InternshipRatings.com

By Aviya Slutzky
International Relations Major
Tufts University 2010
@aslutzk

Just a few months ago, I thought a PR person was the stereotypical short-blonde-go-getter-party-thrower. It was easy to confuse publicist with public relations and assume any publicity was good publicity.

Despite those negative stereotypes, I decided to intern at a top PR firm this summer – DKC. And with the summer coming to an end, all prior misconceptions have been thrown out the window. I am finishing my internship at DKC and I am hungry for more.

One of the reasons I decided to intern at DKC was my curiosity and desire to learn and work at an innovative firm. My past internships have ranged from translating Hebrew Holocaust survivor testimony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to editing and updating programming at the Center of Women and Enterprise. Though they range in industry and field, the internships were challenging and demanded my commitment and creativity. DKC is no different.

I have sat in on several new client meetings and pitch presentations, several brainstorming sessions, and helped with a press conference for the launch of Climate Week NYC headlined by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

As technology continues to evolve, today’s media requires more attention. A key point that I’ve learned in my time here has been that firms can’t ignore bloggers, Twitterers, Facebook users, and rely solely on traditional media to market their products and services. PR is vital in navigating through the onslaught of communication outlets.

One of the tasks I have, as other interns can attest, is to compile media lists. For example, I searched through green bloggers and reporters to find appropriate contacts to pitch the USTA’s major green initiative at this year’s US Open. While the task is not as grand as attending the Open, I know I am a part of one of the most basic – yet important – details of a successful campaign. And I gained a better understanding of just how significant it is to connect clients to consumers.

In my mind, PR is no longer exemplified by a publicist trailing Lindsay Lohan’s escapades, but a powerhouse who networks, pitches stories, and navigates media coverage.

And while I may not be blonde, I have learned that PR holds a place for me.

By David Charns

Journalism Major

Boston University 2010

Waking up at 2AM is not something that most people would want to do, let alone something an intern would want to do, but if you want to make it in the broadcast news industry, you have to do anything and everything to further your career. And it’s not just necessarily in broadcasting, if you want to be successful, you have to show dedication.

            This May, I began an internship at WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston, the local ABC affiliate. I previously interned at WBZ-TV Channel 4 (CBS) in Boston and at Prospect Pictures in London. I knew that I wanted to do something different with my summer… get an internship (or a job) where I could learn skills to forward myself in my desired field. My other internships were extremely valuable, but I wanted something new. I already had training on how to find stories, contact sources and deal with spokespeople and PR departments, but I had not sunk my teeth into real television production. The opportunity arose to intern at Channel 5, and after meeting with the internship coordinator there, I was offered an internship. But there was a catch. The highly desired, 9 to 5 shift was all filled up. While at Channel 4, I had worked both the day and the night shifts on the assignment desk. While I had some interaction with producers and the actual show, most of my work involved making sure reporters were on track while following breaking news and other stories. I was about to be lifted out of my comfort zone.

             The internship position available at Channel 5 was in the morning. I was told that the intern was expected to arrive at 3AM and stay until 11AM. That means having a wacky sleep schedule. The anxiety set in. When the idea was initially pitched to me, I shot it down. “No, I am not a morning person. I cannot do mornings,” I recall saying. However, within the next hour, I spoke with several employees who told me I would learn the most while working in the mornings, and as an intern, I would be able to do more.

            That is what sold me – I could do MORE. Rather than sit by a computer and answer phones, I could actually learn by doing. This description is what internships are supposed to be all about. And that is what my internship at Channel 5 has proved to be.

It has been less than two months and I am writing for a major market news broadcast. The first day I was nervous. It was more likely that I went to bed at 2AM let alone wake up at that hour. No cars were on the road and it took me legitimately five minutes to get to the station. Even in the dead of night, the producers were excited to have me on board. I signed onto the computer system and starting looking at the rundowns (a spreadsheet-like document showing all the stories in that day’s show). Within five minutes one of the producers turned to me and said, “Hey, you want to write something?” I was ecstatic. The first day as an INTERN and I wrote news copy. Sure I had done it in class, but this was the real thing.

