As you may or may not know, I recently did an internship at a magazine in Melbourne which was such a great experience and taught me so much about what I want to do in the future! Even though it has been a week (just about) since I finished, I thought I would tell you five things I loved about being an intern!
- I loved the fact that I was able to travel into the city every day and experience the rich culture Melbourne has to offer. Even when I caught the train and walked that long way from the station to my work, I loved seeing things I hadn't seen before such as little trendy alleyways, cute cafes and not to mention the beautiful shops!
- I enjoyed meeting new people that all had different things to offer- from stories about travelling, to university experiences; I learnt a lot through meeting others.
- Being able to see how a magazine actually works was something that really interested me. Prior to the internship I don't think I realised how much work is done behind the scenes such as accounts, advertisement and all of the little things that we sometimes take for granted when we purchase magazines. I loved being able to watch the designers put the words onto creative pages which would soon become the next edition!
- One of my colleagues told me that by doing an internship, it is probably more educational and you would probably learn more about working in print than at university and I realised that it was true. Just by being there for two weeks, I learnt so much about the different offices and what they were responsible for, the little jobs that make up the magazine and plenty more which I would have never known.
- Last but not least my favourite part of being an intern at a magazine (very Carrie Diaries right?) was being able to have seven articles published with my name. I never expected I would have the privilege to write for a magazine other than the ones we have at school where you volunteer to write, but to publish something in the real world, for me that was amazing and I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had!
Online editions are available at www.theweeklyreview.com.au
Also have a look at my article on Australian snowboarder Hannah Trigger at www.peninsula weekly.com.au
I know this sounds corny, but I believe that whatever career path you're interested in; science, medicine, the arts, graphic design- you name it, I think it's worthwhile to just have a go and put yourself out there!
Apply for internships, for workshops, attend exhibitions- just go crazy and immerse yourself in such things. Not only is it important for getting your name out there and making good impressions, but I also think for me, it was the idea of seeing if I actually would want to pursue journalism after completing my internship which now I know I definitely want to.
So don't be afraid and just reach for the sky because you have the world at your feet!
Chelsea Elizabeth xx
