Throughout my junior year I knew it was time to start applying for internships and how critical they are in the landscape of getting a job in any field, especially journalism. I was incredibly lucky; I applied for one internship, and a professor who worked for the organization (beyond) vouched for me and I got it.
I am so excited to be interning at WAMC, a radio station and subsidiary of NPR (Northeast Public Radio), which is a radio powerhouse. I remember as a kid being trapped in the car and being forced to listen to it. Back then, I hated it. Now I'm sitting at a desk behind the news director.
I was incredibly nervous before getting started. I had never edited sound or been in a news station before. I know the point of an internship is to learn, but I was nervous walking in not knowing how - or what - I was doing. I was so worried on my first day that I arrived 30 minutes early and sat in my car waiting a little while before going in.
Now I'm a week into my internship, and while I do still have some lingering nerves, it is going fabulously. I am rewriting and editing sound, going to press conferences, logging debates, and more. Each day I'm there, I walk away learning something new.
It hasn't all been easy but that's okay. I appreciate the challenge. I don't necessarily like not knowing or understanding things, but I know it's a part of growing and learning new things. Sometimes, it's little mistakes but those still bother me. Thankfully, as days pass it all gets easier.
While not paid, it doesn't bother me. I know how crucial this time is and how useful the skills I am learning will be. As countless people have told me, while it doesn't pay out now it will down the road. And I am perfectly okay with that.
I don't necessarily know what type of journalism I want to go into, and I think that's okay. I'm keeping my options open. Could I see myself in radio? As I spend more and more time there with the quirky newsroom personalities, the more I see myself there. I think that is part of the beauty of internships, they give you a taste of a field or a certain job and you can see if it's a good fit.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to work for such an esteemed and fun place. Every day there, its something new. A new learning experience, a new skill to pick up. I can't wait to see what my next day at WAMC holds.