Now I am writing for the morning and noon shows, digging into the scripts, as well as adding in on-air graphics. I never would have expected writing for the show, let alone being given the freedom to be creative. Channel 5 leads the Boston television market in content and ratings. It is an honor to work alongside such professional journalists.

It has been a great experience so far. Even waking up at 2AM is not all that bad. You get used to it, naps and all. I have learned that sometimes you have to make what you think will be a sacrifice. It certainly was a challenge the first few days, but now it’s fun. Sometimes I even come in early.

There is a rumor at Channel 5 that they like to hang on to their interns. I’m crossing my fingers.

By Becky Steinberg
Boston University 2010
Mass Communication, Public Relations & Spanish

Hola! I am a junior at Boston University, majoring in PR and currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. My study abroad program allows me to take an internship for credit, giving me a unique opportunity to observe office-culture outside the States. I work in a small marketing firm, Elipse Iniciativas and these are just a few of the cultural differences I wanted to share:

·    Kisses. I love the Spanish two-kiss salutation (also prevalent in other European countries). In general, I think it makes Spaniards less socially awkward and starts any relationship off on positive footing. In my experience, it also affects office culture. My 30-something boss greeted me with two cheek kisses my first day, immediately establishing a friendly relationship and making me feel like “one of them” rather than a foreign, temporary intern. I greatly appreciated it, and as a result felt more comfortable participating in the office banter and asking questions about everything from my assignments to Madrid nightlife. While this may not sound revolutionary, think about how long it takes to develop equally informal relationships with co-workers in the U.S when both parties speak English fluently.

·    Siesta. A two-hour lunch break. At my last internship in Boston, my boss wouldn’t take lunch breaks most days, sending me to get a salad and Diet Coke from the Au Bon Pain downstairs instead, which she would eat at her computer. Here, the siesta allows professionals to eat with co-workers, go home to eat with their families and even take a quick nap. I don’t have time to go back to my apartment, so I spend the time eating a three-course-meal with my co-workers or grabbing a sandwich and sitting on the patio with them, ultimately allowing us to be friends in addition to co-workers. Siesta also provides a break from the stresses that accompany deadlines, last-minute changes and computer malfunctions. My boss, for example, at the height of the craziness of planning the Madrid Marathon, would still come out to a long lunch. The siesta seems to help everyone stay sane, even amid event-planning frustrations. They say Spaniards have generally long lifespans, and it’s definitely not because the smoking restrictions (smoking in restaurants the university hallways is still custom). My money is on the siesta.

·    Politically Correct—the Spanish are not, or so I’ve been told. While I’ve never had a personal experience that speaks to this, in preparation for our entrance into the work force here, our internship-director shared one of her experiences. Apparently, her co-worker didn’t know she was pregnant and told her frankly that she looked like she was gaining weight and should probably stop eating so much. She told him she was indeed pregnant, to which he replied she should still maybe think about eating less.

To sum up, my experience at Elipse definitely verifies how my host-brother describes the Spanish attitude towards work: “We work to live, not live to work.”

By Catharine Bennett
Boston University 2010
Mass Communication, Public Relations & French

My internship at an international corporate event planning firm through a study abroad program in Paris, France, began six weeks ago, and will last a total of eight weeks. Coming into this company and knowing very little—except what I could find on their website– I had some ideas of how my internship would play out, most of which were wrong. I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks, and I’ve compiled the most pertinent lessons to help students who plan to participate in study abroad programs with an internship component.

1. Internships are not the same everywhere. Starting an internship in a foreign country and thinking that it’ll be the same as your internship at home makes it really difficult to adjust to a foreign office’s day to day activities. I thought that I would have it all figured out, since I’ve interned for large companies in the States. However, my office experience in France in no way resembles my offices in New York. This office is very interactive and social. Given the seriousness of their work, I was surprised to find fellow employees sharing a cigarette in the parking lot, gossiping by the espresso machine, playing practical jokes on one another during lunch break, and taking long lunches at the local Japanese restaurants.

