SOJ Internship Connection

The SOJ Internship Connection blog will be on a brief hiatus while the School of Journalism awaits the arrival of the new Director of Student Careers and Opportunities.

The SOJ looks forward to welcoming Eric Minor to this new position on June 17th. Until then please contact David Becker (david.becker@mail.wvu.edu) with any internship questions. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, join our group on Facebook, and connect with us on our other social networking platforms.

Best wishes for a wonderful and productive summer!

- SOJ Student Services

It is not uncommon to find that a four-year degree actually takes a little longer. That is disappointing, no doubt about it. But the WVU Office of Admissions can turn that extra semester into a semester that propels you into your field ahead of the rest.

The Office of Admissions has developed a new internship tailor-made for that p.r. student who can finish their classes online. While you complete your degree you can get some great, resume building experience promoting WVU, the brand you love.

This internship begins Monday August 19, 2013, and ends Friday, December 13, 2013. You will be going to WVU-hosted recruitment fairs while you also follow the ACRAO College Fair Tour.

The internship is 40 hours of work each week, and it pays $3,200 for the semester and covers your travel expenses. You also get school credit for it.

You must be a senior or grad student to qualify.

If you want to know more about this great opportunity send Assistant Dean Oliver Street an email at oliver.street@mail.wvu.edu.

Talk soon,
Cathy

Around the campus, the buzz, besides that about campus elections, is about employers, careers and internships. The Career Services Career Fair will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. March 7 in the Mountainlair, A Charleston newspaper and a minor league baseball team have been to the J School looking for interns. This is absolutely that internship time of year.

You need to join the fun by first finding some great companies or concerns looking for somebody just like you. If you go to the Career Fair, you may just meet a few then and there. Make sure you have resumes ready. This on- the- spot interview might just take you to the next level of opportunity.

At an interview you don’t have much time to show a potential employer just how wonderful you really are, so every answer and every question is important. There are tried- and- true ways to present your best self. Check them out here and make the best impression possible!

Resumes can be tricky. On the one hand, you’ve only got one page to tell your story, and that includes all those spaces that make it look professional. On the other hand, it has to scream, “pick me!”

This first professional one can really be tough because your only work experience may be at The Cheesecake Factory. That one piece of paper has to show just how hard working, honest and talented you are, despite your lack of experience in the profession of your choice.

Here are a few tips to make your resume one that gets noticed:

Tailor it to the job. Make that goal at the top the one you are after for that particular company. Also, put what is important to them first and play it up. For example, if you have newspaper experience and you want another newspaper position, start with that, give that entry a couple of extra words.

Take those dress-up-show-up jobs you’ve had that pay the bills and turn them into learning experiences.
For example, working as a server is a great way to learn communicating with a lot of different kinds of people. Taking inventory and waiting on customers is an excellent way to learn how to multitask. Did you work in fast food? I’ll be you can handle quite a bit of job pressure and still stay calm and polite.

Whether you are in p.r., advertising or straight journalism, you are a budding wordsmith, so use great words. Within reason, you don’t want potential employers to think you’ve lost your mind, use some color.

Finally, you can always ask one of your professors to take a look at it. They’ve found jobs in your field, and they want you to do the same. You can also bring it to me, and we can talk about it.
During this prime internship season, make sure your resume really represents wonderful you!

Talk Soon,
Cathy

An unpaid internship may open doors for you down the road, but right now it can be a pretty big financial burden. Living in a strange city (usually a big one), transportation, housing…all that can be just as expensive as a semester here at school. The School of Journalism can help ease the strain on your budget.

Student Enhancement Funds are available for students taking on that extra academic responsibility with a major market internship or study abroad opportunity. The awards are cash amounts, usually from $500 to $1,000.

The deadline for summer internships this year is March 23.Complete details and application materials are available in the application packet.

For more information, please contact the School’s Student Services Advisor David Becker at (304) 293-5686 or David.Becker@mail.wvu.edu.

So, don’t think that big internship isn’t possible. With a little help from the SOJ, it could be within your reach.
Talk Soon,
Cathy

The internship world is really heating up, and you need to stay on top of it to find one that suits you.

