CMU English Internship Insider 2021-2023

INTERNSHIP

INSIDER

2021

2023

OUR ENGLISH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE. LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE INTERNSHIPS OUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE HELD, HOW THEY SECURED THEM, AND ADVICE THEY GIVE TO THEIR PEERS

An Experience

CMU English internships provide a breadth of professional experiences, help establish connections outside the University, and deepen students' portfolios of work.

Our students are strongly encouraged to seek professional internships throughout their undergraduate years and during their summers.

Opportunities in public and media relations, editing and publishing, newspaper and magazine writing, healthcare communication, technical writing, public service organizations, and writing for the web and media illustrate both internship possibilities and paths of employment recent students have taken after graduation.

They even have the option of completing internships for academic credit during their junior or senior year.

CMU English Internship Insider

2021-2023 categories and worked in the website backend to publish them. I watched a lot of television and pitched stories as well as taking on assignments. I also had the chance to edit some freelance articles for publication and I pitched articles to other editors outside of the TV category as well.

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

My writing and editing experience as well as my entertainment knowledge were key.

Listing my specific passions in entertainment and my ability to communicate clearly what my goals were helped a lot as well.

Being friendly and passionate can actually take you pretty far.

What are the steps you took to land your internship?

I first applied for a Summer internship but I didn't end up getting it. But my interview went really well so I reached out to the television editor later in the summer to talk generally about TV and also saying that I would be interested in applying again for the fall. My editor appreciated me reaching out and we had developed a friendly relationship so she offered me the job without having to formally apply again.

What did you enjoy about your internship?

I really enjoyed the freedom to write about what interested me and the opportunities my editor gave me to explore all of my interests.

It showed to me that I really enjoy this type of writing and would be interested in pursuing a career. Getting to conduct interviews with writers and actors was very daunting but I learned that I really enjoyed giving interviews which I never knew before my internship. The staff at Paste was also very nice and it generally was a great community to write in.

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

I wrote a variety of articles in the news, reviews, interviews, lists, and features

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What was challenging about your internship?

Managing my time could become difficult with my other classes since I had to watch many hours of television a week on top of writing. Learning to manage my time and understand my writing speed was challenging but I think I came out of the internship with better time management skills. Also learning the demands of SEO was an interesting challenge to understanding how to make entertainment writing commercially viable.

than quantity. Don't stress about already being successful and published in lots of places, just show you have the skills to start and can improve.

I also can't stress the importance of being personable and staying in touch with people after interviews, the worst that can happen is they say no.

In your cover letter, say something specific when you're demonstrating interest. I talked about my goal to watch one episode of every show and my love of award shows which set me apart from just a general love of TV. Especially in entertainment where "passion" is the only reason to get into it, something special about your interest is key.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Even though entertainment is about knowing people there are still so many opportunities to introduce yourself to the first person.

Through my internship I gained lots of new connections even though I had none at Paste. Being friendly and passionate can actually take you pretty far.

Internship Type: Paid Internship Category: Arts & Entertainment; Writing & Communications Applied By: July 2021 Received Offer By: July 2021 Duration: Fall 2021 What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an internship similar to the one you completed or to an organization similar to the one where you did your internship?

For your portfolio it's more about quality CMU English Internship Insider

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CMU English Internship Insider

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from 76-271 Introduction to Professional & Technical Writing, and that was it! I got the job!

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

I was explicitly hired to document projects at Cisco that weren’t documented, so I spent all of my time working on that. I read existing documentation, interviewed subject matter experts, wrote the documentation, and was responsible for garnering feedback from the people I interviewed.

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

My interviewer (who I ended up working directly under) was very impressed that I’d taken a coding course. She was also very pleased that technical writing was my primary major and not a minor or just something I had taken courses in but not fully committed myself to.

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Always aim higher than where you think you can go; you are your harshest critic, not the hiring manager.

Internship Type: Paid and Earned Credit Internship Category: Technology; Writing & Communications Applied By: October 2021 Received Offer By: January 2022

What are the steps you took to land your internship?

