Hi!
As you know, my first week entailed lots of training on the digital side of things and getting acclimated to the way things work around the *virtual* newsroom. Aside from helping out other reporters, I didn't do a ton of writing as far as working on stories goes. During week two, things definitely changed.
I was given my first assignment and had to organize the interviews, write it, go through edits with an editor, and revise it. I was assigned the story in the morning, and by the the afternoon, it was completely turned around and ready to be published!
It's fun to see your work for the day be culminated into a readable piece within several hours, but it definitely takes good time management to make it happen. When you're given an assignment, you're expected to put in the work to get it done. People are around to help you out if you run into a problem or need any questions answered, but no one is going to hold your hold the entire way. If you're someone who gets easily distracted and starts online shopping when you get bored, or you hit a lag in the work day and immediately begin scrolling on social media, you will need to change that. The work isn't always fast-paced or filled with instant gratification, but that doesn't mean you should slack and do the bare minimum. Even though a lot of people are working remotely right now, a lazy work ethic or bad attitude can still be noticed from a virtual mile away.
Having an internship like this is an amazing opportunity and you should try to make the most of it. It's okay if interviews are going a bit slower on a given day or if you feel overwhelmed and want to focus on one task. The main thing is that you communicate with everyone. If you think you might be overloaded, reach out and let someone know your work is backed up and you want to take some time to sort it out. If you find yourself with ample amounts of free time, ask the other reporters if they need help with something or if there is another story going around the office that needs to be covered. If you show that you are hardworking and willing to absorb as much from this experience as you can, people will notice and it is only going to help you get better. And that's the entire point of an internship!
Main Takeaways
Be ready to work
Don't get discouraged
Reach out if you need to
Stay on task and aim to be productive