For instance, the WVU Office of Residential Education needs two interns who will have a whole host of journalistic duties, such as producing a newsletter and multimedia presentations for future Mountaineers. This one is not available at this time for class credit, but what you produce will BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLISHED INCHES if you are a print or visj major. It’s local—on the Evansdale campus. You do not even need your own transportation—just hop on the PRT or take the bus.

Let me just say that again, your work WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLISHED INCHES.

This one would look great on a p.r. resume, too. The deadline to get your resume to Dean Street at his mailbox in room 113 Martin Hall is February 1.

The Charleston Gazette’s executive editor will be visiting the J School Thursday, January 31, to interview for two paid reporting internships. That is an amazing (PAID!) opportunity, especially if you are from or have relatives in the Charleston area that you can live with for the summer. Stop in room 107 Tuesday for more information or email me at cathy.bonnstetter@mail.wvu.edu.

The WV Power, the minor league baseball team in Charleston, is also looking for interns for the summer. This one is unpaid, but it offers a foot-in-the door in the competitive sports market, and hanging around the baseball stadium while you pick up some p.r. skills is a great way to spend a summer. You can sign up in room 107 on Tuesdays or Thursdays. If you have questions send me an email at cathy.bonnstetter@mail.wvu.edu.

Make plans now to get that real world experience!
Talk soon,
Cathy

Getting up to three hours of class credit for an internship can be a great help in reaching that magic number of 128 for graduation. However, signing up for an internship class isn’t like signing up for any other type of class. You need to plan ahead. Here are the steps:

• Contact the internship coordinator with the details of your internship. You need to be prepared to explain what you will be doing and how many total hours you will end up working. You also need to give the coordinator the name and contact information for your supervisor.

• Once your supervisor and the internship coordinator have discussed your duties and it has been determined that the internship is one that could ecru you credit hours, you need to complete the contract and have your supervisor sign and date it, as well. Return this to the internship coordinator.

• Once the assistant dean approves the contract he will send you an email saying that you will be allowed to pick up the class the way you usually take seats in your classes.

It takes a little more planning than the usual class scheduling, but getting a few credit hours for your internship can make it even more worth your while!

Talk Soon,
Cathy

The New Jersey Press Foundation is looking for students, freshmen to juniors, to fill summer internships in print and web journalism. These paid internships are available only to New Jersey residents. It’s a great opportunity for all of you who qualify to get some wonderful experience, stay local this summer and get paid for it. The deadline is December 31, 2012, so you need to move fast.

All the information is available on the NJPF website. Apply now!
Talk Soon,
Cathy

The chance to tell a good story is what it’s all about for any journalist. Oceans Campus is giving all of you who are interested and adventurous the chance to tell some amazing environmental stories in Africa.

The organization is taking applications for their internship program in the Rose Garden region of Africa. Students will visit all sorts of interesting places such as reserves, game parks and cultural sites to gather the information for their stories. You will complete the internship with some great stories to add to your resume, as well as a wealth of memories.

Here is the link for those of you who are ready for a big change in scenery http://www.oceans-campus.com. This really is the opportunity of a lifetime, as well as the chance to try out some environmental journalism—great, important stories to tell.

Something to explore and think about! Have a great semester break.
Talk soon,
Cathy

One of the things that comes with being a WVU student is a nice, fat MIX inbox. Most students I talk with admit that they don’t have or take the time to read everything that comes their way. The social media, as well, is almost just too big to manage. However, checking the SOJ Enews should be part of your routine. Follow the school on Twitter at @WVU journalism. Check out the Facebook page. It doesn’t take that long, and the benefits can make a difference between a great start on your career and a mediocre one.

We post all sorts of resume builders on the sites. Internships, jobs and competitions that make you a standout. These are also things that come and go quickly, so you need to make a regular habit to catch them and take action. Even if you are just starting out and maybe not quite ready for a major internship, start noticing what comes and goes regularly.

Take full advantage of what your school is putting out there for you. Make it a habit. How about starting now? You may be surprised at the opportunities and possibilities that await you.

Talk soon,
Cathy