Landing Your Dream Job: A Guide to Writing Internships

Internships offer invaluable opportunities for aspiring writers to gain practical experience, build their portfolios, and network with industry professionals. Whether you're interested in journalism, publishing, or creative writing, securing an internship can be a crucial step in launching your career. This article provides a comprehensive overview of writing internships, drawing upon real examples and insights to guide you through the application process and help you make the most of your experience.

The Value of Internships

The co-op program provides an opportunity to attain real-life work experience. Internships provide a bridge between academic learning and the professional world, allowing students and recent graduates to apply their skills in a real-world setting. In essence, interns get put into real jobs and have wide-ranging responsibilities.

Practical Experience: Internships offer hands-on experience that complements classroom learning. You'll gain practical skills and insights that are difficult to acquire through coursework alone.
Portfolio Development: Internships provide opportunities to build a portfolio of published work or completed projects. This portfolio serves as a tangible demonstration of your skills and abilities to future employers.
Networking Opportunities: Internships allow you to connect with industry professionals, mentors, and potential employers. These connections can be invaluable for career advancement.
Career Exploration: Internships can help you explore different career paths within the writing field. By trying out different roles and responsibilities, you can gain a better understanding of your interests and strengths.

Types of Writing Internships

The writing field offers a wide range of internship opportunities, catering to different interests and skill sets. Here are some common types of writing internships:

Journalism Internships

These internships provide experience in reporting, writing, and editing for newspapers, magazines, and online news outlets.

News Reporting: Interns may cover local news, conduct interviews, and write articles for publication.
Business Reporting: Interns may research and write about business trends, company profiles, and financial news.
Sports Reporting: The sports internship throws you into the fire immediately. Interns may cover sporting events, interview athletes, and write game recaps.
Arts and Culture Reporting: Interns may review concerts, exhibitions, and theatrical performances, and interview artists and performers.
Science and Health Reporting: STAT offers a variety of internship opportunities. Interns may cover the latest news from scientific journals, and stories for STAT+, our premium service for subscribers. STAT interns are, in essence, general assignment reporters who handle daily news stories as well as longer trend pieces, profiles and other features.

Publishing Internships

These internships offer experience in the editorial, marketing, and production aspects of book publishing.

Read also: Getting Started with Internships

Editorial Internships: Editorial interns at FSG are integral components of the house's publishing process. Working directly with editors and their assistants, interns will be principally reading submissions and writing reader's reports; they also will be asked, based on their supervisor, to help conduct market research and complete various administrative tasks.
Marketing Internships: Interns may assist with social media campaigns, book publicity, and marketing research.
Production Internships: Interns may assist with proofreading, typesetting, and design.

Creative Writing Internships

These internships provide opportunities to develop your creative writing skills and gain experience in literary arts organizations.

Literary Magazine Internships: Interns may read submissions, edit manuscripts, and assist with magazine production.
Writing Center Internships: Interns may tutor students, lead writing workshops, and assist with writing center operations.
Arts Administration Internships: MFA candidates gain literary arts management experience as Institute Director’s Assistants (one poet and one fiction writer work in tandem for 2-3 years as paid student employees); undergraduate students gain experience in arts administration in work/study positions.

Non-Profit and NGO Internships

Writer/Journalist Internship: The role is focused on content creation for BORGEN Magazine or The Borgen Project Blog. This is a part-time 12-hours per week, 12 week, unpaid remote internship. Assisting with fundraising.
Social Media/Digital Marketing Internship: This is a part-time 12-hours per week, 12 week, unpaid remote internship.
Nonprofit Leadership Internship: The role will give an insight into the key skills required to lead and develop a nonprofit organization. This is a part-time 12-hours per week, 12 week, unpaid remote internship.
Fundraising Development: Learn how to fundraise. Details: This is an unpaid internship, although college credit is available. This is a great entry-level volunteer position if you are looking to make a change in the world. Serve as an ambassador for the world’s poor.