I had a very easy interview process! I applied in October, scheduled the interview in December, and had the interview in January. They asked for a writing sample, for which I submitted a project

Duration: Summer 2022 What did you enjoy about your internship?

I loved the freedom to design the documents and get my work done on my own time! I would report

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my progress to my boss during team meetings and 1:1s each week, but for the most part, I was given a lot of free reign in how to structure the documents I wrote and in creating timelines to get them done.

What was challenging about your internship?

There was a lot of complex information to take in and simplify for my work. Turning four hours worth of meetings into one wiki page is difficult! I knew in my head that it’d be a lot of highly specialized knowledge, but technical writing in the wild is much more challenging than just turning in an assignment for a class.

What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an internship similar to the one you completed or to an organization similar to the one where you did your internship?

Don’t be afraid to apply to big companies! The worst that happens is that you don’t get an interview for an application you only spent 10 minutes on. Always aim higher than where you think you can go; you are your harshest critic, not the hiring manager.

Make sure you are extremely organized and can mentally multitask.

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

I am an extremely organized person with excellent time management skills. Also, I can be very personable which helped me a lot during the interview process. I was able to stand out amongst other candidates because I was authentic and memorable to the interviewers.

What are the steps you took to land your internship?

One of the major steps that really aided in this process was meeting with my academic advisor many times beforehand. I was interested in the Pittsburgh Summer Internship Program (PSIP) and wanted to make sure that it was the right fit for me and

CMU English Internship Insider

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CMU English Internship Insider

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would fulfill all the criteria I had for my own personal goals. After deciding that this was a program I wanted to be a part of, I attended a couple workshops where the supervisor of the program and past participants talked about their experiences. Then, I filled out the application for PSIP. I was connected to host sites and did many interviews (some included multiple rounds) where, eventually, I was a first pick for my internship host site.

What did you enjoy about your internship?

I really enjoyed the message of my host site which was to protect and celebrate freedom and creative expression. There was a rich history behind my host site which dealt with international, persecuted artists being given refuge. It was inspiring to work and interact with people who went through so much, only to realize that they are just normal people when you actually talked to them. I gained so much insight into other cultures and how that impacts the art produced in these cultures.

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

Some of my responsibilities included communicating and accommodating with nontraveling and traveling (domestic and international) artists which included writers, musicians, etc. I would ensure that all their payments were processed and that their travel and lodging were booked. Additionally, I helped set up the performance venue for events where I acted as front of house.

What was challenging about your internship?

Once of the challenging parts of my internship was the lack of continuity. In the time I was there, this nonprofit had an influx of people coming and going. This occurred way before I was there as well, creating an inconsistent way of doing things that felt disorganized. I had trouble adapting to the many differing ways people would do things only for them to leave and the next person doing it a different way on a different media platform.

What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an internship similar to the one you completed or to an organization similar to the one where you did your internship?

A tip I would give for someone going for a public programming internship is to make sure you are extremely organized and can mentally multitask.

Most of the time, there are numerous programs that are being coordinated at one time. Being able to keep a mental (or physical) record of what steps have been completed for which programs is a must. Somebody who can deal with a lot of moving parts would be a good fit for a public programming internship.

Hometown: Boardman, OH

Internship Type: Paid and Earned Credit

Received Offer By: January 2022

Internship Categories: Duration: Technology; Summer 2022 Writing & Communications Applied By: October 2021

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the job description, preparing extensively for my interviews, and always thanking people along the way!

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

I worked on a team of both writers and designers to incorporate storytelling into one of IBM’s current projects. My responsibilities were broad as the entire internship revolved around one project.

Reach out to past interns on LinkedIn or even early hires or current employees and talk to them about their experiences.

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

Being able to sell the transferrable skills I’ve attained from both my CMU coursework and previous professional experience.

What did you enjoy about your internship?

I really enjoyed being able to learn about a new industry I never imagined myself in and connecting with so many different people from varied academic and professional backgrounds.

What was challenging about your internship?