2. Make the cultural differences work to your advantage. My work day in France is much longer than in the United States; I work from 9:00-6:30 every day, but I get a 90-minute lunch break. Often, other employees opt to take an even longer lunch and stay later into the night. Take the time to learn the office culture and get involved. Find other interns, practice your language skills or help them with English during lunch. If the mood is very serious, act as professionally as possible. If not, engage in office banter (but tread lightly). You need not take up smoking or pretend to like sushi in order to fit in. Just be personable and friendly to co-workers and managers.

3. Don’t be afraid to bring what you know to the company. Especially in the context of an international business, employers will be looking to you in many cases to deal with their English-speaking or American clients. At the very least, bring your excellent English grammar. I offered to work with the clients in the United Kingdom and North America from the beginning, and doing so has made me a valuable member of this team. If you are working in an English-speaking country, you can bring your knowledge of American businesses and appropriate business language to the office. Just because companies share a common language does not mean that they share a common approach to business affairs.

4. At the end of the day, take your internship experience abroad in stride. You might love your co-workers and your job, or you might hate it. It’s all a learning experience. Take advantage of every aspect of your time in a foreign office: go to every meeting, answer every phone call, take on challenging projects and make friends with your co-workers. In non-English speaking countries, an internship is the easiest way to apply your language skills outside of the classroom. Being able to communicate effectively with native speakers in a professional environment speaks volumes, while sitting in class in the United States might not. It’s been my experience, in applying to summer internships, that American employers are very impressed with the fact that I’m interning in a non-English speaking country.

The advantage of a study abroad internship experience will definitely help you out in the future. As I begin to wrap up my internship in Paris, I am taking stock of the lessons learned, contacts made, and new experiences. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve such feats had I stayed in Boston for the semester and completed an internship there.

Erin Everhart
Marketing Intern
352 Media Group

It’s the end of an era. OK, so maybe not that dramatic, but it’s definitely the end of something. Last week, I packed up my belongings and trucked out of 352 Media Group having successfully completed a marketing internship.

For four years, I’ve been doing nothing but journalism. And I’ve loved it. But for the last semester, I left my reporter’s pad at home and did something not journalism-related and did something I’ve never done before. Taking a marketing position at 352 Media was my biggest step out of the box. And since, everytime a journalist interviewer sees my resume, they question my decision to take a marketing internship when my passion for newspapers and magazines is obvious through the other lines under “Experience.” And everytime, I defend it.

Before starting 352 Media Group, I questioned if I really wanted to write for the rest of my life. I took it to get outside experience, but I walked away from the Web site design company thankful for my degree and the little extras I picked up that will make me a better journalist in the long run. I know a bit of programming and web design. I know how to market something, but better yet, I know how to market myself. I know SEO, keyword research and what really goes into being the No. 1 search hit on Google. It might not have anything to do with my major, but at least I can say I did something different.

Isn’t the point of college to learn as much as you can? For four years, you have the unique opportunity to throw the “student card” and explore companies to figure out what you want to do. Sure, 99% of the time, you’re not going to get paid. And that sucks, but at least you get some experience so when you are applying for a “real job,” you’ll have more than just a GPA and a waitressing job on your resume.

I’ve since landed a job (Yes, a recent grad fresh off finals has got a full-time job in this blistering economy: Yes, it is possible, but that’s for another post) as an assistant editor at Atlantic Publishing Company. And while “marketing” isn’t in my job description, I know that I’m not going to forget about what I learned at 352. Even if I’m knee in deep in editing a manuscript to be sent to publishing, I’m still going to need to know SEO and how to publicize on Google. Because let’s face it, we can’t do anything without the Internet.

