The Search is Over...for Now...

After updating my resume, gathering my references, and going to interviews...my summer plans are finally set. I was so worried about what I was going to do this summer when a number of opportunities came my way all at the same time. I was relieved to know that I had choices, but it was hard to make a decision...especially since this is the last summer before I graduate. Just learning from other broadcast majors at Westminster College and their past experiences, I realized that a powerful internship the summer before graduation can lead to a possible job right out of college...or at least it will look good on a resume when looking for jobs elsewhere.

After much deliberation...I decided to take the internship at Newchannel 5 in Cleveland, working for the noon news. I went to an interview when I was home during spring break. Besides not knowing where to park, the whole experience went rather well. First, I met with the internship coordinator who wrote down some of my general education and experience information. Then, we went down to meet with the Noon News Producer for Newschannel 5, Ellen McGregor. It wouldn't be fair to say I wasn't nervous, but once I sat down and started talking to her, I felt pretty comfortable. Ellen was really nice and asked pertinent questions...such as what I consider when producing a show, what experience I have in regards to producing and reporting, and why I was interested in this internship. I answered the questions honestly and as best I could. At the end, she said she would contact me by Friday of that week. Also, before I left the station, Ellen showed me around the studio and the newsroom.

The week seemed to drag on forever, and when Friday rolled around, I was checking my e-mail every 30 minutes. By the end of the day, I was pretty bummed...I was fairly certain that Ellen would contact me either way, but now I wasn't so sure. After the weekend passed, I wasn't expecting anything...but a surprise came my way on Monday when an e-mail showed up in my inbox from Ellen. She said she was sorry that she didn't get back to me right away, but that I had gotten the internship!! I will be working three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. My responsibilities include helping with the production of the show, writing some news, going out with photographers and assisting them, greeting and making the guests feel comfortable, and much more. I think this internship will be a great learning experience into how a television station runs in a bigger network area.

Also, I think this will help me to figure out what I want to do as a career after I graduate. Right now, I'm split between radio and television. I had an internship with the Fish radio station last summer, and now I can gain TV experience with Newschannel 5. I was rather proud of myself because I was the first intern Ellen contacted. She may bring in another intern to work the other two days, but nothing is certain yet.

Funny thing is that right before I sent an e-mail back to Ellen telling her I would take the internship...I checked my mail at school and found a letter from WKYC, the NBC news station affiliate in Cleveland. The letter said that the station would be conducting interviews this coming week for their internships and the I should call to schedule one!! I had sent in my resume to WKYC before the beginning of the year and was surprised to hear back from them as well.

In the end, I decided to just stick with Newschannel 5, the ABC affiliate. I knew that the internship at 5 was a for sure thing, and most of the WKYC internships were full-time positions, 40 hours per week. At least with Newschannel 5, I will have the opportunity to baby-sit two days a week and make some money to pay for expenses this summer. However, I'm going to contact WKYC and thank them for the invitation to interview...because you never know where you may end up in the future....

So...for now...the search is over, but I know that not too far off, I'm going to be busy looking for jobs that I could do after I graduate. I have a feeling that senior year will fly by, and soon enough I'm be back in the "real" world...until then, I'm content to intern and learn as much as I can from those who have been in the business for years!!

This is the One Thing that I Know...

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately...but while I was home I began to realize what's really important in my life: my faith. As I was reflecting during this Holy Week, I was inspired to create this video montage of pictures to one of my favorite Jars of Clay songs, Liquid. Although I used only still images, I feel the video evokes a lot of emotion out of its viewers. A couple of semesters ago, I created a video for my Video Production class using still images from my family's Thanksgiving. This project made me realize the power of still images, and I've come to like creating my own video montages using photos. Sometimes, I think still images can say so much more than video...it captures one moment in time that could never be understood by video. A still shows that exact point...something that cannot be put into words. I hope you all enjoy this video...and Happy Easter!! Remember what Jesus Christ did for us all....

Too Many Opportunities?

It seems kind of impossible doesn't it? Too many opportunities? In the world of broadcasting, having a variety of different options is normally a good thing. But at the semester winds down, I find myself caught in the middle of a crossroads...I'm not sure what I'm going to do this summer, and I'm still trying to narrow down my ideas for my senior capstone project...

As I got ready for spring break, I started to seriously think about the summer and realized I have ton of opportunities this summer, and I can't seem to choose. And it all hit me this week...

In mid-February, I received a letter in my school mailbox from WEWS Newschannel 5 in Cleveland. I had applied there for an internship when I was home during Christmas break before the New Year started. After more than a month had passed, I wasn't really expecting anything, but then there was that letter sitting in my mailbox. The letter said I should call and set up an interview for the internship of my choice. I called a couple days later and set up an interview for the Noon News internship, which involves working with the show producers. My interview is this coming Monday...I'm pretty nervous, mainly because I've heard these internships are pretty competitive. I'm just going to give it my best, and see what happens...

I thought that I was pretty lucky to hear back from WEWS, but just this past week, another opportunity was passed my way. A couple of weeks ago, my senior capstone class was required to attend a job/internship fair at the college. I walked around the fair with a few other broadcast majors, and when we stopped at the WKBN/WYFX TV table, I decided to give the station a copy of my resume. I figured it couldn't hurt. Well, this past Wednesday, I got an e-mail from the executive producer at WKBN saying she had been flipping through resumes and came upon mine. She said I would be a perfect fit for an internship there, and if I didn't have anything lined up for the spring/summer, I should give her a call!! The station is in Youngstown, close to school, so maybe when I'm out at college, I could do an internship there. The summer is a little bit iffy, since it would be a long drive every morning, but I'm keeping my options open for now...maybe I could do something there during the fall next year? We'll see...

To top it all off...I'm still working for Newsradio 1200 WKST in New Castle as a part-time news producer/anchor and board operator. I know that the radio station wants me to work for them over the summer...but I don't think it's really feasible as I'll be living back at home in Cleveland and can't really afford to live on my own out at school during the summer. Plus, I'm welcome back at the Fish radio station where I interned last summer...or I can work a little for Buckeye Distributing, a Red Bull distributor, where I worked the two summers before the last...

I think it's safe to say I have too many choices, because I'm still not sure what I want to do as a career, and what I choose to do this summer could play an important role in what I could do later on in life since this is my last summer before I graduate...plus, whatever I choose to do, could help me figure out what I want to do for my senior capstone project.

For right now, I think I'm just going to wait and see how the interview at WEWS goes, and take it from there!! Good luck to everyone else who is busy with interviews right now!!