NEWSWEEK
A video of an intern who says she commutes to work by plane from South Carolina to New Jersey has gone viral on TikTok, where it received over 582,000 views at the time of writing.
The clip was posted by TikToker Sophia Celentano (@sophiacelentano48), who filmed herself getting ready for her commute on the first day of her marketing internship. A caption shared with the video read: “super commuting slay.”
Celentano said in the clip: “You might be wondering ‘Sophia, if you’re working 9 to 5, why the hell are you up at 3 a.m.?’ I am actually going to be commuting into my job one day a week. I’m going to be a corporate marketing intern for an advertising agency. The office I’m working for is based in the New York/New Jersey area.”
“Because I only have to be in the office one day a week, it honestly is cheaper for me to stay in Charleston [South Carolina] for the summer with my parents and just pay for plane tickets one day a week than to live in New York full time,” she explained.
According to a survey by Numbeo, which is described as “the world’s largest cost of living database” compiled with crowdsourced data from 11,354 cities around the world, the estimated monthly costs for a single person in New York City (minus the cost of rent) was reported to be $1,506.80.
The price of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center of the Big Apple was reported to range from $2,500 to $5,000. The cost of renting a similar apartment outside the city center ranged from $1,800 to $3,500, according to Numbeo.
The poster in the latest TikTok video is likely not alone in her dedication to her position, as internships have been crucial for career prospects, according to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
According to the report, published in September 2017, “the strongest predictors of initial career outcomes were grade point average and the total number of internships a student completed.”
The study, which analyzed data from the graduating classes of 2013, 2014 and 2015 at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s college in Massachusetts, found that “participation in multiple internships in college helps students to secure employment or enter graduate school within six months of graduation.”
In the latest viral TikTok video, Celentano said her internship, which is paid, according to a subsequent video post, is a “hybrid position” that sees her working from home every day except Wednesday.
Her weekly commute would entail flying every Wednesday from Charleston to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, landing there at 8 a.m. local time. She would then take an Uber to the office.
In the subsequent video, Celentano said she was one of 12 people who were accepted for this internship program among the more than 500 people who applied for it.
“Internships carry a lot more weight than they have historically right now. Even if you’re fresh out of college, companies are expecting you to have experience and connections to the industry that you’re applying within,” she said.
The TikToker said she feels “very lucky and blessed” but did not reveal the name of the company she works for.
“The guy who founded this company is literally referred to as ‘the father of advertising.’ So yes, maybe it is extreme to fly in one day a week to meet in-person expectations. But if that’s what I have to do to leave a good impression…to get a return offer at a really great place, then so be it,” the intern said.
Celentano said the job market is “terrifying right now…as a young adult” noting that “people who are completely qualified for positions and have degrees from top universities aren’t getting hired because they don’t have connections and they don’t have internship experience.”
Several TikTokers were shocked by the woman’s commute and some said it isn’t worth it.
User tomato wrote: “When she said charleston my mouth literally dropped open.”
Savannah said: “I was expecting like a DC to NYC commute… NOT Charleston…”
User lauren wrote: “This is crazy but def cheaper than rent in nyc. it also probably feels kinda cool to take a weekly business trip lol [laugh out loud].”
Maresa said: “I think you may be a little delulu [delusional] but I support you.”
User autumn! said: “I work at an nyc advertising agency and it’s absolutely not worth that hassle. but I truly hope you get a lot of experience from the internship!!”
User gabrielle said: “I hate to tell u this but a summer internship is not enough of a future resume booster to be booking two flights a week.”
User sarah wrote: “This interruption to your routine and decrease in quality of life really doesn’t seem worth it.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster via TikTok for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
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