Annabella Booth interned with The Orinda News and contributed to local journalism.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose my internship of being a contributing writer for a local newspaper, because I wanted to pursue an internship with something I have interest in doing in the future. It has been an amazing experience and opportunity to write for the newspaper. Here's one of my articles.
What new knowledge and skills did you develop in this internship?
I obtained many skills and so much knowledge during this experience. A big transferable skill I developed was time management. With this internship deadlines were very important. Having to interview subjects by a certain time, write the story by a specific date, send the photo captions in, it was a lot to make sure to have done on time. It really helped me to plan better, and structure my schedules to fit all my needs. I practiced, and got more knowledgeable with all different kinds of communication. With communicating with a variety of audiences, and communicating with editors effectively, it helped me become more comfortable communicating with everyone no matter the audience.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you for the internship experience?
My Applied Humanities major coursework helped me to prepare and gave me insight for my internship experience, in many ways. I was able to feel confident with putting myself out there in the best ways possible. By completing the PAH 383 Pre-Internship: Building Career Readiness course, I felt very set up to do amazing in my internship. Some examples include learning how to network in multiple different ways, how to not be so nervous, and to always keep an open positive mindset. Then, in my other Humanities courses, I learn to understand different perspectives and how to incorporate that into my work and learnings. It helped me a lot to write about different subjects during the internship.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
Advice I have for other students as they begin to search for internships is to not stress. There are so many possibilities out there. You can also learn so many new skills from any type of position. The internship does not need to reflect exactly what you want to do in the future, because you can learn through different experiences more about yourself and what you like to do. A helpful thing for not feeling so overwhelmed is to plan out when you're going to do each step in the securing an internship process. Starting the process of searching early can relieve stress. Plan out when you want to do each step, like make your resume, create a Handshake and LinkedIn profile, start networking, and attend events. At first it can seem like a lot but doing each step will help guide you in the right direction, and the reward is worth it!
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
This experience was my first time writing for a publication. It was very exciting and opened my mind to the opportunities out there and what I want to pursue in the future. I love writing and being able to meet new people. I am looking forward to pursuing and furthering my career in journalism. My goal is to write for a fashion magazine and get into editorial. Now having some experience with how writing for a publication is like it has made me excited for more to come. I love fashion, as well as writing, so I am looking to further my knowledge and experience with both passions intertwined.