East Carolina University School of Communication Experiencing Communication in the Real World through Internships
What You Can Find Inside & WHERE TO FIND IT
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What Local and National Internships are Available to Students
Frequently Asked Questions
Useful Websites
Gallery of Previous Student Internships
Individual Stories of Fellow Pirate Interns
5 Steps to Securing an Internship for Credit
Information on the Internship for Credit Course 1
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The School of Communication blends scholarship with real-world experience in order to prepare our students for the challenges they face as they enter today’s competitive job market. We facilitate internships for students in order to introduce them to the professional world they are preparing to enter as journalists, filmmakers, public relation professionals, and all of the many professional fields our students enter upon graduation. We have placed students in internships in such varied settings as the following media:
www.ecu.edu/cs-cfac/comm/current/internships.cfm This site contains information about School of Communication internships, including a link to the application form.
FREQUENTL YA S
www.ecu.edu/cs-studentaffairs/career/students/looking.cfm This is the Career Center at ECU’s internship page where students can get more information about internships.
National Internships
CBS – LA & NY HBO Johns Hopkins Health Mercedes Benz MTV National Republican Congressional Committee NBA NBC UniversalSirius/XM Radio Sony BMG Music Sundance Channel/Film Festival Universal Records Wake Med
Local Internships
American Red Cross Center For Family Violence and Prevention ECU Alumni Association ECU Athletics – Media Relations ECU Campus Recreation and Wellness Evolve Marketing Pitt County Arts Council
Pitt Memorial Hospital Pitt County Boys and Girls Club Real Crisis Center United Way Pitt County Uptown Greenville WITN WNCT WCTI WWAY Wilmington
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ONS I T S E U Q Q: What is an internship?
A: Internships are short term learning experiences in the work environment.
Q: Why are there deadlines for the application for an internship-for-credit?
A: Each application must be reviewed and approved by the Internship Coordinator. Once approved, each intern must be registerd, files must be established, and information must be added to database. This must be done before the intern can participate in the online course and the work experience.
Q: Can I do more than one internship for credit?
A: Yes. There are two courses numbered COMM 4091 and 4092. You can do a second internship and earn 3 second credits. Each internship requires a separate application and review process.
Q: Can you do the internship work one semester and get credit another semester?
A: No. We treat the internship-for-credit course like any other class. You register first, complete online coursework and other requirements, then get credit.
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Melissa Plunkett interned for MTV Studios in New York City. Photo courtesy of Melissa Plunkett Brian Taylor was a contributing writer/intern with Inside Gymnastics magazine in the summer of 2010. He’s pictured here interviewing Sam Mikulak. Photo courtesy of Brian Taylor
Lauren Keranakis interned at the ECU Campus Recreation and Wellness Marketing Department. Photo courtesy of Lauren Keranakis
Megan Hannon visits the famed jewelry store Tiffany and Company while interning for Berk Communications in New York City. Hannon eventually achieved a position within Tiffany and Co. after college. Photo courtesy of Megan Hannon Abbey Way interned for Pittsburgh Sports Radio 93.7 The Fan. Photo courtesy of ECU School of Communication
Stephen McNulty at UNC vs. ECU game while interning for Purple! magazine. Photo courtesy of ECU School of Communication
Kelsey Brosi pictureed with Joel McHale during an internship with E! Network in Los Angeles in 2011. Photo courtesy of ECU School of Communication
Jillian Morrow did two internships: One in Greenville with ECU’s videographer, Bryan Edge, and one in New York City with American Cheerleader magazine. Photo courtesy of Jillian Morrow
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making decisions.
As a junior at East Carolina University, Kelsey Brosi was on the Woman’s Swim team while studying Broadcast Journalism. “I finally decided I wanted to be a broadcast journalist and looked into ECU’s School of Communication. I looked at their program and immediately fell in love,” said Brosi. “All of the classes were something I was extremely interested in and would love to do.” A concern on every student’s mind is whether the classes they’re taking are really going to help them in the future. The School of Communication makes an effort to prepare its students for their careers after college. The lessons and assignments taught within the School helped prepare Brosi for her summer internship with Sirius XM Radio. In turn, the internship taught Brosi how to write and record show promos, create show pitches to be used on air, and edit audio. The opportunity with Sirius XM radio was “unbelievable” and the hands-on work helped to further her knowledge and experience in the field. With the help of instructors and communication classes, Brosi was more than prepared to handle the fast paced internship.
