Communications & Media

Fall 2017

Position: Communications/Events Intern
Student: Economics Senior

In the morning around 10 o’clock, I start my day at my assigned desk on the computer. There are a few everyday tasks that must be completed from the Communications department. The first is emailing prospects. I receive a list of prospects, member or non-member, and sort them in their categories. If I come across prospects with little to none information, I must do some research to sort them. After sorting, I send emails to certain prospects who are non- members to let them know more about the association in the event they would like to join. Another daily task that must be completed is mailing Report to the Nations and Fraud Magazine. I spend my time in the shipping/packaging area to fill out requests from prospects and prepare shipments. I also sort through return mail and update addresses. Other than the intern tasks, my supervisor gives me bigger projects to do like business development or content marketing.

I also get related tasks from design and video teams to help them on their projects. For the video team, I will get video embed tasks to complete for the website. For the design team, there are many projects that they design for events, I was put into a task of helping them fill out/prepare event forms for prospects. These tasks from design and video teams take much longer (about one and half week) to fully complete because they have so much content to go through and the steps are much more complicated to complete in one day.

I usually set up a meeting once a week with a department head or someone who is currently working on a big project. This is for getting to know the staff members and know what the experience is like for each employee. They will also give tips on my own projects that I am currently working on, if they are from the communications, marketing, or events department.

Fall 2019

Position: Media & Communications/Business Development Intern
Student: English Sophomore

I work as a Media & Communications/Business Development intern for ACL Live. ACL Live belongs to the larger Austin City Limits company, which also hosts the Austin City Limits Festival and the ACL television show. The branch of ACL I intern for operates out of Moody Theater, a downtown concert venue which hosts concerts and private events throughout the year. Moody Theater is called as “the best address in music” for a reason – the venue is one the premier live music spaces in not only Austin, but the entire nation.

After taking the bus downtown, I begin an average day at work by checking in with my bosses. I work between two separate departments, Marketing and Business Development, so I check base with my superiors in both departments and receive my agenda for the day. Sometimes, I receive straightforward tasks such as posting promotional flyers around downtown Austin or delivering tickets. If I am working on the day of a show, I am often tasked with suite set-up. I ensure that the guest suites inside of the venue are pristine and their seats are labeled correctly. On other days, I spend time maintaining and adding onto the company’s various marketing spreadsheets. I’m sometimes asked to work for a few hours during the evening on show nights. While working nights, I check in guests at will call or take pictures during the show, which are posted on ACL’s social media accounts. 

Apart from these tasks, I have also contributed to several large-scale projects over the course of the internship. For example, when ACL Live switched its ticketing service, I worked to convert data regarding ticket sales from one platform to the other. The stakes of projects such as these were high, but my bosses were always more than willing to assist me and answer any questions. I finish an average day at work by helping out with office-related tasks such as filing invoices or making copies.

Fall 2017

Position: Production Assistant
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Senior

There’s 2 kinds of days at Austin City Limits, there is office hour days and then there are taping days. On the days I go into the office, the first thing I do is distribute the mail to everyone in the office. I then check in on all our social media. I retweet tweets, reply to Facebook messages, and like Instagram posts we were tagged in. Every day is a little different after that; it depends on what all needs to be done. Most of the time I am scheduling and creating social media posts. On Facebook, I will upload videos and create a post about it and then schedule when it needs to post, I do the same for Twitter minus the video. Twitter there is always the most to schedule since its that one we use to make quick announcements. On Instagram, I take a premade photo and create the caption and the date for it to be posted. It’s really cool going on social media and seeing the content you created and getting to see how many people liked it. 

Now taping days are long days. Depending on the band that is taping an episode that day I normally have to get to the venue between 6 or 7 am. From there we help out hospitality. We bring in all the food for the crew, as well as set it up. We make the coffee for everyone and fill the coolers, to make sure everyone is taken care of throughout the day. We also set up the artist’s dressing rooms. Every artist has requests on what they want in their dressing rooms and we are the ones that make sure they get it. After set up we are there for anything anyone will need. Whether it be making more coffee or dropping off set lists to the crew, we are your go to people! Taping days are my favorite. We get to watch sound check which is basically a private concert and then we get to watch the actually show. It makes getting there so early and having to stay late to clean up and break down worth it.

