Q: I’m wondering if there are any special immigration applications that Canadians would also have to fill out in order to intern in the U.S.? I will be starting my graduate degree in journalism, which will be completed next May, so I’m already looking into internships and the ones south of the border interest me the most. Are these internships open to Canadians? Would there be any problems if I were to apply?
Also, I am most interested in print journalism (having worked for full-time for a year as the arts editor at my campus paper), but the j-school program that I will be attending also allows for a specialisation in radio (which includes on-line reporting) or TV. Would it be a detriment to my internship applications if I chose to specialise in say, radio, just to learn something new?
Jaime
A: Where are you attending grad school? If it is in the U.S., you should have no trouble doing a post-graduate internship on your student visa. If you plan to study in Canada, it will be tougher. You will need to get a visa for the internship, and this will require some cooperation on the part of the newspaper. We have hired Canadian interns at the Free Press, but it is a bit of an extra headache, and I don’t like to do it except for people who plan to spend the early part of their careers in the U.S.
As for your specialization: If you have some good clips, it isn’t a big problem to have another specialty. This can help diversify you as a journalist, too, and prepare you for some of the new media careers that are opening up.
If you, personally, are curious about radio, I’d give it a whirl and satisfy your curiosity. (I worked at a TV station during college, just to see if it was for me. It wasn’t, and I know that and have much more clarity about my career.)
You will get some odd looks from conservative recruiters who will treat you as something of a disloyal person if they see any journalism other than print on your resume. They will suspect you are trying to use a newspaper internship to boost your credentials for a career in broadcast. If I thought you were doing that, I’d pick someone else who I was surer was interested in print. Don’t let this dissuade you, but have a good answer for the conservative ones. (I suspect you’ll find that writing for radio will help make your newspaper writing tighter, crisper, more direct and conversational.)
I hope this isn’t confusing. It seems that doing something that is good for one’s career can make it tougher to land that first job, but I still think it is worth doing. Where will you go for grad school?