help and critiques as often as you can.”
#SpoonTip: Check out some more helpful tips to better your food photography game.
5. Production Assistant: The Kitchen (BSTV Entertainment)
Lindsay DeMunno was lucky enough to snag an internship opportunity on set of “The Kitchen” last year. She was involved in all facets of production, from “researching segment ideas, pitching to producers, making fact sheets, [to] acting as a runner on the show. I was also an audience coordinator, so I got to taste test food — it was really fun!”
“What surprised me was how much time went into the shows/film days. Filming was typically three days, and they filmed four shows in the span of those days. The cast of show was so extremely nice and friendly — I got to meet and speak to all of them. Jeff Mauro was the best he was so funny.”
6. Microbrewing Intern: Brasserie de Marsinne in Brussels
According to Jenna Hively, “We brewed, on average, three days per week. The rest of the week I spent cleaning, bottling, filling kegs, conducting tank transfers and experimenting with new beer recipes.”
Furthermore, Jenna makes it clear that this internship is hard work, and not for the faint-hearted. “Working an 8-hour day on brewing days is simply out of the question at a small production brewery,” she says. “Realistically, if everything goes according to plan, then maybe you’ll get out by 5 pm or 6 pm (I arrived at 8 am everyday). But I think that only happened once during my six weeks.”
However, it is obvious how rewarding she found the experience. “Overall, my time in Belgium, working in the brewery and immersing myself in Belgian culture, reignited my passion for the brewing industry,” she says.
7. Culinary Intern: Garde Manger in Montreal
Helena Lin says that “words truly cannot describe how amazing the experience was. In my month at Garde, I got to work with some phenomenal people, learn about day prep and working the line, as well as the ins and outs of how a restaurant in Montreal is able to successfully stay open for a decade.’
Helena has a top tip for aspiring chefs like herself: “When working in the kitchen, it is so important to watch what others are doing. The best way to learn is by watching other people in the kitchen. How do they brunoise onions, break down lobsters, cut beef tenderloin?”
Ultimately, she makes clear that while this internship was tough at times, and a huge learning curve, the pros far outweighed the cons.
8. Pastry Cook: Rudy’s Bakery and Cafe
Emma Devlin interned as a pastry cook in senior year of high school and loved every second of it. “When I first went into my internship, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. [But] in the end, it was the best decision I could have ever made,” she says.
“I had no idea, I was going to end up being able to make so many different things. I made, cookies, cupcakes, panna cotta, cake pops, frittatas, scones, and so much more.”
“But, all this responsibility and fun didn’t happen over night. I had to prove to [my manager] Christina that she could trust me with doing different tasks,” Emma says. “I was always so pumped when she showed me how to bake or perform some of the harder recipes.”
9. Intern: Swizzler Food Truck
Wake Forest University student, Rebecca Buchanan worked on the Swizzler Food Truck. Regarding her experience, she says, “Taste tests, early 2000s hip-hop, and active collaboration [were] all part of the daily culture. It was this atmosphere in the kitchen and the camaraderie among the members that made the job so unique.”
While initially dubious about not completing a more traditional, office-based internship, Rebecca quickly realized the value in working in the mobile setting. “This was most-likely the last time in my life that I could afford to seize this sort of opportunity. I decided to dodge the status quo and follow my passion,” she says.
The highlight of her summer “went beyond the daily time spent on the truck. A couple of times throughout the summer all of us stayed in the kitchen until late at night, experimenting with new flavors and recipes, to concoct the next Swizzler we would reveal to the public,” she reveals. “None of us were required to be there; we were all simply motivated by our passion for food and creativity.”
10. Intern to Celebrity Chef Judy Joo: Jinjuu Korean Restaurant
Annika Altura says that it takes a special kind of person to be a chef. “I went to bed every night so exhausted, I thought my head would be anchored to my pillow forever, and yet I woke up every morning wanting to do it all over again,” she admits.
For Annika, a kitchen team is like a family. “Despite the language barrier, the chefs made sure to teach me as much as they could. Behind that efficiency is a team that looks out for each other,” she says. “I’ve learned that no job in the kitchen can be done without a strong support system.”
She particularly enjoyed working with rare ingredients such as Grade 9-Korea-imported Hanwoo steaks. However, she says, “One of the most amazing parts of this internship was the opportunity to see dishes evolve.”
11. Intern: Carlos Bakery aka The Cake Boss
Despite initially being nervous to intern for the “Cake Boss,” Kaitlyn Johnson was welcomed into the bakery with open arms.
“I quickly learned that there was room to mess up, and that no one expected you to be perfect. You just had to work hard and learn from your mistakes,” she says. “Once your name is stitched in pretty red thread onto that crisp white jacket, you’re famiglia and you’re treated like it.”
The bakery is crazy-busy every day, so early starts are required in order to get all the work done. “Between 6 am and 7 am, the bakers roll in, Starbucks coffee in hand. We start by making at least 100 of our fancier items such as fruit tarts, lobster tails, chocolate truffles and miniature cheesecakes,” Kaitlyn says. “Although it was stressful at times, working here was an amazing experience for me.”
12. Intern: Museum of Food and Drink
Emily Fox recently interned at the Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn, New York. She says, “My role was primarily focused in communications — doing what we could to get the word out about the latest exhibit, working with different publications and media outlets, outreach through grassroots marketing, and just generally making sure that MOFAD and its programs were getting as much traction as possible.”
“My biggest challenge was figuring out new and exciting ways to attract more attendees, given the museum’s location,” Emily explains, as its location is just outside of Manhattan. “Since it’s not in a tremendously ‘touristy’ area, you have to be creative about how to spread the word and reach targeted demographics.”
Emily had previously worked at a talent agency and in private events, which she says, “made outreach as well as logistics very easy for me to dive into. I’m also very much used to doing a bunch of things at once, which… is the general dynamic of the office, so I was happy that prior work experience definitely afforded me that advantage.”
When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you’re not only going to leave an internship with some new skills, but also a great experience to look back on. Fair warning, it’s still going to be hard work. But if it’s food that you love — whether your internship is in the kitchen, in the office or on a truck — there’s a way to pursue it.