The final blog...

     I believe that internships are definitely beneficial in terms of getting a job.  For starters, just having an internship on your resume will show employers that you have had practical experience in the field before.  This usually gives them more confidence in hiring someone when they are up against someone else, who just went to college and has no internship under their belt.  I believe the tips given in the article “5 Ways to Turn an Internship into a Job Offer” summarize exactly how my internship will help me get a job in the future.  Every day I go to work, I put 110% of effort into everything I do.  This helps show my supervisor how motivated and dedicated I am to the work I am doing.  Furthermore, I ask questions, showing my supervisor my interest in learning about my internship.  Also, I accepted feedback when it was given, and tried to improve from that feedback that was given to me.  I plan on staying in touch with the people at the station.  They are all great contacts in the field, and great references, considering I do not really want to go into radio.  I have showed initiative in all of my work, and like the article suggests, I started this at day one.  I have also build my professional network.  I have been able to network a lot through my internship, and have taken full advantage of this.  The final tip given is to be your best.  This is something I strive to do in every area of my life, and this internship was no different.

     I feel that I am doing a great job of avoiding the mistakes made in the second article.  Since I, like many in this class, will be graduating in May, I need to find a job.  In my job search thus far, I have done exactly the opposite of what is stated in this article.  I keep my information up to date, respond to emails and phone calls immediately, do not act desperate, and use a professional, industry appropriate resume.  I believe that this is what will set me apart, and help me find a job, and be a successful employee in the long run.

     I am sad to see this internship come to a close, although this is not a field I want to work in, the experience was still great, and I loved every second of it!

     Good luck to all of you searching for jobs, and congrats to my fellow Class of 2013 graduates!!

Hours Worked:

Saturday:        10:00am-1:45pm (event)

Total Internship Hours Worked:  138.5 hours

Downsides and Benefits

     When I first saw this as our topic for this week, my first thought was the downside of working with 23 other interns.  While it was fun, and I was able to meet various other people, some of whom I will remain in contact with, I was annoyed at times with some of the other interns.  I was not hard to spot those who it and did not pull their weight.  Out of the 23 interns, I probably only worked with about 10 of them.  The majority of the 23 came from West Chester, and honestly only ever worked with two of them.  It was evident in our weekly meetings that they were not pulling their weight, by some of the comments that were made.  However, I kept my head high, and just strived to do the best that I could as always.

     Additionally, there were many benefits to my internship.  I was able to get a better sense of the radio world, and the promotions aspect of the radio world.  I was able to meet many different listeners, most of whom were excited to see us.  I broke out of my shell a bit, and opened up, and at this point I am willing to talk to almost anyone at events.  Moreover, I had the great opportunity to meet an artist.  This past week, Weston Burt, a new country artist came into the studio.  He played three or fours songs for us, bought us lunch, and gave us all autographs and pictures with him. 

     Overall, this was a great experience that I am proud to have taken part in.  The benefits of this internship definitely outweighed the downsides.  I met amazing people, and was able to work with some of the best in the business.  Now matter what, this is an experience I will cherish, and take with me the rest of my life.

Hours Worked:

Sunday:              12:30pm-3:30pm (event)

Wednesday:        10:30am-8:45pm (office/event)

Getting that Letter!

     I do plan to ask my supervisor for a letter of recommendation.  I feel that I have put 110% into everything I do with the station; so getting a letter from her would be very beneficial.  The hardest part about getting a letter from her however is that I have only worked with her a handful of times.  When I work in the office, my supervisor is always there, however when I work my events, I have only worked with her 4 times max.  This makes it a bit trickier to ask for a letter of recommendation, because she has not seen all of the work I put in.  While the Street Teamers are required to report back to my supervisor about me, she has not been the one witnessing the work first hand.  Additionally, I believe that most will agree that it can be awkward to ask for a letter of recommendation, however if you believe you did good work, it is strongly encouraged.

     In response to the article, I feel that companies allowing interns to come in and work with them is not only beneficial to the employer, because they are getting free work most of the time, but it is extremely beneficial to the intern.  I believe everyone should do an internship, two or more if possible.  I personally am glad I took the time to participate in two internships.  I have kept my valuable contacts from my first internship, and value that experience fully, because I discovered that Marketing and Communications is my true passion.  While I still value the experience from this internship, I have discovered that this is not a field I would like.  Aside from giving real world experiences, they are beneficial to finding your true passion in the job market, while giving you valuable experience in that field.  It was not surprise to see the large increase at Drexel University with their internship program.  I believe that more students are finding out about internships, as well as them being required now in order to receive one’s degree.

