Valerie Simon
How do you to turn your internship into a career? After my last BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas post regarding internship responsibilities, I received several tweets from interns eager to make the most of the experience, and hopeful that their internship might launch their career in the field of communications.
While an internship is not a guarantee of employment, particularly in the current economic environment, it certainly can play a pivotal role in your career. For all of the hardworking, intelligent and enthusiastic interns I have met, I’d like to offer some hope and inspiration, in the form of my friend Betsy.
When we were in school at American University (AU), Betsy began an internship with Meet the Press. Today, journalists around the globe know Betsy Fischer as the award-winning executive producer of the show. I asked Betsy how she was able to build this career from an internship, and what suggestions she had for current interns. Here is some of her advice:
- Use an internship to try something new “I did the Meet the Press internship frankly because I had already done an internship on the Hill and in a law firm and was looking for something a bit different,” explains Betsy. “I always loved politics… I like to joke that Meet the Press was at the top of my list because it was right down the street from AU and I could sleep a bit later and just walk to the internship. An easy commute!”
- An internship can teach you about a career… and yourself “One of the most valuable things about an internship is that it gives you an insider’s look at a potential career that once you are fully engaged in the job search, you just don’t have,” explains Betsy. “For example, I loved my internship on the Hill – learned a lot, etc. but what was most valuable is that I discovered that working IN politics was probably NOT right for me. When I was at Meet the Press, I found it was a great fit … and realized while I loved politics (the arguments, the debate about issues, etc.) I was not a very POLITICAL person”
- Seek out help from your school – If your college already has a preexisting relationship with an employer, you have a much better shot at getting hired.
- Make an effort to stand out from the pack “Stay late – come in early – volunteer for extra work – ask questions and have a good positive attitude. Don’t be shy, but don’t be pushy. Find a good balance in the office.”
If you’re curious to learn more about how Betsy’s internship helped launch her career visit https://giving.american.edu/americanmagazine/features/may-2009-meet-the-press.cfm or http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2005/12/05/story8.html. You can also follow Betsy on Twitter at @BetsyMTP.
Do you have an example of an intern who has gone on to be a star in your organization? Please leave a comment and share your intern’s path to success.