Finding Internships

Numerous resources are available to help you find writing internships. Here are some effective strategies:

University Career Services: Many universities have career services offices that offer internship listings, resume workshops, and career counseling.
Online Job Boards: Websites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Internships.com list a wide range of internship opportunities.
Professional Organizations: Organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists and the Authors Guild often have internship listings on their websites.
Company Websites: Check the career pages of companies and organizations that you are interested in working for.
Networking: Reach out to professors, alumni, and industry professionals for leads on internship opportunities.

Application Process

The application process for writing internships typically involves submitting a resume, cover letter, and writing samples. Here are some tips for creating a strong application:

Resume: Highlight your writing skills, relevant experience, and academic achievements. Tailor your resume to each specific internship.
Cover Letter: Express your interest in the internship and explain why you are a good fit for the position. Showcase your writing skills and knowledge of the organization.
Writing Samples: Submit high-quality writing samples that demonstrate your skills and versatility. Choose samples that are relevant to the internship.
Deadlines: January - June CO-OP Application dEADLINE: Oct. Pay close attention to application deadlines and submit your materials on time.

Making the Most of Your Internship

Once you've secured an internship, it's important to make the most of the opportunity. Here are some tips for a successful internship experience:

Be Proactive: Take initiative and seek out opportunities to learn and contribute.
Ask Questions: Don't be afraid to ask questions and seek guidance from your supervisor and colleagues.
Network: Attend industry events and connect with professionals in your field.
Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback on your work and use it to improve your skills.
Build Your Portfolio: Collect your best work and add it to your portfolio.
Stay Organized: Keep track of your projects, deadlines, and accomplishments.
Learn from Mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
Be Professional: Maintain a professional attitude and appearance at all times.

Examples of Writing Internships

Here are some examples of writing internships to illustrate the diverse opportunities available:

Read also: Make a Difference with Writing

The Boston Globe

The program hires reporters in the News, Business, Sports, and Living/Arts departments as well as a photographer, designer, and copy editor. This paid program is full-time and lasts 12 weeks. At Boston Globe Media, their mission is to empower, connect, and convene our communities with independent, trusted journalism and storytelling. They know a critical part of achieving this is having a workforce that is representative of the communities they serve. While the hiring process is incredibly competitive, they look for a diverse range of backgrounds. We’ve found no correlation between high GPA’s, MBA’s and/or prestigious universities when it comes to determining who will have the biggest impact for the world’s poor. We respond to every application, reply to all queries and always notify you of the outcome of our interviews.

STAT

The most successful candidates for an internship at STAT are those who have a foundation of reporting experience at their college publications and/or have freelanced or interned for other publications. They prefer - but do not require - that candidates have a degree in journalism, especially those with an emphasis in science writing. STAT will also consider journalists who have no background in science or health reporting but want to transition to such a beat. Interns will also have a chance to participate in intern-only programming such as Lunch-and-Learns, which are topic-specific events aimed at helping interns tackle and learn about specific aspects of health and science journalism. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

Foreign Policy

This is a part-time 12-hours per week, 12 week, unpaid remote internship. Assisting with fundraising. Details: This is an unpaid internship, although college credit is available.

Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House offers paid, remote internship opportunities to learn about the world of book publishing. The Fall/Spring session has a 21 hour work week schedule and is divided into two segments. The interview with a recruiter will occur via video or over the phone. You will discuss your interests, experience, and next steps. In these virtual interviews you will be asked about your experience and skills. A member of the Human Resources team will reach out to extend an offer to join the program.

