Q. After spending months applying and receiving rejection after rejection, I've accepted the fact that I didn't land an internship this summer. I'm not too worried about not getting enough experience (I've done two internships and worked for the school newspaper), but now I'm trying to figure out what to do with my summer.
I plan on keeping my part-time job helping manage a Web site. Is freelancing for local publications my best option? Also, when I'm applying for internships and jobs next year, will it look bad that I didn't have an internship this summer?
No Longer Hanging A. You'll have a lot of company this summer. Traditional journalism internships are fewer in number and some have stopped paying. So don't feel alone. In fact, we recently had a
Poynter Online chat about rejections.
In future competitions, you will find that the people who have managed to find work for the summer will fare better than those who don't. They will just flat out have more experience.
Your challenge, then, is to make this summer look as valuable as you can. The silver lining may be that while you will not be in a traditional newsroom, you can be doing the kind of journalism that is emerging as the journalism of the future.
By all means, keep managing that Web site and look for ways to bring new forms of content to it. Also try to
become proficient with new tools and skills. Freelancing can be a good part of your summer mix. Try to do a lot of it. Look for a variety of content and a pretty full plate. A person who manages -- and improves -- a Web site and who gets dozens of stories published as a freelancer can look as good as someone who had an internship.
Other internship candidates: Within a month, internships will be starting.
Submit your questions about how to succeed at them.
Coming Monday: He had read a lot of advice that tells people how to have successful internships, but what can he do, as a mentor, to help make sure that happens?
I was lucky enough to find an internship at a...