Erin Everhart
Marketing Intern
352 Media Group

I’m beginning to feel like my posts are becoming a bit redundant. It’s not like I do the exact same thing every week, but blogging about any type of research your doing for 15 hours a week in front of a Dell computer screen isn’t exactly MTV “Real World” material over here. It’s really just the life of an intern, which, no matter how awesome the company you work for is, is never really that thrilling. Granted, I am doing significantly more than just “Intern go for my coffee” or “Intern go wash my car,” but it’s never anything that I can see come to fruition. It’s not like I have this project I’m working on, and when it’s finally finished I can sit back in my $15 Office Max computer chair and say “Yeah…I did that.”

For example, the past week I’ve mainly been doing research on different trade show/conferences/speaking events where someone from 352 Media could attend to further spread our name. While I definitely can see how that information can be vital to our company, it wasn’t anything that made me work to put my creativity to use. And it wasn’t anything that I could showcase for the hours I spent researching online.

Maybe, it’s because I’m so used to seeing a finished article in print and having a physical object that proves that the time I put into it was worth my while. But I think I’m really starting to realize that there’s no tangible method to measure marketing success. Sure you can look at where you stand in Google’s search bar or the number of Web site hits or even the number of people that swing by your booth at the Technology for Marketing and Advertising trade show in London. But that’s not something that you can say you 100% accomplished on your own. I hope–and want to assume–that if/when I take a higher position in a marketing department that my theory will be proved wrong (I welcome any advice in the form of comments to my post!), but just starting out the in marketing business, it’s hard to send the end results when you’re an intern.

Erin Everhart
Marketing Intern
352 Media Group

I love staff meetings. Call me a dork, fine; call me nosey, whatever; but, I’m actually interested in what other people are doing. I think this trait stems from my inner journalist that requires me to know exactly what other people are doing so I’m able to do my job. It’s really annoying sometimes because there are times when I just want to shut myself up and be as productive as possible to get all my work done, but if there’s something going on around me, I can’t help but pay attention because maybe there’s a story there. Actually, maybe that’s A.D.D. more than anything…

Anyway, that being said, I come to look forward to our weekly marketing meeting. Sure, we’ve only had two so far, and besides it being a break from the computer screen we’re locked to for the other 8 hours during the day, it’s an hour where we get to regroup, recharge and brainstorm. And considering the fact that I actually like the people that I work with, it’s really more of a productive get together than an actual meeting. All of our work is still in the ultra-early development phase, so there’s no groundbreaking discoveries yet. Julia is researching Second Life, the virtual world where individuals and corporations can interact with each other outside the real world. (Think Sim City meets Wii, but with real people.)

352 has recently launched an Express package, which is essentially the Slim Fast version of a customized project with half the price and time, so we all did our share of some market research on web design companies to see what other companies may be doing similar and where we have the competitive edge. In doing the research I found a lot of companies that had a decent portfolio of work, but their own Web site was pretty horrendous. I mean, you would expect your dentist to have good teeth right? So why would you want to choose a Web development company who’s own Web site looks like it was put together on iWeb?

This week definitely made me realize that unless you like to research and are a least a touch creative, marketing probably isn’t the best career path for you. Personally, I’m addicted to information and being the absolute best at whatever I’m doing, so sitting in front of a computer screen all day trying to find ways to make us look better is exactly what I would like to do. Expect maybe with a little more human interaction. If only the budget allowed for interns to go to the Technology for Marketing and Advertising event in London, then this internship would definitely be considered top tier. Oh to dream…

By Nick Gaglis
Aspiring Broadcaster
Boston University Class of 2008

The communications business is no piece of cake, but it’s certainly one that anybody can get into with the right attitude. Like any other job, it requires passion, talent, and effort to get things done. Being proactive as an individual is one of the hardest things to do, but it definitely pays off.

The way I got most of my internships was through my own actions. I didn’t need an advisor, or a connection, or anything else. Search a website or two for a company you’re interested in working for. There’s almost always a jobs/employment link at the top or bottom of the screen, frequently next to or part of the about us/contact us page. A quick email with your résumé is all you need to land the job sometimes. I have formally applied (sent applications via mail) to over 15 internships, but the ones I have gotten have all been through succinct cover letters I sent electronically.