Juniper Initiative at UMass Amherst

The Juniper Initiative includes the Juniper Summer Writing Institute and the Juniper Institute for Young Writers and provides many opportunities on campus along with UMass Press, The Massachusetts Review, and Radius MFA. These organizations, along with a rich array of local and regional presses, journals, schools and arts organizations offer accredited internships through the MFA’s Applied Literary Arts program. Students receive literary arts credits which may be used towards their degree. In some cases, stipends are available. Students may also seek internships in other geographic locations. Working with the MFA Program Coordinator, Juniper Fellows (one poet, one prose writer) assist in the management of the Visiting Writers Series, Writers Work, and the Juniper Literary Festival. MFA students are invited to read for the Juniper Literary Prizes in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, nationally recognized annual book prizes administered with the University of Massachusetts Press. The Juniper Literary Prizes showcase distinctive and fresh voices and share their work with a wide array of readers. The Juniper Summer Writing Institute is a week-long conference on the UMass Amherst campus designed to encourage participants to explore the creative process and develop new approaches to the craft of writing through workshops in poetry, fiction, and memoir; craft sessions; and readings. For high school students who have completed their freshman year, the week-long Juniper Institute for Young Writers offers workshops in fiction and poetry, as well as craft sessions, studio sessions, field trips, and open mics on the UMass Amherst campus. MFA candidates have the opportunity to apply for positions to teach in the Young Writer program, gaining experience in developing mixed genre curricula and working with high school students.

Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University offers several summer internships for students interested in writing and publishing. These internships are full-time, paid, and educational.

The New York Review of Books Summer Internship: The intern will work closely with the full editorial staff of the magazine and with the magazine’s award-winning art editor, who leads the cover and illustrations process for the magazine. The intern will also participate in staff meetings and have the option to interview contributors to the magazine for the magazine’s newsletter series, among other opportunities on special projects.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Summer Internship: Editorial interns at FSG are integral components of the house's publishing process. Working directly with editors and their assistants, interns will be principally reading submissions and writing reader's reports; they also will be asked, based on their supervisor, to help conduct market research and complete various administrative tasks.
The Borchardt Agency Summer Internship: The Borchardt Agency offers a full-time, paid, educational summer internship to a Wesleyan student interested in working at the agency that introduced American readers to Roland Barthes, Samuel Beckett, Pierre Bourdieu, Gilles Deleuze, Marguerite Duras, Frantz Fanon, Michel Foucault, Eugene Ionesco, Jacques Lacan, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Jean-Paul Sartre, Elie Wiesel and Monique Wittig.
The Janklow and Nesbit Associates Internship: Janklow and Nesbit offers an 8-week full-time, paid Summer educational internship to a Wesleyan student wishing to learn about the editorial development, writer advocacy, deal negotiation, accounting and legal work which goes into representing the best writers in the world. Janklow and Nesbit clients include Prize winners and beloved bestsellers in all genres, Popes and Presidents too.
Archipelago Books Summer Internship: Archipelago Books offers a part-time, paid, educational summer internship to a Wesleyan student interested in working at a not-for-profit independent publisher of literary fiction and poetry in translation. Interns will also be involved in the children’s imprint, Elsewhere Editions, which publishes beautiful picture books in translation. Interns should have experience in and excitement about languages, literary fiction, translation, art, and poetry. Foreign language skills are a plus (though not required).

The Kim-Frank Creative Writing Fellowship

Established in 2013 by a gift from the Kim-Frank family, the Kim-Frank Creative Writing Fellowship is a one-year post-graduate position. The fellow works closely with the Director of the Shapiro Center and the Assistant Director of Creative Writing and assists in a broad range of writing programs and events: the Russell House Reading Series, the Shapiro Speaker Series, WesPress x Shapiro Reading Series, and the Shapiro Center's Student Planning Committee, among others. The job offers teaching experience and an opportunity to work with distinguished novelists, poets, critics, journalists, and other artists, and to hire and supervise event staff.

Overcoming Challenges

Securing a writing internship can be competitive. Here are some common challenges and how to overcome them:

Limited Experience: If you lack extensive experience, focus on highlighting your skills, passion for writing, and willingness to learn.
Competitive Market: Stand out from the competition by tailoring your application to each specific internship and showcasing your unique strengths.
Unpaid Internships: While unpaid internships can be valuable, they may not be financially feasible for everyone. Seek out paid internships or explore funding opportunities.
Rejection: Don't get discouraged by rejection. Use it as an opportunity to learn and improve your application.

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