Three Otis College Alumni Share Their Trajectory from Internship to Full-Time Job
“Otis taught me how to adapt quickly, communicate effectively, ask thoughtful questions, collaborate with others, and stay open to learning new things.”
Otis College students have ample opportunities to carve a path to employment while in school. Internships, specifically, play a crucial role in translating classroom assignments into real-world experiences, providing exceptional mentorship to—and hands-on learning for—Otis students.
The first entry in the internship process often begins in the classroom. Several academic programs offer internship preparedness classes, designed specifically for the line of work students will be pursuing. For example, the Fine Arts Internship course pairs students with hosts (artist studios, galleries, and non-profits), from whom they learn skills like archiving, collections management, and gallery operations. Resume and cover letter writing and interview skills round out the course curriculum.
Students often work with the Career Services office directly to search and apply for internships tailored to their interests and skillsets. Staff members host workshops on topics ranging from networking to salary negotiating. Career Services also recently launched the Internship Equity Fund, whereby students can receive up to $2,500 per academic year to support wages for unpaid or underpaid internships. These resources ensure that students can pursue and have access to valuable professional experiences that align with their career goals.
With a 96% employment rate among recent graduates, and proximity to creative industries in Los Angeles—entertainment, fashion, toy, and fine art, among others—Otis College has a well-honed college-to-career pipeline that begins well before graduation. Three alumni recently shared how their internships while studying at Otis directly led to full-time jobs.
Hanabee Cartagena (’20 BFA Communication Arts), Community Programs Manager at Rediscover Center
Hanabee Cartagena first learned about the Rediscover Center—a nonprofit organization that teaches hands-on making and sustainable practices to learners of all ages—from an internship course she took as part of her minor in Community Arts Engagement (now the Art and Design Education minor). “In school I grew more interested in working in sustainability, so finding this internship in both maker education and sustainable artmaking jumpstarted my career,” she says.
Hanabee now plans and coordinates community programs, manages staff, and writes curriculum for camps and classes, many of which she also teaches. She also manages Rediscover’s social media channels, a skillset she honed as a student worker in the Communications and Marketing department at Otis College.
She credits her adaptability and willingness to take on projects for her ascension at Rediscover from an Assistant Facilitator to Community Programs Manager. “For this fast-growing nonprofit organization, any and all skills brought to the table are valuable. I challenged myself and I’m thankful to my administration for entrusting me with more responsibilities because ultimately it led me here,” she says.
For Hanabee, keeping the work fun is another essential element. “Do what your employers are asking of you, but if you think you can expand on the brief you’re provided to make a project more fun to tackle, share your ideas,” she says.
Eddie Borba (’26 BFA Fashion Design), Design Assistant at Alo Yoga
Eddie Borba first learned of an internship opportunity at Alo Yoga during the Fashion Design program’s internship fair, after which he was hired by the popular athleisure brand as a menswear design intern. Eddie credits Fashion Design faculty and Chair Jill Zeleznik for building resume-writing and portfolio development into the program curriculum.
As an intern, Eddie used his Adobe software, fashion illustration, and communication skills to assist design teams on upcoming collections. “My internship helped me build lasting connections with my team,” he says. “They kept me in mind when other positions needed to be filled when graduation time came around.”
Now in his full-time role, Eddie supports his team throughout the design process. “From pulling inspiration imagery, working on building out CADs, and assisting in fittings, everyone on my team has to wear many hats,” he says, adding that he puts the skills he learned at Otis to use every day. “It’s much more technical, day-to-day, compared to Otis, but the skills have been transferable in ways that have made my work assignments feel easy to grasp. I feel that I am just further training my eye to nuance and customer perception at Alo.”
Avery Plummer (’26 BFA Game and Entertainment Design), Full-Time Studio Support Intern at Bang Zoom! Studios
While a student, Avery Plummer was able to access the Internship Equity Fund to help supplement a part-time internship at Bang Zoom! Studios, an audio post-production studio that works on anime, video games, television series, feature films, and original animation projects. “As a student responsible for paying my own rent and living expenses, I needed the Equity Fund to allow me to reduce my work hours on-campus so I could dedicate more time to my internship,” she says.
The experience has led to full-time work as a Studio Support Intern, where she covers everything from processing talent paperwork to preparing recording studios and session materials.
“While the role doesn’t rely heavily on the technical art skills I learned at Otis, it absolutely builds on the soft skills I developed there,” she says. “Otis taught me how to adapt quickly, communicate effectively, ask thoughtful questions, collaborate with others, and stay open to learning new things. Those skills have been instrumental in my success at Bang Zoom! and ultimately led to my role being extended into a full-time internship.”
The exposure to the entertainment industry—supporting a variety of departments and learning parts of the production pipeline, including audio engineering, voice-over recording, and art within post-production—has led her to re-think her career aspirations to now include working in production.
This experience has built upon important lessons Avery gleaned from her faculty. “They helped me understand that there are many paths into the entertainment industry beyond applying directly for your dream role,” she says. “Faculty encouraged me to stay open to opportunities in adjacent departments that could help me gain experience and build a long-term career.”
To any student considering an internship, Avery offers this advice: “Apply for everything. Don’t limit yourself to opportunities that perfectly match your major or your dream job. Every internship offers valuable experience, introduces you to new people, and helps you better understand how different parts of the industry work together. You might even discover a career path you hadn’t considered before.”
According to Career Services, 75% of Otis students who had internships landed full-time jobs within three months of graduating. Through the combined efforts of their office, a curriculum focused on job preparedness, and a robust internship program, Otis College students graduate with a solid professional network, prepared for the rigors of the workforce.
More on Careers and Outcomes at Otis College.
