Journalism internships offer a unique opportunity to gain a lot of experience. For this reason, the competition can be pretty high. Since getting an internship is pretty important, you want to do everything you can to make sure you get it. With a few journalism internship secrets, you can have a better chance of landing that internship and gaining that oh so valuable experience.
Understand the Company - You need to fully understand the company you're trying to get an internship with. This means that you'll want to learn the market, the content, the people and anything else you can learn. This way, when you have your interview or meeting, you'll be more than prepared to answer questions about why you'll fit in well and how you will benefit the company. Learning this can also ensure that you do a better job if you get the internship.
First Impressions - First impressions are huge, and no matter what you're told, it will have an influence on whether you get the internship or not. Be prepared for your first meeting, and spend some time going over potential interview questions and answers. Be open, friendly, and smile a lot. Laughing at jokes or telling a few well-placed ones yourself might be a good idea, too. Don't try to push it, but letting some of your natural personality come through while you answer questions and converse with the person interviewing you. Making a good first impression might not seem like a big deal, but in this industry, you have to be able to sell yourself well.
Good Journalism Grades - While you might not miss out on an internship just because you're not making straight A's, it's important to keep that GPA as high as possible when you're in college. A higher GPA is like icing on the cake to someone looking over your information in order to determine whether or not to offer you an internship.
Be Extremely Accurate - One of the most important parts of journalism is accuracy. Therefore, when applying for an internship, be as accurate as possible. Look over the requirements very carefully and give them what they want. If they ask for three samples, offer three samples; no more, no less. When a company knows you can easily follow directions and do just what was asked of you, your chances of gaining an internship will be higher
When you take the time to research a company, make sure your first impression counts, and follow the company's instructions to the letter, you will have a better chance of gaining a journalism internship. This internship will offer valuable experience that will serve you throughout your entire career.