As long as you have a well written résumé, a cover letter that states exactly what position it is that you want, why you are the perfect candidate for it, and why you want it, you can land the internship you want. Recommendation letters from professors, employers, or your bosses from other internships are all gold too.

Television and radio are very competitive fields that require ability, persistence, and connections to survive, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t build those things up over time. The reason people start with internships is to create that future for themselves, and they’re already a step or two ahead of anybody who hasn’t had or applied for one yet.

I am a broadcast journalism major, so I look for the positions that land me closest to the on-air personalities. There aren’t too many on-air internships per se, but there are other alternatives. Being a production intern is the best choice while working for a sizable company.

I have been a production intern at four different stations: three radio and one television. I have dealt directly with the people you see and hear in each and every one of them. There is plenty of button pushing, sound checking, and other tasks that may seem mindless and unimportant, but knowing how the broadcast works is infinitely valuable when something goes wrong and the producer needs help. You are much more marketable to an employer for an on-air job if they know that you can help with (or do entirely) the production aspects of the show.

If you land a production spot, don’t be afraid to speak with the talent. You need to be able to communicate with them well in order to put on a quality show. Not all of them are the friendliest people, but I have met more than my fair share of good people in my internships. They’re the ones that can seriously help you out down the road, whether it’s with a cover letter or someone they know who’s hiring.

Erin Everhart
Marketing Intern
352 Media Group

Basic training is done. Whew. The past four weeks have been filled with grunt work, not your standard go get coffee and wash my car, but more like the homework you did in high school that you knew on some level would be helpful in the long run but was always a pain to finish. This week we finished up Phase I of the 352 Internship Program with lectures in general Web design, slicing and coding, marketing and an overview of working for the company.

So finally, on to the real reason why I started this internship: marketing experience. Back in October when I first interviewed with 352 at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Job and Internship Fair, I wasn’t really sure what kind of position to expect from the company. So when they hired me on for the marketing department, I figured any additional experience that varies from the traditional print journalism that clutters my resume would be helpful. I’ve never done any real marketing work, so this is pretty much a clean slate. All the marketing interns–there’s 6 of us total–gathered with Peter VanRysdam, VP of Marketing at 352, on Wednesday to lay out what we hope to accomplish this semester, and I realize that marketing, more than anything, is just finding a clever, creative way that doesn’t cost much to make sure people remember you over the next guy.

Peter divided the work between the 6 of us. One of the interns, Marie, a telecom production UF grad, will be working on putting together some videos to break the work stereotypes that The Office is responsible for, so be on the lookout for them to pop up in You Tube in the next month or so. Another intern Anne and I will be writing up some case studies of recent clients to show off what we’ve done to better attract potential clients, as well as giving you a weekly glimpse in a day in the life of an intern at 352 Media Group. And we’re all brainstorming on ideas to get people to stop by our booth at the Technology for Marketing and Advertising event in London. Free pints were tossed around at the meeting, but we figured getting them sloshed and then signing a contract isn’t exactly the most ethical approach to bringing in new clients. Bummer.

But other than the day to day work, the economic crisis really hit home for me this week when the interns were made aware of some restructuring that had to be done around the company resulting from Microsoft scaling back. Sure we’ve heard about it every day on the news, but having it directly affect you is a different feeling. Maybe that job offer won’t come around in May at the end of the internship, which is fine, because I’d still be doing this regardless. But it’s pretty disheartening knowing that you might not get hired, no matter how qualified you are, because of the economy. It really makes the whole “finding a job” thing a bit more difficult.

Basic training is done. Whew. The past four weeks have been filled with grunt work, not your standard go get coffee and wash my car, but more like the homework you did in high school that you knew on some level would be helpful in the long run but was always a pain to finish. This week we finished up Phase I of the 352 Internship Program with lectures in general Web design, slicing and coding, marketing and an overview of working for the company.

