For our first rare snow day of the spring semester, we got the opportunity to hear from three journalism students on their internship experiences this past summer. Bella Moyers-Chavez, our own chapter president, Henry Gorsuch, our EVP, and special guest, Cody Englander, gave us a window into their professional development. The key takeaways from the panel are below.
The internships & the experiences:
Bella: This past summer, Bella earned the title of social media intern at Broken Leg Entertainment. Bella found this remote position through LinkedIn, where she utilized her network connections and music skills to connect with the CEO of the company and secure her position after interviewing. Bella said she worked on the management side of the social media work, whether that was scheduling content or creating it. While Bella had to deal with the challenge of losing a team member during her internship, she said she still greatly enjoyed sharpening her digital media skills, being involved in-person on a set in Columbus and the work-hard, play-hard culture of Broken Leg Entertainment.
Henry: This summer, Henry spent his summer in the West Virginia/D.C. area with the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) as a communications and multimedia intern. Henry said he was welcomed into the sphere of government services, where his main focus was on anti-trust guideline videos, in which he got the entire office involved. Henry found this internship after alumna Kayla Bennett came to Henry’s Com-Law class and introduced the class to the opportunity. Henry said he was very persistent in his LinkedIn messaging with Kayla, which greatly aided in his selection for the position. Henry said he greatly enjoyed creating connections within his workplace and strengthening his Canva and analytics skills.
Cody: Cody got to experience many college students’ dreams this past summer and intern in the “Big Apple.” Cody was a staff writer for the Chautauquan Daily, where he wrote upwards of six articles a week and interviewed notable people such as Peter Docter, director of many familiar Pixar films. Cody said he greatly enjoyed contributing to and informing his neighborhood about daily happenings and local news, even when the Chautauquan was facing the threat of budget cuts. Cody also had the unique experience of living with his fellow interns, which he said was beneficial when living in a new place.
The advice:
For this internship panel, advice was a huge factor. All of our panelists recommended that we be bold enough to ask questions, but also be independent to try new things first, to take advantage of the Bobcat network, to explore the city we’re interning in (whether that be in Ohio or out of state), and to always be true to ourselves when interviewing, because that is what can set you apart.
Connect with Bella, Henry and Cody on LinkedIn!
Ella Neighborgall is majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in PR & Advertising. You can connect with Ella here.