By Angela Sun
This summer I secured my dream internship at ‘PRI’s The World’. The World is a daily radio show co-produced by 89.7 WGBH/ PRI/ BBC World Service that brings world news to Americans nationwide.
 |
| PRI's The World (Photo: Public Radio International) |
Just kidding.
I have come to learn that there are many uncertainties in the job/internship application process. I had started preparing applications all the way back in December, but as May rolled around nothing had come through. In fact, just before being called in to interview with ‘The World’, I had called it quits and booked a way too expensive round trip ticket back to Beijing.
My internship hunt was a roller coaster ride, but two things helped me maintain my focus and stay prepared. First, I used a tracker. As simple as this may sound, with the chaos of college and jagged deadlines, an internship hunt is a major practice in keeping direction. I approached my internship hunt much like how I had approached college applications…I thought those days were over too.
I tried to have a good mix of reaches, fits, and safeties (this is usually difficult to determine, however). I applied to all sorts of industries, from media, to business, to non-profits/government. This range meant many different requirements for cover letters and writing samples. I was able to visualize my progress through my tracker. I color-coded the internships based on my degree of interest: red=high, white=medium, yellow=low, and highlighted the listings in blue as I sent out my applications.
Now even though a lot of my efforts did not amount to an offer, I am not discouraged or upset. I realized that just because I did not receive an internship did not mean I was not qualified for it. There are elements that make up an offer or a rejection that an applicant can’t always see or be in control of. Some examples include the size of the candidate pool, the qualifications of other applicants, the financial calculations of the organization surrounding its internship program, and so on.
But it’s still important to be proactive in the process. So the second way I prepared myself was through networking. During the school year, I had attended the “Tufts Career Services Diversity Networking Event”. As the doors of alumnae lounge opened, I felt like all my vulnerabilities and jitters were left in the limelight. The thought of talking to strangers and actually making conversation was nerve-wracking. Fortunately, all the alumnae were very approachable and as the evening went on, networking became more natural.
The alumnae spanned industries from medical research to finance. I made sure to make contact with representatives from all the organizations I was interested in, but also to take the time to branch out and meet professionals from firms or industries I may not have initially thought about.
This strategy worked very well for me, as I have broad interests, and study International Relations…a widely applicable major. One critical contact I met was Mr. Tessil Collins, owner of Spectrum Broadcasting Corporation. I had fantasized of speaking on radio ever since I was a child, so when I read that someone who owned radio stations was at the event—I was pumped.
I had the chance to have an in-depth conversation with Mr. Collins. He shared with me his journey of getting into the industry, and his two-cents on the evolving future of broadcasting. Having this chance to dive into the wisdom accumulated by a weathered professional was invaluable.
After the event, I kept in touch with Mr. Collins and sent him a line when I applied to ‘The World’. He kindly offered to forward my resume to a WGBH contact, who then forwarded the resume right into the inbox of a senior editor/ host of ‘The World’!
As one of the most popular internships at WGBH, ‘The World’ gets a very high volume of applications. There are many stages of screening before a resume is forwarded from Human Resources to the show. So the referrals I received had put me at a huge advantage. I’m really grateful that alumni like Mr. Collins continue to take the time to give back to the Tufts community with their knowledge and resources.
Now it’s important to say that I had to be qualified for the internship to get it. But this experience illustrates that networking is a chance to get career and industry insight that is not found in textbooks. And of course, you never know where your resume might just end up as a result.
So if you haven’t already, connect with Tufts alumni through the Tufts Career Advisory Network.
And, if you want to hear about my interview experience at ‘The World’, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog posts at the bottom of this page. Up next: ‘Angela’s Internship Hunt Pt. 2: Madeleine Albright Through the Glass’. Follow @TuftsCareer