Brosi also attributes a lot of her success as an undergrad to the sport of swimming. As many student-athletes will tell you, without hard work, dedication and large amounts of caffeine, being successful is not an option.
Not only was she able to maintain a GPA of 3.6, and hold a varsity record as one of East Carolina’s fastest swimmers in school history, she also went on to do another internship with E! Entertainment Television in California.
Article by Kirstie Russell
the importane of networking.
Article by Corinne Gretler It is hard to believe that just a year ago, I found myself standing in front of an old building at Piazza Grazioli, marveling at the sign next to me that marked the new chapter of my post-ECU life. “AP - Associated Press Italia.” Quickly I realized that interning at the AP would be everything but a lovely Roman holiday. It would involve long hours at work, a lot of pressure and criticism and many mistakes to learn from. The AP Rome Bureau handles news coverage for Italy and the Vatican. At the news desk, my duties included researching background information and checking facts and sources for staff writers on subjects from Galileo Galilei’s bones to freedom of the press in Italy. I staffed several assignments including the opening of Rome’s new contemporary art museum, an anti-government protest and a doping hearing for an Italian cyclist, contributing quotes and color to their stories. I also covered press conferences on a variety of subjects including archaeological discoveries, the Rome Film Festival and airport security in Italy. After the first few failures, such as not finding a scandal-ridden politician’s top notch lawyer’s phone number, not being able to transcribe an hour-long interview in Italian in a timely manner or forgetting to make note of the names of every single person I talked to regarding the arrest of a Mafia boss in southern Italy, I realized that college had left me feeling omnipotent. Just because you enjoy success in school does not mean you understand what it’s like out there in the wilderness, in the real world.
In the real world, and especially at news agencies, confidence, accuracy and speed are what count. A story breaks - let’s say the Pope gets tackled during the Christmas midnight service. Everything needs to happen immediately. That means having to find phone numbers, transcribing audio sequences and confirming quotes and facts within fifteen minutes, as well as writing a rough draft of the article as fast as possible. Some interns have broken down crying and some have quit the internship early. Though daily criticism was part of the internship, I have never enjoyed nor gained so much valuable experience like I did during my AP internship.
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Through a contact I made at the AP, I managed to get an internship with John Hooper, UK’s longest-serving foreign correspondent, now the Rome correspondent for The Economist and the Guardian
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Photo courtesy of Corinne Gretler
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a journalist, you are expected to show the ability to contact people, to show an interest, to be persistent and I worked very closely with Hooper, so my learning to keep those relationships healthy, even as time goes experience differed quite dramatically from that at by. the AP. At the AP, I was thrown into the Take initiative. Before I moved to Rome, pool without actually knowing how to I bought a book about what it’s like living swim, but was still expected to swim 10 in Rome. It was by an American author laps in under four minutes. Working with who has been living in Rome for the past Hooper, on the other hand, was a lot more ten years. I researched his email address personal, a lot more collaborative with a after I had read the book and lot less pressure than at a news agency. I suggested we meet for a coffee when I’m was doing the same work as I did at the AP, in Rome. We ended up living in the same but at a much slower pace. neighborhood, and not only did he introduce me to the best café Although luck and talent are important factors in journalism, having a solid in Rome, but also gave me the contact information for the BBC network is equally as important. This leads me to the piece of advice I would correspondent. Several meetings and a weekend with him and his wife in like to dispense. My experience has confirmed even more strongly what I have always known. their country house followed. Though the BBC was not looking for anyone to fill a position, the Contacts are of utmost importance. moment CNN was looking for an intern, I was Contact them. Talk to them. Ask them contacted – just because the BBC correspondent was questions. Tell them about yourself. Exchange contact my contact information. This is how I got my internship at theAP; I had followed up on every single contact that had been Keep in touch. You never know whose handshake will provided to me. lead you to new places and opportunities. I for one had never dreamed of spending a magnificent year in Rome, Cultivate them. Foster them. Imagine your contacts in the fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping environment that to be flowers in your garden that you must tend to. As is international journalism. 9 NETWORKING continued...
“Contact them. Talk to them. Ask them questions.”
