Q: I am an internship junkie. I've done six reporting internships at mid-sized and large metropolitan dailies. I'll be receiving my master's degree this spring after which I hoped to do one final internship. I enjoy interning because I can explore new cities and improve my writing under a variety of editors.

I thought that applying to an internship this year would be easier than in past years because I have more experience. But I've found little luck. I was a finalist for a few papers but I didn't get any offers. Some recruiters have told me they have reduced their number of intern spots this year, while some newspapers have nixed their programs altogether.

But I've been wondering, is there such a thing as too many internships on a résumé?

Thanks

T

A: Yes, you can have too many internships.

I think you can do one more -- if you can get it.

You can work as many internships as you like while you are a student, but if you start stringing consecutive internships together after graduation or between degrees, it starts to look bad. Editors may wonder why other editors will give you internships but not jobs.

Your problems in landing an internship now may be a decline in the number of positions, or a feeling that the internships are better used on people who need them to break in. While newspaper editors are not running charities, they do give some thought to the effect an internship can have on someone's career.

I have, on occasion, given an internship to someone who really needed one rather than to a more qualified person whose future seemed assured. I am more likely to do that with someone I'd really like to see get a break. Often, that means a local person who came to journalism later or one who has the right tools but lacks the training. Given their nature, internships can be good for a gamble by both employer and employee.

Don't feel bad. If you don't land an internship, you sound well-prepared to dive into a job.