Spring 2018

Position: Executive Intern
Student: Economics Junior

I work as an Executive Intern, so my days depend on various projects my supervisor assigns. I go to my supervisor right after I arrive at work. She assigns day’s projects and explains what they are about. I gain insights on projects mostly by understanding the purpose of a project. After that, I find a place to work on those projects, and my supervisor allows me to work by myself. If I can’t finish a project on time, I can continue working on the it later. If I finish it earlier, she usually gives me another project.

Hardest project for me was matching public figures on pictures of last festivals from 1994 with name. I understood this project’s purpose, which it would be easier for us to use the pictures for marketing purpose if the pictures were sorted by public figures. It drained my energy because it was very difficult to figure out who the person on a picture 20 years ago. My favorite type of projects is excel-using projects, dealing with data. I could come up with efficient idea to sort and analyze data easily.

Fall 2016 

Position: Screenwriting Intern
Student: English Junior 

Austin Film Festival is a hidden gem in East Austin that is very exciting and a really great place to work. I have had the privilege of working here since last May and with each few weeks comes different aspects of the industry.

I was lucky enough to be able to intern at the Austin Film Festival this past summer. Throughout the summer my tasks became more and more essential to the festival, from organizing scripts to eventually reading and evaluating scripts for the competition, I felt that I was really part of the team.

What I love about the Austin Film Festival is that it is a film festival, but more than that it is a writer’s festival. As a student that hopes to pursue screenwriting, it is very encouraging and exciting to see a competition that rewards the writing aspect of film. So often I struggle in having a script that I love but do not necessarily have the right camera, editing facilities, actors, etc. to bring that screenplay to life. This festival takes that worry away.

Since working at the Austin Film Festival I definitely have more knowledge for the festival world and also more knowledge about what makes a script a festival winning script.

Spring 2017

Position: Editorial Assistant
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Junior

If you are wanting to avoid a repetitive, desk internship, Austin Fit Magazine is for you. At Austin Fit, no day is ever just like the one before. This magazine is constantly changing, with a new issue every month. As an editorial intern, there are always new themes and articles that need to be created. One day you may be pitching article ideas to your editor, and the next you may be helping with a photoshoot on Lake Austin. During my time at Austin Fit I have pitched and researched potential editorial topics, edited my writing as well as others’, assisted with design and production timelines, conducted and transcribed interviews, visited various workout studios in the Austin area, written reviews, and have consistently written 1-3 print and web articles each month.

I remember on first day as an intern I was assigned to write an article on Aquaponics and how they are impacting the city of Austin. I knew nothing about aquaponic systems, much less how they were relevant to the Austin area. In order to create a successful piece, I had to conduct a lot of research before writing this article. This was not my ideal topic, but I learned so much from my first article. My first day taught me that often, there is more than just writing skills needed in order to produce a strong, informative article. Since then, I have been assigned several articles. They have been over a variety of topics and I have learned how to write differently depending on the subject. These articles can be time consuming, but they are enjoyable and rewarding along the way. It feels incredible to produce your own work and knowing it has been read by over 100,000 readers. As an editorial intern, I have gained a lot of knowledge on the writing process and everything that goes into creating a successful piece. You will also strengthen your communication skills. During my time there, I interviewed local business owners, restaurants, doctors, athletes, city council members, the mayor, and I even got to work with Discovery Channel for an interview on an upcoming reality TV show they were promoting. Austin Fit Magazine offers many unique, exciting experiences for their interns.

Although it is fun and exciting, it is important to know going into it that this is a very fast-paced environment. Editorial interns must have strong time management skills and keep with their assignments, stay focused while in the office, and produce quality work that they are proud of within a short amount of time. The deadlines are tight, and you must invest your time to create quality pieces for the magazine. Although this can be intense and challenging at times, it is extremely fulfilling to have your work published. This is a more relaxed environment and most of the people who work here are very kind and welcoming. I am very thankful for my time as an editorial intern at Austin Fit Magazine. 