I found myself struggling at times with imposter syndrome as most interns were Marketing majors and sometimes it was hard to get a full grasp on IBM’s huge infrastructure and product range.

What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an internship similar to the one you completed or to an organization similar to the one where you did your internship?

Reach out to past interns on LinkedIn or even early hires or current employees and talk to

What are the steps you took to land your internship?

Crafting a customized resume that catered to CMU English Internship Insider

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them about their experiences. Then, during the interview, make sure to mention that you spoke with them! Everybody is very willing to take 1015 minutes out of their day to speak with you.

Internship Type: Paid Internship Category: Technology

What did you enjoy about your internship?

I really enjoyed the message of my host site which was to protect and celebrate freedom and creative expression. There was a rich history behind my host site which dealt with international, persecuted artists being given refuge. It was inspiring to work and interact with people who went through so much, only to realize that they are just normal people when you actually talked to them. I gained so much insight into other cultures and how that impacts the art produced in these cultures.

Applied By: September 2022 Received Offer By: December 2022 Duration: Summer 2023

What was challenging about your internship?

Once of the challenging parts of my internship was the lack of continuity. In the time I was there, this nonprofit had an influx of people coming and going. This occurred way before I was there as well, creating an inconsistent way of doing things that felt disorganized. I had trouble adapting to the many differing ways people would do things only for them to leave and the next person doing it a different way on a different media platform.

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

Previous blog writing experience, familiarity with technical concepts, and technical writing.

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

What are the steps you took to land your internship?

The founder of the company reached out to

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me (not uncommon, it's a nonprofit startup and he's really involved in everything) I completed an application, attended a preliminary interview, and got the position.

What did you enjoy about your internship?

The relaxed atmosphere and dedication of those around me, as well as the company's ambitious mission as a nonprofit, which is to develop a more accessible login that eliminates bots and promotes online privacy and discourse.

What was challenging about your internship?

Researching unfamiliar topics, expressing disagreements with fellow staff and managers.

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

Writing articles biweekly, editing others' articles, answering Quora questions weekly. I also happened to work on their whitepaper.

Internship Type: Unpaid

If someone reaches out to you on LinkedIn or Handshake, that gives you an extra advantage as you already know they scouted you.

CMU English Internship Insider

Internship Categories: Non-Profit & Research; Technology; Writing & Communications Applied By: November 2021 Received Offer By: December 2021 Duration: Spring 2022 What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an

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2021-2023

CMU English Internship Insider

What did you enjoy about your internship?

The performances and seeing all the behind the scenes work of live TV.

internship similar to the one you completed or to an organizationsimilar to the one where you did your internship?

Nonprofits are usually really looking for new people. If someone reaches out to you on LinkedIn/Handshake, that gives you an extra advantage as you already know they scouted you.

Be willing to be uncomfortable with not knowing what you are going to do.

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

Communication skills, organizational skills, social skills in work settings and ability to network, and learning on the go.

What was challenging about your internship?

Once of the challenging parts of my internship was the lack of continuity. In the time I was there, this nonprofit had an influx of people coming and going. This occurred way before I was there as well, creating an inconsistent way of doing things that felt disorganized. I had trouble adapting to the many differing ways people would do things only for them to leave and the next person doing it a different way on a different media platform.

What are the steps you took to land your internship?

EMAILS! CALLS! More emails and more calls!

Truly that was the key.

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

I organized sound equipment and learned sound programs in order to record singers and mic them.

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Hometown: New York, NY

Internship Type: Paid

What skills do you have that you think gave you an advantage in securing this internship?

Having an excellent command of the English language was a must for this internship, and many English department courses helped me develop this. I also had a lot of editing and writing experience from working with our campus newspaper, The Tartan. My time there as a section editor provided me with a solid leadership foundation and familiarized me with Associated Press (AP) Style as well.

Internship Category: Technology Applied By: September 2022 Received Offer By: December 2022 Duration: Summer 2023 What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an internship similar to the one you completed or to an organization similar to the one where you did your internship?

