By Debbie Mitchell
HELP WANTED! The job hours are nine to five (maybe more), work is what you make it, you have the opportunity to learn as much as you can and meet as many people during the time on the job. At times , you may be asked to perform tedious tasks and finally, your pay is ZERO.
Welcome to your first internship. For many college students or adults seeking to reinvent their careers, find a new job, or just learn a new skill being an intern is an opportunity-an opportunity to get your foot in the door of a company or website to meet, greet and connect with individuals you might never interact with on any other occasion. As a result, getting an internship, paid or most likely unpaid, is very competitive, so apply early and often during your years in school.
My television internship changed my career path and my life. I originally planned to pursue a career as a photo journalist but fell in love with television during my internship. I interned at the then local show WABC-TV's The Morning Show hosted by Regis Philin and Cyndy Garvey. The day started early. My intern responsibilities varied and started bright and early. Here is a list of a few what I did for my internship:
-Arrived to studio 7am to cut bagels and prepare greenroom food spread for show guests arrival
-Asked guests to sign release forms (great opportunity to meet guests, but never asked for photos)
-Answered phones, took posted messages for staff
-Sat in on morning show meetings to review the show and plan future segments
-Helped producers research guests and make calls to get props and elements for upcoming segments
-Helped think up trivia questions for morning chat
-Sat with editors and watched them edit video clips for upcoming segments
It is not easy to work at a job without getting paid, even if you are getting school credit. But I did it. When the internship was over, I didn't get a job at WABC-TV but I did see up close and personal what was required to produce live television, met great people and had an experience to remember for a lifetime. I've always believed in the value of internships.
In May I spoke to a group of students as a part of the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation, an after-school program throughout New York City and Mt. Vernon for students from mostly under served communities. These programs help students get up close and personal exposure to successful professionals to help motivate and inspire them for their future, as well as provide an opportunity to meet people they would not ordinarily encounter. I love talking to kids because I believe knowledge is power and why should someone else make the same mistakes I made if they can be avoided. The kids of Brooklyn's IS 252K turned out to be a fun, smart group. Once they got over the fact that I never worked at MTV, only CBS News, they settled in and actually listened to what I had to say. When I was preparing my presentation, a few Facebook friends passed on a few pearls of wisdom to to tell the kids including to stress the "critical importance of developing and maintaining industry contacts and associations as a key component of professional development." I immediately thought of my college internship, where I happily worked for three semesters free (with the help of the allowance my mom gave me) and made a few friends, one being my producer mentor Dru Gibson, who is still a friend today.
Twenty five years after my first unpaid internship, I interned again, as an adult, as part of my career makeover where I learned how to use today's social media tools. It is VERY different to work unpaid as an adult than as a student. I was used to earning good money, and with my years of experience I had to put ego aside, keep my eye on the prize and learn how to use my old skills in a the new medium.
But today's student interns want more than a free work experience, they want a guarantee of a job. In February, former intern Diana Wang filed a suit against the Hearst Corporation for minimum and overtime wages. Wang was on her seventh internship and was fed up with working for no pay (at sometimes menial work) and walking away each time with no opportunity for a job. Wang joins a growing number of interns who are suing companies for what they perceive as a failed internship.
One main reason I believe interns should be paid is to even the playing field as far as who gets to intern. I was fortunate to have my family who supported me financially during my three semesters. But not many kids can afford to trade pay for experience, leaving those precious internships to be filled by a select group of kids. During my days at CBS, I always encouraged show interns to ask me for an assignment. Don't wait for producers to find you and give you something interesting to do. If you find yourself answering phones all day, opening mail or just sitting around not learning a new skill then something is wrong. It would be an added bonus to be offered a job after an internship, but it happens to only a lucky few. There is no job guarantee. I worked very hard during my internship and was very disappointed about not getting a job after three semesters at WABC-TV's The Morning Show with Regis Philin and Cyndy Garvey. Unlike Wang, I left the internship happy. I had a new experience, was a lot smarter and hopeful it would all work out and it did in the end.
If you are going to do an internship find out what is expected of you before you begin. If you feel uncomfortable about what you are being asked to do for your internship, talk to Human Resources or your immediate supervisor. Finally, The U.S Department of Labor has rules to determine if you should be paid for your internship, click here to read more about it.
But the question remains, should interns be paid to learn on the job and should they be guaranteed to get a job after completing an internship? If you are not interested in a salary or a job right now , but want to learn and work with some great folks drop us a line at The Blogger Connection.
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you are a brand interested in blogger outreach campaigns, a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @TVProducerDeb or contact TheBloggerConnection.com.
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