I have very fond memories of my third design internship at a boutique firm when I was a Senior in college. The firm was located in Yorktown, Virginia in a tiny little office no bigger than a studio apartment.  It was cozy and quiet while being open and airy at the same time.  You could hear every phone conversation, every mumbled curse word, and every crunch of a Dorito... to many of you reading this it may sound annoying, but in retrospect, for me that was one of the best work experiences I've ever had.  To be honest I've never interned at an overwhelmingly large firm but after interning at a mid-sized firm of about 65 - 70 employees, I don't think I'd want to!  

I'm not going to flood this article with reasons why mid-sized and large firms are not the best place for "newbies" looking to get well-rounded work experiences; I'm going to simply give my opinion on why small firms are a better option.  

 

 

You end up doing A LOT more because you HAVE to!  

When you do more, you learn more.  One of the benefits of going small is that there are not twenty different people running around with a skill that you don't yet have.  At a smaller firm if a task needs to get done there is a greater chance of you learning how to do it, opposed to being looked over because someone else has more experience in that area than you do.  

 

We all know that Generation Y  has developed this rap for needing constant attention and feedback - and it makes sense with how we were coddled by our parents growing up, given constant feedback from our teachers as young ones, and having setup Myspace, Facebook, and YouTube pages that scream "look at me"!  So it's natural that we would expect the same treatment from our Employers, right?  You're more likely to get this attention working in closer proximity to your boss with no walls separating the two of you. 

 

I've interned at two small firms that ranged from 5-10 employees, I still keep in contact with my old co-workers and it amazes me how at those firms that I interned at over 3 years ago have the exact same people are still working there!  So, if you don't want to be in an environment where people are constantly coming and going - go small!

 

So there you have it, three very good reasons to intern at a small firm if you have that option.  Personally, I believe that larger firms are best suited for people who are further along in their careers; but hey I guess everyone needs interns!