So finally, on to the real reason why I started this internship: marketing experience. Back in October when I first interviewed with 352 at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Job and Internship Fair, I wasn’t really sure what kind of position to expect from the company. So when they hired me on for the marketing department, I figured any additional experience that varies from the traditional print journalism that clutters my resume would be helpful. I’ve never done any real marketing work, so this is pretty much a clean slate. All the marketing interns–there’s 6 of us total–gathered with Peter VanRysdam, VP of Marketing at 352, on Wednesday to lay out what we hope to accomplish this semester, and I realize that marketing, more than anything, is just finding a clever, creative way that doesn’t cost much to make sure people remember you over the next guy.

Peter divided the work between the 6 of us. One of the interns, Marie, a telecom production UF grad, will be working on putting together some videos to break the work stereotypes that The Office is responsible for, so be on the lookout for them to pop up in You Tube in the next month or so. Another intern Anne and I will be writing up some case studies of recent clients to show off what we’ve done to better attract potential clients, as well as giving you a weekly glimpse in a day in the life of an intern at 352 Media Group. And we’re all brainstorming on ideas to get people to stop by our booth at the Technology for Marketing and Advertising event in London. Free pints were tossed around at the meeting, but we figured getting them sloshed and then signing a contract isn’t exactly the most ethical approach to bringing in new clients. Bummer.

But other than the day to day work, the economic crisis really hit home for me this week when the interns were made aware of some restructuring that had to be done around the company resulting from Microsoft scaling back. Sure we’ve heard about it every day on the news, but having it directly affect you is a different feeling. Maybe that job offer won’t come around in May at the end of the internship, which is fine, because I’d still be doing this regardless. But it’s pretty disheartening knowing that you might not get hired, no matter how qualified you are, because of the economy. It really makes the whole “finding a job” thing a bit more difficult.

Erin Everhart
Marketing Intern
352 Media Group

A note to everyone who thinks they know how Web sites work: You’re deluded unless you have any programming experience. And I’m not talking about building something on iWeb or Wordpress.

We spent the past two lectures at 352 Media Group learning the ins and outs of Web site programming. There was the tutorial on Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition and an overview on creating workable databases in SQL Server Management Studio Express. Nothing was too terribly confusing into we started delving into C#. This is where things got fuzzy. Essentially, we were learning a new language, and while I’m far from fluent, it’s safe to say that after one week of intensive translations, I’m walking away with a basic understanding: I can follow along in the conversation but only if slow, simple words are used.

Having a journalism background, I’m pretty analytical and detail-oriented when it comes to fact checking and syntax. I can spot a misplaced comma like it’s nobody’s business. But programming takes a different kind of fact checking. It’s case sensitive, space sensitive and spelling sensitive. It’s a matter of problem solving and working through the kinks. You’ve got to try every possible position until you finally find exactly the content to but the asp.Validator cue around to make sure that your e-mail address is actually a valid e-mail address.

For our assignment, we had to develop one of the most basic Web forms: a “Contact Us” page. And even with the step-by-step walk through the Development Director Dan Vogt did, it was quite the task. Unless you put exactly the right coding in the exactly right place with the exact right formatting, the whole page won’t work. I’m sure programming is like anything else in that it takes a certain amount of practice to be able to finagle your way with C#, but I have a much greater respect for anyone who does this on a daily basis. And looking at some of the Web sites that 352 Media programmers have built blows me away by the level of expertise at the company.

Guaranteed if you take a look at my form, it’ll be pretty jacked up. Sure, it was completely frustrating and nerve-wracking, but a skill worth the time put in; at least I got a basic understanding of what goes into making a Web site functional. Regardless if I’m going to walkaway from this internship with a complete career switch, it’s another line on my resume saying that I know basic programming and C#. And anything that will put me ahead of someone else vying for the same job–which in this economy, could be the only job open–is a perk.