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Steps to Securing an Internship for Credit FIRST
Decide what you want to accomplish during your internship... explore a specific kind of work, get experience in your area, or what? Clarity about your learning goals makes it easier to pinpoint potential internship sites. (Think also about where you need the internship to be located. Plan ahead for the semester you’d like to do one!) Prepare an outstanding resume. Internship providers often want a resume and may require that you complete their application and an interview. (This process is IN ADDITION to School of COMM requirements to get into the 3-credit internship class.) Look at requirements for an internship-for-credit. Forms can be found at: http://www.ecu.edu/comm. Read through the application carefully. Deadlines are at the beginning of each Semester soon after classes start. Ask the Internship Coordinator or Administrative staff OR watch for flyers with exact deadlines. Hunt for an internship! • Internship Notebook • You can also ask friends, family, faculty, and especially professional • Bulletin Board outside JE 202 • Internship websites & E- recruitcontacts. ing via The Career Center’s website • Networking is an important part of http://www.ecu.edu/e3careers/ establishing and getting value from forstudents.lookingforwork. your internship. internships.asp Submit your application to the Internship Coordinator. Dr. Hopkins will determine whether you meet course requirements and will gain valuable learning goals. Once the application is approved, you will be registered for the class and can participate in the Blackboard course during the internship semester. 10
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Once registered, interns complete How is the responsibilities listed on their signed internship-for-credit course application. There is also a Blackboard course run? with it’s own syllabus and due dates. This class facilitates interaction between interns and the professor. Interns are expected to log on regularly and complete assigned activities.
COMM 4091 & COMM4092 >>
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Interns should be Juniors or Seniors. These When should I complete my students have valuable contributions to offer in internship? exchange for the learning opportunity.
This in an online course conducted by the School of Communication Internship Coordinator, Dr. Pam Hopkins.
It depends on who is sponsoring the internship. Will I get paid during my Some internships are paid. Many are not. internship? Either way, you will be getting valuable work experience to help you prepare for your career.
This course not only provides insightful reflections on your own internship, but also allows you to see what other students are doing in the School of Communication.
An internship is like getting immersed in some Why would I want an aspect of your career before you are out in the internship? work world full time. You can learn what you like or don’t like about a profession. You can learn more about how a particular business works. You can network with professionals doing what you aspire to do. You can gain valuable experiences that make you more desirable for that first job after college. You can add the internship to your resume.
Assignments in the course include: • Biweekly discussion board topics • Daily task sheet • Midterm Evaluation • 2 Meetings with the Internship Coordinator • Final portfolio • Final Supervisor Evaluation • A minimum of 140 completed hours with an organization
No. We encourage students to complete a Are internships mandatory in variety of pre-professional work experiences. the School of Communication? Besides internships, students should register with The Career Center and take advantage of opportunities they offer.
These assignments are not difficult nor time consuming. They simply reflect on the work you have completed within your internship throughout the semester.
You can do an internship either during the When do internships usually summer or during a regular semester as long occur? as you can complete a minimum of 140 hours of work at the internship site.
Not only is an internship great for your resume, but the final portfolio you create at the end of the semester is something to treasure! It has examples of all the work you have completed and you can now bring this along on interviews as an example of your work! 11
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East Carolina University
East Carolina University has a proud heritage. From early days as a school for training teachers to a national doctoral research university, we have continually served our region with quality and commitment since 1907. Our commitment is an expression of our motto, Servire, or To Serve. We believe that no university has done a better job of public service than East Carolina University, and we will continue to be a national model for how to use university resources for the greater public good. ECU is committed to the three traditional missions of the public university: service, teaching, and research. We take great pride in the record of achievement and success that has been established by our many alumni. We remember the many hard-fought victories that make up the storied tradition of Pirate athletics. We are proud of our national and international leadership in medicine, health sciences, and teacher preparation. We are proud of our award-winning excellence in the visual and performing arts. Above all, we are proud of the vital contributions
_____ copies of this public document were printed at a cost of ____________. Cost, according to G.S. 143-170.1, includes printing costs (labor and materials) and other identifiable costs, such as design, typesetting, and binding. Document was printed on recycled paper.
our people and programs have made for the betterment of North Carolina. Communication has been an active force on campus and significant contributor to East Carolina University since 1989 when ECU began offering a BA in Communication in a Department of Communication. We have come a long way since 1989. Today we are the School of Communication, housed in the College of Fine Arts and Communication. We offer a BS in communication with four different undergraduate concentrations—i nterpersonal and organizational communication, media studies, journalism and public relations. In fall 2006 we began offering our MA in communication with an emphasis in health communication. Our interpersonal/ organizational concentration is also offered completely online for distance education students. In total, the School of Communication now has more than 1,000 students and more than 30 faculty members and staff.