5 Tips to Make the Most of an Internship
Take it seriously. If the internship is unpaid that does not give you an excuse to take it for granted. You should show up on time and be willing to stay late. I did a couple of sports internships during the summer when things were slow at the station. There were many times when the anchor gave me the option to go home early. I rarely took it. I wanted to demonstrate that I wanted to be there.
Always offer to help. Every day as an intern you should ask, “How can I help today?” Periodically, during each day you should ask, “Is there anything I can help you with?” In many situations the interns experience is largely dictated by how much they want to do. If they want to do a lot they will be able to, if they want to do a little they will be allowed to do that as well. The internship will be what you make it.
Never work on other things at your internship. If you are taking a summer class the internship is not the time to do homework. If you are asked to come in on your day off and it is possible, do so. Even if it is an unpaid internship little things like these separate you from the pack. Also, the extra effort makes the anchors more willing to help when you may need their help completing your resume tape.
Study the on-air talent. Whether you are in news, sports, entertainment or some other area watch the talent closely. How do they prepare? How do they interact with their co-workers? How did they get to where they are? Be sure to stay out of their way but ask if you can pick their brain when they have some down time.
Make the internship your priority. I cannot emphasize enough how big this piece is to getting your career started. Do not be shy about asking questions. This might be your only chance to pick the brain of someone in the industry so take advantage. If you see someone doing something you want to learn ask, “Would you mind showing me how to do that?” If you follow these steps, at the end of your internship you are likely to walk away with a demo reel that will put you close to launching your on-air career. For more info on that topic check out this blog post How to make a Demo Reel.
I want to hear from you. Leave your questions in the comments below.