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Hi Camilla! I’m a 19 year old Professional Communication student hoping to specialise in Journalism and PR. I’m highly impressed with the number of internships you’ve managed to secure under your belt, so I guess I’m just wondering if you’d be able to give me any advice to follow in your footsteps? I have a blog (it’s currently not working at the moment so I won’t link it to you just yet) which I use frequently. I’m really interested in politics, current affairs, arts and culture, foreign languages in general, I really love writing. Thanks for your time!
Nancy.

Thanks so much for your question Nancy!

I figured I’d answer this question in a post, as it’s a question I get a lot, and I know a lot of people who visit Girls Are Made From Pepsi are journalism/media students. I’m mainly going to focus on publications though, as that’s where I’ve completed the majority of my internships. You might find this method also works for broadcast media too though.

When you’re studying to work in media, there are two things for certain. Firstly, you will be exposed to Media Watch. You will tune in every Monday night and feel incredibly smug whilst doing so. You will then return to your daily life, and eye people with mocking scorn as they browse through certain low-brow publications, blissfully unaware of the ways they are being manipulated by media scum. You are oh so wise, oh blessed journalism student.

2. You HAVE to do internships. Yes, plural. Notice how I say internships and not internship. That’s because ideally, you should do more than one.

Now, a lot of media courses will make it mandatory to complete at least one internship, which is great! My first journalism course at Macleay College in Sydney (which I highly recommend for those wanting hands on experience) required us to complete two. I think I did 4 (nerdburger!). But I had a rollicking time whilst doing so and now my resume is pimpin’. Ya dig?

Spending just one week photocopying paper work or creating scrap books of inspiration or accompanying a journalist on their particular beat just isn’t going to cut the mustard, girlfriend. Sure, it gets you in the workplace and it certainly adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to your resume, but if you want to acquire some actual skills and really set yourself apart from the rest of the pack, you need to do several internships.

Now don’t freak out. I realise you just want ONE! And one may be hard enough to get as it is. The idea of working for free might not sound too appealing, but you need to keep in mind that as a student you need to acquire skills, and the only way to do this is through hands on experience. Luckily for you, I have the art of intern proposing down pat and I’m going to share my secrets with you.

1. Find a publication you want to work for. Make sure it’s a publication you actually respect. This will make writing to the publication a lot more easier because you’ll appear more genuine, and should you win the editor over with your flourishing praise, it’ll make interning a lot more fun because you’ll actually want to be there. I’ve made the mistake of interning for publications I didn’t really love all that much, and trust me, it shows when you disappear to the bathroom every five minutes.
2. The best thing to do is to start off small. You’ve probably got your sights set on joining the Park Street pack, or trawling the hipster dwellings of New York with your new Nylon buddies, or fetching unpublished manuscripts for Ms. Anna Wintour herself.  If you’re in your first year and haven’t done any internships, you might not get placed at the nation’s top publications to begin with. That is, unless you know someone. And if you have contacts, by Joe, make sure you’re lending out free iPods left, right and centre!  But if you don’t know anyone in the industry, that’s ok! There are honestly a lot of other cool publications out there that are relatively small, but looooooove taking on interns. This is usually because as a small publication they might not have the same resources as larger publications, so it’s a win-win situation for all. They get an extra person helping out, and you get to have a kick-ass time being a serious journalist! Can you say Extra! Extra!?
3. Make up a list of milestones. Just grab a pen and paper. Or make up an excel spread sheet, and create goals for yourself. Mine usually go something like this:

• 1^st October : Email editor of [your magazine here]
• 5^th October: Follow up email
•  10^th October: Follow up with phone call
•  30^th October: Try another publication

4. Go for gold. Just do it. Email them. Find who it is that handles intern programs, and drop them a line. Depending on how large the publication is, it could be a number of a people: the editor, the PA, the editorial coordinator, HR department. Checking the website usually brings some good leads as to whom you should be contacting.

5. When you’re crafting up your letter to intern success, be sweet. Be honest. And most of all, focus on how YOU can help THEM.  If you send someone an email saying what you want, they will probably forward your email around the office and everyone will make fun of you. Just kidding! However, it won’t pack as much as a punch if you tell them how much you love their magazine. So go on, don your digital eyelashes and get a-fluttering, girlfriend. Tell them your favourite issue so far, tell them what regular columns you love, tell them you wish they’d update their blog more and that you’re just DYING for the next issue. But also make sure you mean these things.

6. Be relentless. Do not give up so easily. Editors (or whomever handles work experience) get a shit load of emails, and sometimes they might see your email, intend to get back to you, but forget because fashion week is on or something. So what’s an undergrad to do? You email them again. Just a gentle reminder saying something along the lines of “Hi, Just wondering if you received my email regarding internships. I’m super keen to come in and help you guys out in any way I can. Looking forward to hearing back from you!” Sometimes, this might involve even (ugh!) calling them. I’ve done this in the past, and it’s landed me internships. Here’s what you do:

• Find their number (who do you want to talk to? The editor? The deputy editor?). This will usually be on the website.
• Write up a little script of what you intend to say should they (gulp) actually be in the office or, should they be in a meeting.
• If they’re unable to talk, politely inform them you’ll call back. YOU call THEM. Sometimes, they might ask for you to leave a message. 9 times out of 10, they will not return your call.
• If they can talk, mention your email, then restate what you’re written in said email. Calling shows persistence, guts and dedication. You’re setting yourself apart from the pack. You go Glen Coco!

And lastly, just a few pointers for when you actually score the gig:

1. Should you be asked to perform menial tasks such as fetching lunch, photocopying, banking, decorating the bathroom (oh yes, I’ve been there), it’s best to grin and bare it. You will inevitably have to do jobs you don’t like, but you’ll be rewarded with more fun, fulfilling tasks as well. For example, I’ve had to pack 100s of gift bags for book launches, but I also got to attend said book launches. Think Hugo’s Lounge in Kings Cross, with dozens of talented, super important people, free cosmopolitans, a photo in the Sun Herald, and a goody bag to boot. Own horn = tooted!
2. If possible, arrange to come in 1 or 2 days a week for a few months, rather than doing 1 week straight. You’ll be more exposed to the up-and-down publications process. Sometimes, some weeks are very quiet, and it’s not fun to land work experience on those weeks. You’ll also build up more of a relationships with those you’re working with.
3. Remember to keep in contact with those you work for. They can prove to be invaluable references and mentors.

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