I loved the team I worked with and how flexible everything was. They made me feel like an asset to the team and gave me many opportunities to get experience that I don't necessarily learn in school.
What I wish was different
I wish that communication had been a little better when the pandemic started, but overall I had a great experience at this internship.
Advice
I want to advise anyone else interning with VOA to be proactive and reach out to different people in different departments. Being proactive is the best way to make yourself stand out.
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Project Intern
June - August 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I loved being able to practice my French and learn tools used by the multi-media producers to share and publish video, news articles and Facebook/Instagram posts. I had a lot of autonomy and was able to approach anyone with questions I had. Since I worked in the French-to-Africa department, I also gained a lot of insight into the non-European Francophone world which I really appreciated. I definitely gained skills in editing videos and translating scripts as well.
What I wish was different
One thing that I wish had been different was the opportunity to explore other divisions within VOA. Specifically, it would have been nice to have had time to learn about the Russian Service, not just the French-to-Africa one.
Advice
Take advantage of the location (DC) and ask as many questions as possible! This is a great opportunity to learn about the important role international journalism and media play in democracies.
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anchor
June - August 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I loved the environment. I love how involved I was and I really enjoyed the networking.
What I wish was different
I wish I had done it for an entire semester and not just the Summer.
Advice
I wish it wasn't so expensive to be able to do things like these
The best advice I can give from this experience is to give it your all, be flexible, be jovial, be trainable.
I personally was told I was the best intern they had and got offered to stay but my mom wanted me to graduate first. That just shows you how nothing goes unnoticed.
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Journalism Intern
May - July 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I liked shadowing the reporters and helping them cover different events around D.C.
What I wish was different
I wish I had already known how to use adobe premiere elements but I was able to learn pretty quickly.
Advice
I would advise an intern to seek out work and not wait or expect work to come to him/her.
