Progressions

Taking the Road Less Traveled

When you’re early in your career, it’s easy to focus on what looks good on paper — the polished internship titles, the well-known organizations, the kind of experiences people instantly recognize. But not every opportunity comes wrapped in prestige. Some of the most meaningful ones don’t.

A seasoned communications professional once gave me a piece of advice I didn’t fully appreciate at the time: “Take the job no one wants.” She explained that the less flashy, less obvious roles often spark the most growth. I didn’t realize how true that was until I landed my first-ever internship at Indiana Humanities, a small nonprofit in Indianapolis that funds and produces public humanities programming throughout the state of Indiana.

I first learned about the organization through a student I interviewed for Butler University’s student newspaper. I loved its mission and kept an eye out for opportunities. When I later saw a development internship posted on LinkedIn, I applied immediately, even though development and fundraising were outside anything I’d done before. What I did have was writing experience and a liberal arts background that taught me to adapt quickly, think critically and communicate across many contexts.

Stepping into unfamiliar territory pushed me in all the right ways. I wrote a four-part donor welcome series, crafted fundraising appeals, conducted interviews to build donor profiles and drafted messaging for statewide matching campaigns. I even got to write a feature story for National Arts & Humanities Month and contribute smaller pieces like a book review and a magazine letter. None of it was traditional PR, but all of it strengthened skills that make me a more versatile communicator.

Along the way, I discovered something even more valuable: clarity. I learned what excites me, what doesn’t and what I want my future career to feel like. Opportunities that pushed me outside my comfort zone helped me better understand where I can thrive and what kind of work actually energizes me.

The biggest lesson, though, came from something I never could have predicted. Midway through my internship, federal funding cuts hit the organization hard. Grants were paused, and staff members were laid off. It could have been a moment defined by discouragement — and in some ways, it was — but what struck me most was the resilience of the Indiana Humanities team. Mourning turned into laughter. Frustration gave way to determination. Their commitment to the humanities didn’t fade; if anything, it deepened. Working alongside them taught me what mission-driven work really looks like.

That sense of connection continued long after my internship ended. A few months later, Indiana Humanities’ communications manager visited my PRSSA Chapter as a guest speaker. Hearing her share insights with my peers was a full-circle moment — a reminder that meaningful opportunities don’t end the day the internship does. They follow you, shape you and show up again in unexpected ways.

When I think about the road less traveled, that’s what I picture: the quiet, unglamorous opportunities that shape you in ways the shiny ones sometimes can’t — the kind of experience where you learn to adapt, think critically, roll with the unexpected and find a sense of purpose in the people around you.

My path to this internship wasn’t linear. My college journey hasn’t been either. But I’m learning that the most meaningful experiences aren’t always the ones everyone else is chasing. Sometimes they’re tucked away in places you only find when you’re willing to say yes to something different.

Here’s my advice to anyone navigating internships or early career decisions: Don’t be afraid to take the opportunity that doesn’t look perfect on a résumé — the smaller organization, the unfamiliar role, the job that no one else is paying attention to.

Because sometimes the less obvious path isn’t just a path — it’s the one that shapes you most.