Fall 2016

Position: Editor's Intern
Student: Rhetoric & Writing Sophomore

As an editorial intern at Austin Fit Magazine, no day is ever just like the one before. With a new issue every month, there are always different ideas and articles to work on. During my time at Austin Fit Magazine I have researched potential editorial topics, assisted with design and production timelines, conducted and transcribed interviews, and I have consistently written 1-3 print and web articles each month.

On my first day as an intern I was assigned to write an article on Aquaponics and how they are impacting the city of Austin. I hardly even knew what an aquaponics system was. I had to conduct a lot of research before writing my first article. Although it wasn’t exactly my topic of choice, I learned the importance of what goes into writing a strong, informative article. Many of the articles you will write and the interviews you will conduct as an editorial intern require a lot of “behind the scenes” work. It simply isn’t just writing or interviewing. You must devote time to your subject to produce the best work possible. Although they are time consuming, I gained very unique experiences through conducting and transcribing interviews. I interviewed city council members, the mayor, local restaurant and business ovens, and I even got to work with Discovery Channel for an interview on an upcoming reality TV show they were promoting. Interviews can be intimidating, but with the guidance of AFM’s editor and practice, they are doable and very rewarding.

This is a very fast-paced work environment. Interns are expected to keep up with their assignments, stay on task while in the office, and produce quality work within a short amount of time. Although this can be intense at times, it is extremely fulfilling to have your work published and know that you contributed to a magazine that reaches over 100,000 people each month. The people who work here are absolutely wonderful and I am very thankful for my time as an editorial intern at Austin Fit Magazine.

Fall 2018

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Junior

I worked as an Editorial Intern for Austin Woman Magazine during the fall of 2018. Every Friday there were mandatory meetings for the Assistant Editor, Senior Editor, and all of the interns. During these meetings, we would discuss the stories we’re working on, interviewing tips, how to improve our writing and ask questions about how to become a better Journalist. Every other Friday we would pitch several stories to the editors and they would decide which story we should pursue. The editors would also assign us stories for web and print. When we are assigned stories, we are also forwarded all of the available information before going into the interview with our subject. Interviewing was often stressful because it involved traveling around the city to meet with the interviewee, and if the interview was conducted in a public place it was often difficult to hear what was being said when transcribing. Print stories have hard deadlines because the editing and artwork has to be finalized for the month’s issue, whereas web story deadlines were more flexible and could be adjusted if needed. We also had the opportunity to learn different skills, such as InDesign, Videography, and Photoshop from experts in the office. I worked closely with ATX Woman’s Assistant Editor, Courtney, who answered all of my questions, gave me feedback and helped me improve my stories. Throughout the semester, ATX Woman hosted several events and all of the interns were invited to attend. We used these events to network and discover more about the industry.

Fall 2019

Position: Media & Communications/Business Development Intern
Student: English Sophomore

I work as a Media & Communications/Business Development intern for ACL Live. ACL Live belongs to the larger Austin City Limits company, which also hosts the Austin City Limits Festival and the ACL television show. The branch of ACL I intern for operates out of Moody Theater, a downtown concert venue which hosts concerts and private events throughout the year. Moody Theater is called as “the best address in music” for a reason – the venue is one the premier live music spaces in not only Austin, but the entire nation.

After taking the bus downtown, I begin an average day at work by checking in with my bosses. I work between two separate departments, Marketing and Business Development, so I check base with my superiors in both departments and receive my agenda for the day. Sometimes, I receive straightforward tasks such as posting promotional flyers around downtown Austin or delivering tickets. If I am working on the day of a show, I am often tasked with suite set-up. I ensure that the guest suites inside of the venue are pristine and their seats are labeled correctly. On other days, I spend time maintaining and adding onto the company’s various marketing spreadsheets. I’m sometimes asked to work for a few hours during the evening on show nights. While working nights, I check in guests at will call or take pictures during the show, which are posted on ACL’s social media accounts. 

Apart from these tasks, I have also contributed to several large-scale projects over the course of the internship. For example, when ACL Live switched its ticketing service, I worked to convert data regarding ticket sales from one platform to the other. The stakes of projects such as these were high, but my bosses were always more than willing to assist me and answer any questions. I finish an average day at work by helping out with office-related tasks such as filing invoices or making copies.

