Summer Internships in the Time of COVID-19
The summer of social distancing may not have seemed like the ideal time to get on-the-job experience, but our students never fail to complete their internship requirements in style. We caught up with students who completed summer internships in a variety of fields—journalism, interior architecture, and sustainability—to see what they learned and what they have planned for the future. Check out their internship advice below:
MAGGIE SUSA
Major: English, BA ’20 and MA ‘21
Internship: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Features Reporter and Copy Editor
What did a typical day at your internship look like?
Despite the pandemic, the Post-Gazette was gracious enough to offer an in-person experience to anyone who wanted it. They also had work-from-home options. I split my time between two desks so the first half of my internship looked very different than the second half. For the first half, I’d arrive at their office on the North Side between 9 and 10 am; I’d check my email and make a to-do list for the day. Sometimes I would call sources or have pre-scheduled interviews for stories and other times I’d work on writing my assigned stories. If I didn’t have an assignment, I would catch up on reading the news and look for story ideas to pitch. My day ended around 5 pm.
The amount of work I had to do in a day depended on how quickly a story needed to be turned around. My first story was on hair salons reopening, and I had a little less than a week to complete it. It ended up running front page, above the fold and got over 5,000 views!
For the second half, I worked on copy desk editing, fact-checking, writing headlines, and laying out pages. I would come in at 3:30 pm but there usually wasn’t anything for me to edit until 5 pm so I would catch up on news. Then, I would layout or paginate the Nation/World pages in Libercus, their content management system. My day ended around 11 pm or after all the pages were sent to the printer.
It was a little odd at times because it was so quiet in the newsroom since most of the staff was working from home but it was still a great experience.
What’s one thing you experienced at your internship that you don’t think you could have experienced anywhere else?
There are so many things it’s difficult to narrow down. For one, I loved being treated like a real reporter from the get-go. I think at least three of my stories ran A-1 which is far more than I expected. I had to be prepared for anything all the time. One morning I came in and an editor told me I would be covering a wake later that day for a Jefferson Hills police officer that was killed on duty. I got the assignment at 10 am, arrived on site at noon, left at 3 pm, and had my story filed by 6 pm.
How did your internship inform your post-graduation goals?
I made a lot of connections with sources and fellow journalists! The people that work at the Post-Gazette are amazing. The other features intern and I tried to meet with all of the features writers, and some people in other departments as well, to discuss careers in journalism. Everyone I met was kind and hard-working, some even offered their professional mentorship to me after I left. I’m looking to get a job in Pittsburgh media following graduation and possibly start freelancing, based on the encouragement of one of the people I consider a mentor.
What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing an internship in your field of study?
Have confidence! I gained a lot of confidence in a short amount of time. Before starting the internship, I would panic over talking to a stranger or even making a phone call but I got over that in first week. I did one story on the popularity of fast food during the pandemic based on the results of a data collection survey. I spent a rainy Friday evening walking up to random cars in drive thru lines and asking people why they were eating at that particular restaurant. It was as awkward as it sounds but I’m glad I did it because it gave me confidence. Also, [be sure to] know your basic AP style and inverted pyramid. Any media outlet expects interns to come in knowing that. A good way [to learn] both of these is by writing for your student newspaper!
Josh Weiland
Major: Sustainability, Natural Resource Management ‘21
Internship: Allegheny Land Trust, Hamm Conservation Internship
What did a typical day at your internship look like?
In our current COVID-19 climate, I was especially thankful for my internship. As the sole steward of Wingfield Pines, a number of my duties were focused around land management of the site. My days were typically spent in the field felling invasive trees and turning them into an aquatic habitat, engagement with any visitors, social media outreach, and monitoring the land. The site featured trails, acid mine remediation ponds, and a stream that all required attention and the ability to respond to any issues.
What’s one thing you experienced at your internship that you don’t think you could have experienced anywhere else?
At Allegheny Land Trust I was encouraged to speak up and share my opinions in meetings and to look for opportunities that truly interested me. This unique experience allowed me to practice grant writing, work with other organizations in their network, and the freedom to try and fail.
How did your internship inform your post-graduation goals?
As a gateway student with experience in several local non-profits, this internship underscored my desire to work at a macro level in a conservation-related field. I hope to be helping with policy, site assessment, and determining strategies to allow natural systems to become more stable, equitable, and inviting.
What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing an internship in your field of study?
Students have so much pressure from our course loads and a strong desire to do well. However, networking and conversation with individuals currently working [can be just as] important. It is difficult during a pandemic but [I recommend] attending any free events held by local organizations of interest and introducing yourself [to people]. When attending a webinar or other online event, take note of who speaks and then reach out to those individuals. Those small conversations can pay off in big ways!
Kathryn McClelland
Major: Interior Architecture ‘21
Internship: Hjerpe Residence
What did a typical day at your internship look like?
Due to COVID, a typical day at my internship consisted of remote work. I would work in AutoCAD on my laptop to create floorplans, elevations, and detail drawings to convey my proposition for my client’s 1,000+ square foot basement redesign. Zoom calls proved to be really beneficial so that I could meet with my advisor and client to go over the designs and plans that I had been working on.
What’s one thing you experienced at your internship that you don’t think you could have experienced anywhere else?
I had a direct client relationship and firsthand experience of the design process which was completely unique to this residential internship. I most likely wouldn’t have received [this experience] at a commercial firm.
How did your internship inform your post-graduation goals?
This internship gave me a direct look at the residential side of design which will help me decide which path of design I’m most interested in pursuing after graduation.
What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing an internship in your field of study?
I would advise [students] to plan out their working hours ahead of time, that way they are not scrambling last minute to fulfill the hours. Especially with this field of study, revisions and reworkings are going to take more time than you would expect, so make sure to carve out enough time to do so.
Interested in getting started on your internship journey? Make an appointment with Career Development today.
