What Do The Interns Say?
Recently there was a meeting held at my university where senior journalism majors discussed their out of town internship experiences. They gave some good advice.
First of all, they interned with some pretty heavy hitters like Good Morning America, USA TODAY and WABC-TV in New York City so they began with advice on how to land internships with major companies.
Persistence was first and foremost. They also recommended making the interview "memorable in the eyes of the employer." This is where letting your natural personality shine comes into play - unless you're shy and retiring, then you might want to give an Oscar-worthy performance of assertiveness and charm.
One senior recommended planning. She explained how she made a list of all the places where she wanted to intern then proceeded to research each one. She knew when applications were due and what should be included with each. Her hard work and preparation paid off in the form of an internship with Good Morning America.
Next, there was the discussion of cost. This is always a key factor in deciding whether to do an internship out of town. Two of the students were fortunate enough to land paidinternships . Those who didn't relied on parental assistance and personal loans. None of them was living high on the hog, though, and budgeting was necessary for all.
Finally, one senior gave a good piece of advice for interns who really want to gain practical work experience: Let the employer know that you want to learn and you want to work. He said it will get you noticed more quickly. I agree with this. As someone who has had a variety of temp assignments, I know first hand that if you don't ask, a lot of times you won't get what you want. You have to ask for more responsibility and more challenging work. But make sure you're up to the task when you do. You want to make the best impression possible during your internship, just in case you decide to apply for a job with this employer later.
Because these interns worked in major U.S. cities, they got a firsthand look at what life would be like for them should they decide to work for one of the companies where they interned. Their experiences seem to have been valuable on many levels beyond the professional.
This Blog was brought to you, in part, courtesy of my campus newspaper.
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