Fall 2017

Position: Production Assistant
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Senior

There’s 2 kinds of days at Austin City Limits, there is office hour days and then there are taping days. On the days I go into the office, the first thing I do is distribute the mail to everyone in the office. I then check in on all our social media. I retweet tweets, reply to Facebook messages, and like Instagram posts we were tagged in. Every day is a little different after that; it depends on what all needs to be done. Most of the time I am scheduling and creating social media posts. On Facebook, I will upload videos and create a post about it and then schedule when it needs to post, I do the same for Twitter minus the video. Twitter there is always the most to schedule since its that one we use to make quick announcements. On Instagram, I take a premade photo and create the caption and the date for it to be posted. It’s really cool going on social media and seeing the content you created and getting to see how many people liked it. 

Now taping days are long days. Depending on the band that is taping an episode that day I normally have to get to the venue between 6 or 7 am. From there we help out hospitality. We bring in all the food for the crew, as well as set it up. We make the coffee for everyone and fill the coolers, to make sure everyone is taken care of throughout the day. We also set up the artist’s dressing rooms. Every artist has requests on what they want in their dressing rooms and we are the ones that make sure they get it. After set up we are there for anything anyone will need. Whether it be making more coffee or dropping off set lists to the crew, we are your go to people! Taping days are my favorite. We get to watch sound check which is basically a private concert and then we get to watch the actually show. It makes getting there so early and having to stay late to clean up and break down worth it.

Spring 2018

Position: Executive Intern
Student: Economics Junior

I work as an Executive Intern, so my days depend on various projects my supervisor assigns. I go to my supervisor right after I arrive at work. She assigns day’s projects and explains what they are about. I gain insights on projects mostly by understanding the purpose of a project. After that, I find a place to work on those projects, and my supervisor allows me to work by myself. If I can’t finish a project on time, I can continue working on the it later. If I finish it earlier, she usually gives me another project.

Hardest project for me was matching public figures on pictures of last festivals from 1994 with name. I understood this project’s purpose, which it would be easier for us to use the pictures for marketing purpose if the pictures were sorted by public figures. It drained my energy because it was very difficult to figure out who the person on a picture 20 years ago. My favorite type of projects is excel-using projects, dealing with data. I could come up with efficient idea to sort and analyze data easily.

Fall 2016 

Position: Screenwriting Intern
Student: English Junior 

Austin Film Festival is a hidden gem in East Austin that is very exciting and a really great place to work. I have had the privilege of working here since last May and with each few weeks comes different aspects of the industry.

I was lucky enough to be able to intern at the Austin Film Festival this past summer. Throughout the summer my tasks became more and more essential to the festival, from organizing scripts to eventually reading and evaluating scripts for the competition, I felt that I was really part of the team.

What I love about the Austin Film Festival is that it is a film festival, but more than that it is a writer’s festival. As a student that hopes to pursue screenwriting, it is very encouraging and exciting to see a competition that rewards the writing aspect of film. So often I struggle in having a script that I love but do not necessarily have the right camera, editing facilities, actors, etc. to bring that screenplay to life. This festival takes that worry away.

Since working at the Austin Film Festival I definitely have more knowledge for the festival world and also more knowledge about what makes a script a festival winning script.

Spring 2017

Position: Editorial Assistant
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Junior

If you are wanting to avoid a repetitive, desk internship, Austin Fit Magazine is for you. At Austin Fit, no day is ever just like the one before. This magazine is constantly changing, with a new issue every month. As an editorial intern, there are always new themes and articles that need to be created. One day you may be pitching article ideas to your editor, and the next you may be helping with a photoshoot on Lake Austin. During my time at Austin Fit I have pitched and researched potential editorial topics, edited my writing as well as others’, assisted with design and production timelines, conducted and transcribed interviews, visited various workout studios in the Austin area, written reviews, and have consistently written 1-3 print and web articles each month.

