Where to start?
As many of the Communication Science students are familiar with, looking for an internship during the pandemic can become a serious challenge. However, when looking for one that will also coincide with your career ambitions and your personal values, the challenge becomes even greater. So how should one navigate this internship hunt in order to obtain the internship that can propel them into a career in Entertainment?
Step 1: Find what you love
The first step towards landing this internship at Discovery was to create a mindmap of my personal values and of the actions that I would like to pursue on a daily basis. For instance, I recognized values such as education and actions such as curating are central to the career I wish to pursue. When researching the entertainment media companies, I found that Discovery and the Programming internship they offered matched my personal values and interests, a fact which I specifically highlighted in my application.
Step 2: Let it kill you
After finding entertainment companies that match your values, the next important step is to demonstrate this match through your application process. Based on my experience, taking the time in the beginning to construct a short CV and cover letter that could be adjusted based on the company’s values and candidate requirements ended up saving valuable time, which I ended up devoting to researching the company’s history and content in order to prepare for a possible interview. Specifically, preparing for the first interview with Discovery, I invested a week into browsing their brands (e.g. TLC and Animal Planet) and their shows. During the interview, the recruiters asked a few questions about their content, where I was able to shed a spotlight on my understanding and affinity to their content.
Step 3: Don’t be afraid to step out of the beaten track
While LinkedIn or other web-searching platforms can be extremely helpful in finding internship opportunities, for the Entertainment sector, the offers can be quite scarce. Therefore, based on my experience, I advise you to compile a list of the companies whose content resonates with you the most and directly look their websites up for vacancies. In my case, the internship opportunity was not advertised on any of the aforementioned platforms but only on the Discovery Benelux vacancy page. Even if there are no vacancies, don’t be afraid to send an email to a recruiter or a member of the team you desire to work for on LinkedIn.
Step 4: Keep your pen close, and your notepad closer
After securing your internship in the Entertainment business, one of the first challenges you will encounter is adapting to the vocabulary. Especially in the case of television, in the beginning of the internship you might encounter a volatile and ever-evolving vocabulary to keep track of. Personally, keeping an internship journal right from the start has helped me memorize the terminology and make associations between the newly-encountered concepts. Nevertheless, even when you start getting the terms right, do not shy away from asking your team or supervisor further questions about the processes behind these terms. Therefore, make a habit out of asking questions, and don’t forget to note it down.