As a junior journalism student I have grown both personally and professionally during my three years at IU Southeast.
Even though I feel I am receiving a quality education, there is one thing college doesn’t offer: real-world, hands-on experience. This you must seek on your own.
That is exactly what I did. I applied for and was hired as a production assistant by a local television news station. Even though the pay is not the greatest, I have never been happier with a job. And as it turns out, I could not have been hired at a better time.
With the economy in the shape that it is in, many companies, including the one I work for, have implemented a hiring freeze and have cut out internships altogether.
Some companies have even cut unpaid internships. This leaves very few options for a lot of students seeking hands-on experience to supplement their college education.
I had an internship for a news director set for this summer and received word the other day it’s not happening.
Losing this internship is very disappointing to me because no matter what classes I take at IU Southeast, I will never get the same type of experience or opportunities in the classroom.
So how am I supposed to get this experience without an internship?
Hopefully the economy will take a turn for the better before I graduate next year and I will be able to complete an internship.
Until then I will continue to learn as much as possible as a production assistant and ask as many questions as I can.
Maybe I will be lucky enough for someone to take me under their wing and allow me to shadow them and learn from them.
While you can gain a large wealth of knowledge by job shadowing, there is also a downside.
Unlike some internships, you will not receive any payment and you don’t receive any class credit either.
So my advice is to be thankful if you have a job or an internship your field of study and learn everything you can during your time with the company.
Even when you’re not moving up the ladder, you can put in the time and effort and learn skills and meet people who will be able to help you advance your career when the economy bounces back.
Even though I am advocating the importance of working or interning, I don’t want to play down what I have learned as a staff writer for The Horizon.
The past two semesters have helped me develop my writing skills and I have become more comfortable during interviews. Now as an editor I am embarking on another chapter in my journalism career.
No matter what happens with the economy in the next year or if it takes me longer than one more year to graduate, I will do what I have to do to get where I want to be in life and as a journalist. The down economy is a major bump in the road to getting there, but I can do a lot now to help me get there eventually.
By AMY STALLINGS
Editor
akstalli@ius.edu