Be flexible. The hours (can be) horrible. Be willing to be uncomfortable with not knowing what you are going to do, but learning quickly and with some help.

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CMU English Internship Insider

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What are the steps you took to land your internship?

I applied for the internship through the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) program. I applied to three internships through the VSFS according to my academic and career interests. When offered an Editing Intern position with the Department of Veterans Affairs Digital Media Engagement Team (DME), I accepted.

Shortly after starting my internship with the DME, the interim Editing Department Head noticed the quality and efficiency of my work, as well as my attention to detail. When she took a position on the Executive Leadership Team, she offered Co-Editing Department Head positions to myself and one of my coworkers. After providing us with onboarding and transition documentation, we were formally inducted into the leadership team.

What were some of your responsibilities at your internship?

As an Editing Intern, my main responsibilities were to assign myself to various projects, most of which were blog post drafts, and to work with the writer to edit project such that it adhered to the DME Style Guide and upheld the standards of the Department of Veterans Affairs. I would also report on the work I had done to the leadership team on a weekly basis.

As Co-Editing Department Head, I was still responsible for acting as an editor for any project which needs editors. In addition, I was also responsible for ensuring that the editing department is running smoothly. This includes managing Editing Interns, reviewing and replying to their weekly reports on their work and recording metrics, as well as overseeing the workflow of the editing portion of multiple project boards. A couple months into the internship, I was given the opportunity to monitor and troubleshoot the workflow of the entirety of our main project board which featured "Veteran of the Day" blog posts.

Being attentive to detail is a seemingly subtle but actually very noticeable quality — one that will be greatly appreciated by you coworkers, your supervisors, and your future self!

What did you enjoy about your internship?

I really enjoyed working with my team to collaborate with other departments and output really meaningful work that has the potential to significantly and positively impact many people.

I also loved being able to utilize my skills on projects that were much larger in scale than those I had previously worked on.

What was challenging about your internship?

Communication and collaboration between teams and departments always come with some challenges. When projects are delayed

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or project volume is insufficient, it can be a challenge to efficiently identify the problem and its root cause, and to successfully find a solution for it. Being aligned in our vision and goals helped keep everyone on the same track for the most part, but there are inevitably some individuals who are easier to work with and some who are harder to work with.

What kinds of "insider tips" would you give to a student who is thinking about applying for an internship similar to the one you completed or to an organization similar to the one where you did your internship?

In terms of applying, tailor your resume to the specific opportunity you're applying for. You may want to adjust the order of your experiences to put the most relevant ones first or substitute less relevant extracurriculars for more relevant extracurriculars. Ensure that your skills aligns with the description of the opportunity, and that any requirements the opportunity may have are addressed and fulfilled on your resume and cover letter or application.

Hometown: Portland, OR

In terms of work ethic, attention to detail is an extremely important and often underrated skill to have. Attention to detail saves you a lot of the extraneous work that may come with having to go back and fix mistakes, and dedicating that extra bit of time can really speed up the overall efficiency of your work.

Additionally, being attentive to detail is a seemingly subtle but actually very noticeable quality — one that will be greatly appreciated by you coworkers, your supervisors, and your future self!

Internship Type: Unpaid Internship Categories: Government; Writing & Communications Applied By: August 2022 Received Offer By: August 2022 Duration: Spring 2023

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English majors can do anything.

From Literature & Culture majors interning with government organizations to Professional Writing majors interning at global tech companies, our students learn skills in and out of the classroom that transfer to a wide variety of professional spaces.

Their abilities to think critically, write and communicate clearly, manage their time and multiple responsibilities, work and collaborate with others, pay close attention to detail, and have a strong command of the English language inevitably helped them land - and be successful in - their internships.

Ready to land your internship?

Contact Laura Donaldson, Assistant Director of Undegraduate Programs and Academic Advisor at ldonalds@andrew.cmu.edu.

Our liaisons in the Career & Professional Development Center are also available to assist.

Katie Flanigan: katharif@andrew.cmu.edu Beth Jameson: bjameson@andrew.cmu.edu

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