Summer in NYC internship program to offer journalism, PR, advertising opportunities
A new internship program in New York City will launch summer 2019, giving Media School students an opportunity to intern at top media outlets and live in one of the world’s media capitals.
Ten to 15 students will comprise the first cohort of the Summer in New York City program. The program follows the format of the production-focused Semester in Los Angeles program that launched spring 2018. Summer in New York internships placements will be at journalism, entertainment and advertising firms.
“For journalism and advertising students, New York City is one of the places with the most opportunities at high-end companies,” said Isabel Shanahan, external program manager of both the New York and Los Angeles semester programs. “You can’t beat the market and work experience.”
The internship will be the highlight of the experience, with each student completing one full-time or two part-time internships during his or her stay. These internships will be hands-on, giving students a preview of potential careers.
“A lot of the top journalism companies told us that interns are writing stories and getting clips — the most important things you need that you can’t always achieve in a classroom,” Shanahan said. “A clip from a major news publication can be career-making at this stage.”
Large advertising firms offer opportunities geared toward marketing and advertising students. Students can work directly with clients and shadow professionals in careers they’re interested in, Shanahan said.
Shanahan has met with several top media firms in preparation. An internship placement isn’t guaranteed, but Shanahan isn’t worried about The Media School’s students’ success rate, considering both their academic achievement and the career coaching available to them.
Cindy Groszman, a Media School senior, participated in the pilot semester of the L.A. program in spring 2018. The Los Angeles program served 30 students in its first term, with 22 more arriving this fall. Students interned at NBCUniversal, Safehouse Pictures and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to name a few.
Groszman interned with Studio 71, a multichannel network managing content across platforms. Studio 71 is the top MCN in L.A., representing YouTube content creators as large as Lilly Singh, Grace Helbig and Epic Meal Time. She assisted in talent scouting and signing.
“I just needed to get out in the real world and do my thing, do what I really want to do,” Groszman. “And I did, and I loved it. I met my kind of people, and through them I met more people like them … It also just helped me figure out what I want to do.”
Groszman found the internship opening through Shanahan. She went through an intensive multi-interview application process to be accepted as a partner relations intern. When the spring semester ended, the company hired Groszman on for the summer as an employee.
Shanahan said she hopes the New York program can grow to be as large as the Los Angeles one with time, with eventually up to 50 students in NYC.
Shanahan has a few tips to a successful internship for those who are accepted.
“Keep an open mind as to what you want to do in your career,” Shanahan said. “Internships are exploratory, and an internship at one company is not the end-all, be-all of your career. Getting involved, building a resume (and bringing) your hardworking attitude can only boost your experience in NYC.”
Shanahan will hold an information session about the program at 7 p.m. Sept. 25 in Franklin Hall 310. The application will go live that same day.