Internships Can Pay Off ...

I was talking with a former colleague and the conversation turned to a former intern who is now doing well in the business in News radio. We both remembered how she took on every task as if it was of vital importance. No job was too small; she realized that everything was important. She became a go-to person in everything -- filing syndicated affidavits, answering phones at the receptionist desk, helping set up station remotes, and even putting together prize packages. At the station, we let her experience everything and in return, she got college credit. By the way, she also began to voice commercials and learned the board in the studio.

Eager To Learn ...

This intern wanted to understand all aspects of what being in radio was like. She realized the value of what she was getting. The staff took her under their wings and shared as much knowledge as they could. Eventually, several of the air staff came to me and said, "She's ready for part-time on-air." They knew because she had practiced doing shows in the production room and some of them had helped her.

My Point ...

Internships have long provided opportunities for many to get into this business. In recent times, some interns have had lawsuits filed on their behalf and said they should be paid. There are paid internships, but most are not. I recently had a conversation with a frustrated intern who felt underutilized.

Intern: I am interning at a station and I'm answering the phones at the front desk way more than I think I should. This is not what I came here for. This is my senior year and I have a three-hour show once a week at my college station. I feel I have a lot to offer and keep getting all these petty jobs around here. Classmates of mine have internships at other radio stations and they are doing a lot more than I am. In fact, one of them has actually done a few commercials. Do you think they just don't really want me here?

Coach: Everyone has their own teaching method and although I do not know your exact circumstances, I am sure the station does appreciate what you are doing. All assignments are important and need to be taken seriously, if it wasn't for you, a station employee would be doing them. Although answering the phone at the receptionist desk seems unimportant to you, it may be part of a plan for more things to come. I will try to explain; years ago, I began taking golf lessons twice a week from a gentleman named Ernie and for the first several lessons he had me hitting nothing but short pitch shots. I was bored out of my mind and I can still hear him "Check your hands to make sure you are holding the club properly, take a marginally open stance with a little more weight on the front leg, look at your target, now take the club back slowly back to this point, make sure you keep that left arm straight, get your nose directly over the ball, and blah blah blah." I wondered why he had me hitting so many pitch shots, I had told him the point of taking lessons was to hit with my woods better. Then suddenly during my fourth session, he told me to put my pitching wedge back in the bag, get my 9-iron, take a full swing, and pull down behind the ball just I had done with my wedge. I was wondering what the big deal was and then whoosh, the ball shot up in the air towards the target and landed softly. Never had I hit my 9-iron so high and far. All those boring weeks Ernie had been helping me build a proper swing. I had no idea how much he was teaching me.

Every task in a radio station has meaning, especially answering the phones at the front desk. It's the first point of contact for anyone calling the station and the focal point for company communications; sales calls, community events, and all sorts of business inquiries are in the hands of the person answering the business phones. Although many companies have an automated answering system, most callers opt for the operator, a human being with the power to connect them with someone. So, it may not be glamorous, but the more you know about the inner workings of a radio station, the more you will appreciate each department's contribution.

Intern: Okay, I never thought of it that way, but I want to cut commercials and do some stuff on the air.

Coach: How many weeks have you been interning?

Intern: Three weeks.

Coach: I assume you were given a list of things you would be doing during your internship, yes or no?

Intern: Well, my advisor did give me a list of some stuff and the station also had a meeting with all of us interns when we started.

Coach: Well go back over the list and have a casual conversation with whoever is in charge of the station internships. I know you are a little disappointed right now but have some patience and I am sure your conversation will refocus you on the game plan for your internship. And if it turns out that whatever you were promised is not happening, go meet with your school advisor.

Conclusion:

Internships are valuable to both the student and the station. I would always tell new interns they would be doing a lot of paperwork and busy work, but that they would also get to sit in on music meetings, be given the opportunity to learn the production board, do some dubbing, receive mentoring from other departments, and get answers to a lot of their questions. Two things are important for a successful radio internship program:

• The school should provide a clear set of mentoring objectives for the students interning.
• A station should provide the school and the intern with an outline of general duties and specific skilled assignments.