Ten internships in ten months: what I learnt Alex Turner-Cohen

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 art: @natashar0se (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 -

Serious talk though, not all internships are ethical. Make sure you know your rights. Check out what the Fair Work Ombudsman has to say about unpaid internships. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re doing actual work for the company, then you’re not at intern, you’re an employee. And you deserve to be paid as such.

How did I get so many placements in so short a time? It was a combination of luck, FOMO and a little bit of nagging. I scoured UTS Career Hub and the UTSoC Careers group, checked my uni emails regularly for opportunities, and one time simply got hold of an email address on a single scrap of paper and shot off a message. Some internships fell into my lap, others I had to fight for.

So here are the ten things I learned, at ten internships, in ten months:

1. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Apply for something even if you feel underqualified.

2. Toot your own horn in applications — no-one else is going to do it for you.

3. Be excited about the internship. Send emails reminding them that you’re coming.

4. Introduce yourself to your co-workers at the beginning, no matter how awkward.

5. Fake it till you make it. Act confident and professional even if you feel like the complete opposite. (Hence why someone thought I was a recent journo graduate).

6. Ask for more work. Be ambitious, try to leave an impression. Pitch ideas, chase stories.

7. Add your colleagues on LinkedIn and Twitter. (Don’t have a LinkedIn or Twitter? Well, you seriously need to get one. I’ve had job offers on these platforms).

8. Enjoy your time there! You fought hard for that internship, and now you’re finally doing what you love.

9. Don’t give up the intern life after one internship — there’s always more to learn.

10. Most importantly, ask if there are any jobs available. Get the contact details of the person in charge of hiring newbies. Make it clear that you want to stay on. Next time a junior role pops up at the ABC — you never know! — they might think of you. And voila, you never need to intern again!

Honestly, if I had the choice, I would do it all again. But maybe that’s just me; I like keeping busy. It’s up to you whether you want to follow in my footsteps.

Over and out.