Katie Sloup

Majors: Multidisciplinary Engineering, Theatre Design and Production

Technical Design and Engineering Intern, PRG Las Vegas Scenic Technologies

1.) How did you learn about this internship opportunity? 

I learned about this internship from word of mouth and PRG's website.

2.) How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals?  

This internship has helped me gain real-world experience in design and drafting in a fast-paced environment, which has also let me see different projects in different stages all the way from initial client meetings to getting a set ready to be delivered. It has helped me clarify my career goals by letting me see day-to-day work in career paths I'm considering and giving me a chance to talk to people who have been in the industry for years to get their advice on what steps I can take to get closer to my career goals.

3.) How do you apply your Liberal Arts skills to your internship?  

I apply my Liberal Arts skills to my internship with all the out-of-the-box problem-solving that we do on a daily basis. We are constantly encountering unique projects that require equally unique solutions, and the wide variety of experiences I have gained through my double major has made it easier for me to connect information from different disciplines during brainstorming.

4.) What is a piece of advice you would give someone looking for an internship?   

One piece of advice I would give to someone in my major would be to apply for every internship you're even a little interested in, even if you don't think you're qualified. You never know when your combination of experiences is going to be what they want, and even if you don't get the position you'll have a little more insight into what experience that company is looking for. Another piece of advice is to talk to everyone and build up a network of contacts. In entertainment, everyone takes wildly different paths to get to where they are, so even if one person doesn't know a lot about something, they probably know of someone else who does. The most important thing is to learn whenever you have to opportunity, whether that is through classes or talking to other people about their experiences and getting their insight on how potential career paths and the industry as a whole.