TEN INTERNSHIPS IN TEN MONTHS: WHAT I LEARNT Alex Turner-Cohen Alex Turner-Cohen Alex Turner-Cohen, self-confessed workaholic, completed ten internships in ten months. Not only did she live to tell the tale… she emerged with some sage words of wisdom, from one comms kid to another.
One of my life’s mantras is “I’d rather be too busy than not busy enough.” So perhaps it’s not surprising to hear that in only ten months, I completed ten internships for my Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from May 2018 to March 2019. Sitting in the first ever lecture of journalism, I took the lecturer’s words to heart: “Intern, intern, intern.” As everyone in the Communications field knows, getting that piece of paper with the word ‘degree’ on it does not guarantee you a job. Not by a long shot. During that period of time, university only took two to three days a week out of my schedule. I also had a high-paying job as an English tutor, which meant I could afford to get some unpaid internships on the side. Unpaid internships aren’t accessible to everyone — I consider myself lucky. Galvanised into action, I embarked on a quest that would land me not one, but ten internships. I attended rallies, went to parliament, and interviewed all kinds of people, including whistle-blowers, feminists, even bog experts 18
(You never know where Journalism will take you). At the end of ten months I had contacts, Published works and a whole lot of experience. There were definitely some memorable moments. Arriving at an internship at 4.30am — only to be forgotten about and left waiting for an hour at the lobby (definitely a low). Joking with an ex-Sydney Morning Herald journo that he was old (hmm, maybe I should have phrased that better?). Going on four coffee runs in one day. Getting stuck in an offlimit part of the building, with no keycard to swipe me out. Attending a $1000 event for free (thank goodness for that media pass!). Being mistaken as a graduate journalist when I was only a little first year (that was definitely a high!) To get to these internships, I travelled anywhere from zero minutes (if I worked from home) to an hour and a half (commuting to the Central Coast). I interned at various mainstream publications (including news. com.au, Channel Nine and the ABC) as well as media organisations well off the beaten track (think 2SER). Some placements only went for a week full-time but others went on for a year (I’m still doing some now art: @natashar0se
