I was hoping to get going on this sooner, but believe it or not, the first few weeks at The Dispatch were really hectic. On top of the work, I had to move in to my new place and learn to find my way around. Nothing out of the ordinary for moving to a new city, really.
I guess I should start with what led up to this internship. I’d been procrastinating about putting together a portfolio for a while, but something finally kicked in and I got my butt in gear. At the same time, I started checking the NPAA job information board. Most of the deadlines for summer internships had passed by the time I started looking, but there was a six-month internship here in York, Pa., and applications were due in a week.
Here’s the first suggestion I can make to anyone trying to get their first internship: read the entire announcement! The photo editor at The Dispatch wants a letter from an instructor and the phone numbers of three references. If an editor asks for something in addition to your resume, portfolio and cover letter, give it to them. If you can’t follow instructions when you’re asking someone to hire you, they aren’t likely to think you can follow instructions once you’re hired. And that’s exactly the discussion my new bosses had during the review process. My application didn’t arrive until the day of the deadline, but I got hired because I had a strong portfolio and I followed the instructions.
This is my second tip: Don’t stress the fancy packaging. I stopped at Staples the day I sent off my packet and bought a nice white plastic folder. It cost $1.99. Here’s a cool one for $3.49. I put my resume and cover letter in one pocket, my letter of reference in the other. There was a slot for a CD cut into one of the pockets, and that’s where I put my portfolio CD. Make sure you write your full name, phone number and email address on the CD. You can print out a label if you want to, but sometimes CD’s with labels stuck on don’t work in slot-loading CD drives, so it’s better not to bother.
Next time: finding a place to stay