     Again, I strongly encourage all to participate in another internship if the opportunity is presented to you!

Hours Worked:

Saturday:          9:30am-12:30pm  (event)

Wednesday:     10:00am-3:00pm   (office)

A Permanent Position?!

     Let me start out by stating how much I love my internship.  I find that others frequently ask me how my internship is going, how I like it, and if I would do this full time if given the opportunity.  Tying into that is this weeks prompt for this blog.  Again I fully enjoy and cherish my entire internship!

     I have put a lot of work into my internship, and I have found that while I still have a month left (I am there until May 16^th) I will be completing my required hours, and am going beyond those requirements.  This is not something I mind by any means, because the experience has been a fun one, and I have learned many skills about myself, and the working world.  I do like working in radio, and more specifically in the promotions department.  While it has proved changeling at times, at the same time, I love the people I work with, and we generally have a good time while working. 

     As for a permanent position, I have found myself telling many people that I do not think this is for me.  I could see myself starting with this type of job, and having it for a few years, as I get older I do not think this is a position I could hold.  I have found that there is no true structure to the schedules that are worked by the professionals in the field.  They often work 9am-5pm Monday thru Friday, and then are working events at night or on the weekends, where they could be out until at least 2am.  This thing that has stuck with me the most, is during my first two months, my internship supervisor had turned around to the interns and Street Teamers at one of our weekly meeting say how she would not be seeing her child, and have the chance to kiss them goodnight for two nights in a row.  I am a very family orientated person, and I do not know that I would be able to do what she does.

     The biggest reason I do not see myself permanently in this field, is because of the lack of a structured schedule, and also how much the entertainment industries change.  In my department, people seem to come and go pretty quickly.  The longest anyone has been there between the professionals and Street Teamers in the promotions department is about two to two and a half years.  That is a short span.  The entertainment industry in general tends to change pretty quickly.  I mean in my short time as an intern, I have seen many changes happen between the promotions department and the DJs.

     Again, I can see myself doing promotions and working with a radio station for a short time, but I could never see myself doing this for the rest of my life.  Nevertheless, I am grateful for this experience, and the many things I have gained from it.  Until next week…

Hours Worked (last week):

Tuesday:          3:30pm-8:30pm   (event)

Wednesday:   10:00am-3:30pm   (office)

Hours Worked:

Wednesday:   10:00am-3:00pm   (office)

                        3:30pm-10:00pm (event)

Interviewing

     I found this article extremely helpful. Looking forward to graduation, and beginning my career, which is only a month and a half away, I have started applying for jobs. I have managed to get an interview for this coming week, so I found all of the details helpful. I agree that having an internship will give students real world experiences in their field of interest, and help them stand out in a sea of potential employees. As far as the leadership aspect in this article, I believe a huge part of gaining leadership experience at an internship comes from the individual, and how much they are willing to put themselves out there. When at your internship, it is important to ask for leadership opportunities, and stand out to your internship supervisors. In both of my internships, I have tried my hardest to do just that.
     When I prepare for an interview, I start by learning all I can about the company I am interviewing with. That includes, but is not limited to, the founder or founders, the company’s mission, and any other information I can dig up. Next I look online, and try to find practice interview questions. While there is no guarantee that I will be asked those same questions in an interview, I just like to be prepared with possible interview questions. Then I pick out the perfect outfit, something to make an impression, but not the wrong kind of impression. In preparing for an interview, I make sure I know as much as possible, and that I prepare as much as possible, as you can never be too ready!
     No matter who you are, or how many interviews you have been on, you most likely still get nervous for each interview you go on. It is human nature. There are so many unknowns when walking into an interview, and with all of that going through your head, you easily become nervous. However, it is important to be confident in yourself, and keep cool during the interview. Additionally, I hope to make the best impression possible. I have worked very hard over these past four years, and see all that hard work pay off in an interview is the most pleasing thing. While I don’t know how I come off to an interview, I try my hardest to make the best impression possible.
     Trying to find a job can be an exciting time, and as I am currently going through this process now, it is important to do what you can to remain calm and stand out in an interview.

