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I'm a prospective student, how will my internship work?
In the summer after third year or during the fall semester of fourth year, students begin their work placement within a creative enterprise. This placement is for a minimum of 240 hours of work and maximum of 420 hours, and must be within a creative sector company. Placements may be paid, unpaid, or offer an honorarium. Our work placement office helps students find placements through a series of professional development workshops and a robust Creative Industries job board. While we work hard to help, it is ultimately the students’ responsibility to apply, attend interviews and land a role.
The work placement is closely integrated with the final year of study of the Creative Industries program. During the internship, students are required to collect a broad range of information that will be used later for reflection and analysis during their capstone 4th year seminar course, CRI 800: Managing Creative Enterprises. Students are also monitored by the program’s industry liaison co-ordinator during the placement.
The requirement is designed to provide a first-hand, practical experience of an environment in which creative enterprises operate and of the management practices employed to support and expedite creative work. To date, our students have worked in small, medium and large-scale companies in a broad range of sectors, including fashion, advertising, television, gaming, museums, film, and music – to name a few.
Toronto is a hotbed of arts and culture. Close to 23,700 artists live here and since 2001, the creative workforce here has grown by 34 per cent, faster than the rest of the labour force. It’s also home to the biggest names in media, fashion, film, music, and television; think CBC, the Globe and Mail, TSN, ELLE Canada, Canada Goose, Joe Fresh, Arts & Crafts, and VICE. Embedded in the vibrant downtown core, at Toronto Metropolitan University, the city is your classroom.
Intern Highlight
Meet Feraud Lallmohamed, Creative Industries Student
Summer Intern at Devon Consulting & Public Relations Ltd
Public Relations & Social Media Intern
How was your internship experience?
Overall, I am very pleased with my internship experience! I feel very privileged to have gained this kind of experience while still in school. As someone who has a very niche career goal (working specifically in the corporate beauty industry), I was hoping for experience that would be relevant to my career path but thought that would be difficult to find. I was very appreciative that I was able to get an internship specifically in my area of interest.
What was one positive outcome from your internship? What did you learn?
I had the chance to work with brands that I've known, used, and loved for years. The agency I worked for has large scale clients such as NARS, Buxom and Laura Mercier. These are brands that I have always admired. To be able to say that I have worked for them and helped support their campaigns is honestly the biggest positive outcome I could ask for.
Is there anything you would like to share with other Creative Industries students?
I would like to encourage any students who are feeling scared, anxious or nervous for their internship to take a deep breath. I know personally how nerve-wracking the process of finding one and completing one can be! However, these internships are for you to learn and grow from. One thing that I've kept in my mind while I'm at my position is if you are comfortable, you're not learning. My advice is: Don't be afraid to try new things and, most importantly, ask questions!
You mentioned doing an exchange in Copenhagen - can you tell us about that experience?
It was the most rewarding experience I've ever had in my life. Since I live in Toronto and was commuting to and from school, it was kind of tough to meet new people and explore the city. If you're from the city you've lived in your whole life, that stuff becomes less exciting. So, if you're someone who wants to see the world, I would highly recommend doing it through school. The experience is priceless; you get to meet lots of friends, and it really pushes you out of your comfort zone. It made me a more confident person, and being able to bring that trait back with me to work was an asset. I found that employers were really impressed when I told them that I moved to a country by myself, not knowing anyone. To me, it doesn’t seem that challenging, but to everyone else, it looks really good. TMU has great exchange partners, and if you have the funds or you're willing to work a lot and save up those funds, I would highly recommend going abroad!
What was your number one accomplishment or highlight from your internship?
The highlight was getting to see all the cool projects that were made at the studio. Nelly Furtado came to do a FASHION Canada photo shoot; we had Simu Liu, Nicole Byer, the famous comedian, Glen Powell, Joe Jonas, and more. It was fascinating to observe that much of the prominent content seen around the city was shot in the studio. For example, while walking through Chinatown, I saw a billboard of Simu Liu for Cheetos, and that was something our company worked on. Just getting to play a small part in that is nice, and being given the freedom to bring my ideas and brainstorm ways to grow the business has been really exciting.
Where did you do your internship, and what was your biggest accomplishment or highlight from it?
I interned for a fashion, sales, and marketing agency called Plus Plus, based in New York City. Plus Plus intentionally hires and fosters a team of young creatives, and there are a lot of exciting individuals coming in and out of the office. My favourite aspect was the relationships I developed while working there. Specifically, I enjoyed meeting buyers and wholesalers and gaining insights into the industry from their perspective. It was fascinating to observe how wholesalers reacted to the clothing and the brands they either liked or disliked. I internalized the feedback they provided so that I could apply it to my own brand and approach design from a wholesale perspective. Eventually, I would love to build Secretaries to a point where I have wholesale accounts and operate at a higher level.
What modules are you in, and how have they contributed to molding your fashion career?
My modules are fashion and media business. Right now, I'm enjoying Managing Creative Enterprises a lot because a significant role of the creative industries program is to train new managers and leaders of teams. Even for myself, as I run a clothing brand and am responsible for managing shoots and liaising with other creatives, that class has provided me with an amazing foundation for doing so. I also loved Design Leadership since I learned a lot about designing systems for the right people.
Internship Report Highlights