I remember on first day as an intern I was assigned to write an article on Aquaponics and how they are impacting the city of Austin. I knew nothing about aquaponic systems, much less how they were relevant to the Austin area. In order to create a successful piece, I had to conduct a lot of research before writing this article. This was not my ideal topic, but I learned so much from my first article. My first day taught me that often, there is more than just writing skills needed in order to produce a strong, informative article. Since then, I have been assigned several articles. They have been over a variety of topics and I have learned how to write differently depending on the subject. These articles can be time consuming, but they are enjoyable and rewarding along the way. It feels incredible to produce your own work and knowing it has been read by over 100,000 readers. As an editorial intern, I have gained a lot of knowledge on the writing process and everything that goes into creating a successful piece. You will also strengthen your communication skills. During my time there, I interviewed local business owners, restaurants, doctors, athletes, city council members, the mayor, and I even got to work with Discovery Channel for an interview on an upcoming reality TV show they were promoting. Austin Fit Magazine offers many unique, exciting experiences for their interns.

Although it is fun and exciting, it is important to know going into it that this is a very fast-paced environment. Editorial interns must have strong time management skills and keep with their assignments, stay focused while in the office, and produce quality work that they are proud of within a short amount of time. The deadlines are tight, and you must invest your time to create quality pieces for the magazine. Although this can be intense and challenging at times, it is extremely fulfilling to have your work published. This is a more relaxed environment and most of the people who work here are very kind and welcoming. I am very thankful for my time as an editorial intern at Austin Fit Magazine. 

Fall 2016

Position: Editor's Intern
Student: Rhetoric & Writing Sophomore

As an editorial intern at Austin Fit Magazine, no day is ever just like the one before. With a new issue every month, there are always different ideas and articles to work on. During my time at Austin Fit Magazine I have researched potential editorial topics, assisted with design and production timelines, conducted and transcribed interviews, and I have consistently written 1-3 print and web articles each month.

On my first day as an intern I was assigned to write an article on Aquaponics and how they are impacting the city of Austin. I hardly even knew what an aquaponics system was. I had to conduct a lot of research before writing my first article. Although it wasn’t exactly my topic of choice, I learned the importance of what goes into writing a strong, informative article. Many of the articles you will write and the interviews you will conduct as an editorial intern require a lot of “behind the scenes” work. It simply isn’t just writing or interviewing. You must devote time to your subject to produce the best work possible. Although they are time consuming, I gained very unique experiences through conducting and transcribing interviews. I interviewed city council members, the mayor, local restaurant and business ovens, and I even got to work with Discovery Channel for an interview on an upcoming reality TV show they were promoting. Interviews can be intimidating, but with the guidance of AFM’s editor and practice, they are doable and very rewarding.

This is a very fast-paced work environment. Interns are expected to keep up with their assignments, stay on task while in the office, and produce quality work within a short amount of time. Although this can be intense at times, it is extremely fulfilling to have your work published and know that you contributed to a magazine that reaches over 100,000 people each month. The people who work here are absolutely wonderful and I am very thankful for my time as an editorial intern at Austin Fit Magazine.

Spring 2020

Position: Production Assistant
Student: Humanities and Health & Society Senior

This semester I served a production assistant with Decibel ATX, the news and public affairs show at Austin PBS, where I created video packages about the local community. During my internship I assisted the team with script-writing, production, scheduling interviews, finding archival footage for digital videos. I also learned to manage video, audio and lighting equipment from setup and breakdown for interviews. Austin PBS is one of the best places I’ve interned, everyone was very kind and made an effort to get to know me. I always felt welcomed at the office and everyone I met was always willing to help me in any way they could. I think this internship is an excellent opportunity to grow for anyone interested journalism and media.

Fall 2018

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Junior

I worked as an Editorial Intern for Austin Woman Magazine during the fall of 2018. Every Friday there were mandatory meetings for the Assistant Editor, Senior Editor, and all of the interns. During these meetings, we would discuss the stories we’re working on, interviewing tips, how to improve our writing and ask questions about how to become a better Journalist. Every other Friday we would pitch several stories to the editors and they would decide which story we should pursue. The editors would also assign us stories for web and print. When we are assigned stories, we are also forwarded all of the available information before going into the interview with our subject. Interviewing was often stressful because it involved traveling around the city to meet with the interviewee, and if the interview was conducted in a public place it was often difficult to hear what was being said when transcribing. Print stories have hard deadlines because the editing and artwork has to be finalized for the month’s issue, whereas web story deadlines were more flexible and could be adjusted if needed. We also had the opportunity to learn different skills, such as InDesign, Videography, and Photoshop from experts in the office. I worked closely with ATX Woman’s Assistant Editor, Courtney, who answered all of my questions, gave me feedback and helped me improve my stories. Throughout the semester, ATX Woman hosted several events and all of the interns were invited to attend. We used these events to network and discover more about the industry.

