Working for free as an intern for many may seem like a waste of time but in the world of news it's a must if you plan on succeeding.
In news or mainly journalism finding a steady job tends to be hard. Many journalist starts as freelance journalists while praying that they hopefully find a permanent job at any paper or magazine. As I approach the end of my college career I'm starting to hear that more and more. When I meet journalists that are in the field working many of them tend to tell me that they pick jobs up as they go. They tell me they pitch ideas to different papers or magazines and whichever editor like the idea hires them for that time period. Most importantly they tell me they know of freelance job openings because of pervious internships they took part in. By interning they were able to build relationships with other media professionals such as themselves.
Well I bet the question to comes to mind now is how do you find an internship or what are the requirements for one ?
I know this because I asked myself the same questions.
The first step in finding an internship is picking what company you want to work for. For example if your into entertainment news maybe interning for BET would be perfect or if your into hardcore news then ABC studios may be the best way to go. But this step is by far the most important.
If you’re not sure what type of internship you want to pursue but know you want it to be in the field of journalism then visiting websites like Internmatch.com would be perfect. Internmatch.com is a website that allows you to filter the type of journalisms job you are looking for. Whether it deals with television, radio, or print the website brings all sources to you at once. It highlights whether the internship is paid or for free. But most importantly it tells you the requirements you need before applying for a position as an intern.
For many places the main requirement is going to be a resume and cover letter. The resume highlights your past work experiences and your cover letter gives a brief overview of who you are as a person. But some places may ask for you to hand in writing samples or videos of your work. Some internship’s require experience while most will take someone without experience as long they are quick on their toes.
I currently intern with my school paper. I choose to do a school internship first to get some experience before going out into the real world. By interning for the school paper I am able to understand how a paper works, so when I’m out there in the big world I should feel more confident in my abilities to fulfill tasks.
I found this amazing video on YouTube called Internship Info From Employers that highlights what employers are looking for from interns. It gives great details on what they expect from interns and also ways in which an intern can impress the company they are trying to intern for.
By doing internships you are able to build your resume. It allows you to create relationships with professionals that are in the industry. If you impress them they may hire you or even help you find out about job openings.
While interning may seem like a waste of time to many I think they are extremely important.