Good luck in any and all interviews!

Hours Worked:

Saturday:      12:45pm-5:00pm (event)

Sunday:          1:45pm-5:30pm (event)

Wednesday:    9:30am-2:00pm (office)

Internship Assessment

     At the halfway mark, my internship with Wired 96.5 and 92.5 XTU is going extremely well!  It is even better than what I had expected.  While it is hard some weekends fitting in the required number of weekend events, other weekends are easy, and I am able to compensate by signing up for more weekend events.  The events are generally fun, and it often does not even feel like work.  I have worked various events, from bars to pet stores, to expos at the Philadelphia Convention Center to handing out fliers at West Chester University.  I did not imagine that these events would be fun to work, while at the same time meeting the requirements for my internship.  Additionally, I have met some incredible people at my events, and often times, on the way to our events many people honk at us while we are in the Wired or XTU vehicles.

     I have received many benefits from this internship.  Aside from meeting numerous people who work for the station, I have learned a lot about my self, and my career that I will be beginning in a few short months.  I have discovered that I do love working in radio, however when looking at it long-term, I do not feel that this lifestyle is for me.  I use the word lifestyle, because for many people working with the stations, it really is more than just a job.  The employees who work full-time, work in the office Monday through Friday 9am-5pm, then they work events with the station on the weekends.  Those who work part-time work weekend events, and go to school full-time.  While I very much enjoy working with the radio stations, the schedule is crazy, and not something I could see myself working for a long period of time, because I prefer a more structured lifestyle.  More than that, the Street Teamers have been amazing to me.  They have taught me numerous things, that I believe will help me excel in the future.  I must attribute much of my successes at the station to the Street Teamers sharing their knowledge with me, and the other interns.

     The only way I believe I could improve my internship would be to work harder at picking up more events.  This proves difficult with the various events and activities I am involved in on campus, however as the semester continues to wind down, more and more free time will be made available, hopefully allowing me to pick up more events.

     I hope I can gain as much as possible from my internship in these last few weeks!

Hours Worked:

Wednesday:    9:30am-2:30pm (event)

                       2:30pm-3:30pm (office) 

"The True Value of an Internship"

     I must agree fully with this article.  Having completed two internships, that follow two different paths of Communications, I have realized as an intern, what I want to do after my May graduation.  While I absolutely love my current internship, I do not see myself working full-time in radio.  Seeing the work schedules, and the crazy hours they are required to work, I feel that I would prefer a more structured schedule.  In my past internship, that is exactly what I had, a set schedule, and free nights and weekends.  This in no way means I am not giving this internship 100%!  I am still extremely dedicated to this internship, and embrace everything it has to offer to me.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be an intern; so slacking off once you realize this job is not for you is not an option.  To me, a foot in the door is a foot in the door, even if it is something you cannot picture yourself doing full time.

     Additionally, my internship has taught me many behavioral and interpersonal skills.  The biggest interpersonal skill I have built upon as an intern is my problem solving abilities.  Often, when we are at our event sites, something will occur, such as us not having our enter-to-win slips.  It is how you react to these types of problems as an intern that will cause you to be noticed above the other interns.  Furthermore, it is these types of skills that you can gain from an internship, that may give you the upper edge in a job interview, or when asking your current internship to be a reference for an upcoming job interview.

     Finally, the interactions at my internship are normally phone based when I am in the office, and face-to-face when I am at an event.  They can range anywhere from a normal day-to-day conversation to someone who is extremely intoxicated, and completely in your face.  While you may want to respond in a harsh way sometimes, we must keep our cool in order not to loose a loyal listener of the station.  This can be a hard feat, but it is one we must conquer everyday.

     It saddens me, that I will not be at my internship for two weeks, because I am participating in the Alternative Spring Break Trip, which leaves Saturday morning for Taos, New Mexico.  However, having this internship, it gives me something exciting to look forward to for when I return!  See you all then!

Hours Worked:

Wednesday:            10:00am-12:00pm (office)

                                12:00pm-2:00pm  (event)

                                 2:00pm-3:30pm   (office)

                                 3:30pm-8:30pm   (event)