Career Fair

On October 21st, I attended the Career Fair that the Phillip Merill College of Journalism was hosting at the Stamp Student Union. I was not there for a very long time but I was there long enough to see the different tables. The lines were pretty long because the Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors were all anxious to be a part of the competition that these internships require.

I signed in at the front and walked into the ballroom. I was interested in seeing the different local radio stations and spoke to a few of the people there. I am a Freshman, so they are not really looking for Freshmen, but they did tell me what I could do to in order to become a good candidate for interships or jobs in the Journalism/Communications field.

A few of the tips were:

• Get yourself published (whether on a campus publication or any other publication.)
• Keep copies of your best clips.
• Maintain your resume and cover letters updated. (Proofreading is key!)

After a cheese and cracker snack, I proceeded to the table where my brother's friend Karen was working. She works at the University of Maryland but also works for the wire service Mcclatchy. Karen told me that Mcclatchy is a wire service that has about three-hundred newspapers subscribed to its wire service. 

Their internship, that could be of use to a Freshman, works on rolling admission. The best time for me to apply would be in the Spring so I could start in the Summer or the Fall. The requirements are simple. A letter of recommendation, five of my best clips from campus publications or from a publication that I write for (fortunately my blog work at The Smart Girls Group works), and basic application information. The internship allows me the freedom to write about whatever I want and it is unpaid. I do, however, receive credit for college and it could count as my internship requirement for my Public Relations major.

The Career Fair pretty much covered every spectrum of media. From radio to magazines to newspapers. Every student there was dressed professionally and very interested in what they were pursuing. You could tell by their preparation.

-Tiffany Lorente