Something to show for the effort The Intern Diaries

by Whitney Riggs

I feel a bit guilty. After reading through my blogs, I realize I sound like a spoiled little girl begging for a pity party. I just want to make it clear that I am in no way that girl.

This is not my first job (I’ve been working since I was 16), and hard work is something I was constantly shown and taught growing up. Although I have my complaints, I truly am happy where I am at right now.

I was talking to a girl I work with the other day, and she asked how my internship is going so far. I said, “Great! I’m actually writing a lot, and I will have some clips to use for the future.” Being a pre-med major, she looked at me funny when I used the word “clips.” For those of you who don’t know, clips are stories that have been published, and we journalism majors depend on them in order to get a job. We strive to gather as many as we can before we graduate to show to employers during interviews along with our resumes. Without them, how would they know my writing capabilities or if I have even written a story before?

I realized after talking with her how incredibly lucky I am to have this internship. Not only am I learning how a magazine runs, but I actually am writing my own articles. When it comes time to find a job, I will not only have the words “Indianapolis and St. Louis Woman Magazine intern” on my resume, but I will have months of experience, possible references and concrete articles employers can look through. Plus, it will help me narrow down what I want to do when I graduate.

I may have my complaints —like we all do — but all the worries and stress are well worth it.