Spring 2021

Position: Communications Design Intern 
Student: Plan II and Business Economics 

Boss Babes ATX is a 501c3 nonprofit organization homegrown in Austin, Texas, amplifying women and nonbinary creatives and founders. They put on conferences, festivals, workshops and markets, to share resources, cultivate opportunity and create connections across media and tech, nonprofits, entrepreneurship and the arts. I found this internship through word of mouth and social media. I did a feature interview on bbatx’s founding executive director for Spark Magazine, and my friend, the previous intern for bbatx, referred me to them. Every week, I meet with the production coordinator and executive director to discuss current and upcoming marketing campaigns, post-mortem events, content planning via the editorial calendar, and any other administrative tasks. The main campaigns I’m involved in are ones that allow me to interview and spotlight women creatives and small businesses that collaborate with bbatx. I audit and manage bbatx’s social media platforms and website for accessibility and brand design. My favorite thing about interning for bbatx is how much they prioritize nurturing creativity, wellness and diversity through their community initiatives and open programs. Their values align with everything they do, and it’s extremely rewarding to be part of an organization that’s spearheading the future of Texas.

Summer 2017

Position: Intern
Student: Sociology Junior

This summer, I have been an intern at FANS.COM, an online social media forum where music lovers can talk about their favorite artists and share their concert experiences. It is a very small office, with one full time employee and four interns.  Of the four interns, two (including myself) are social media interns, one intern is involved with music festivals, and the other is responsible for the graphics on the FANS.COM website. It is a very informal work environment, with a relaxed dress code.  As we are all music lovers, there is always music on in the background.

I rarely had a “typical” day at my internship, and that is what made it so interesting. My hours at FANS.COM varied, but most weeks I worked from 10am – 6pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  However, on the days where I was responsible for interviewing fans before and after concerts at various concert venues around New York City, I might have worked a Monday or a Friday, and I started work later in the day and sometimes ended at 11:00pm.  Even though I was hired as a “social media” intern, I assisted in all areas needed at the office.  Since I had previous experience at my other internships in the music festivals division, I often found myself brainstorming with the festivals intern.

Most days at work I would scroll through Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter to find posts about music, artists and concerts.  I then initiated dialogue with the fans that posted the photos or other information to engage them and ask about their concert experiences or what motivated them to post.  It was my “job” to get fans to identify what it was that they liked or didn’t like about a specific genre of music or musical act. I really enjoyed the interaction with these music lovers. Researching social media posts might not sound like “work”, but since FANS.COM is really all about how music lovers’ passions and how they get the word out through social media, the work that I did was integral to the success of the company. 

Spring 2021

Position: Content Development Intern
Major: Government Sophomore

Dolphin Entertainment is made up by a number of entertainment companies, providing services such as public relations, entertainment marketing, and their own film and TV productions. I worked as a content development intern in their film production department and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I found Dolphin Entertainment through the UT New York program, they were one of the internships advertised and I just applied. I was fortunate to get an interview and then later a job offer. In this internship, I have a variety of duties; these duties include reading books or scripts and providing summaries and analysis, creating potential casting lists for upcoming productions, researching markets for potential development, previewing writers for upcoming projects, and reading scripts for typos. I am able to do a wide variety of things that have provided me an excellent insight into content development in the entertainment world. My favorite thing about this internship is getting to constantly come back to projects in the various stages of their development. For example, I read a script on one of my first few days and I have been asked to come back to it numerous times and do things like create casting lists or research directors for it; I have been able to see its development from its infancy. My internship has been a rewarding experience and I am so happy I have been able to do it.

Spring 2016

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies

A day in the life at the Houston Chronicle is whatever you make it out to be, which, I believe, can be incredibly useful or incredibly wasteful. Because the internship is unpaid, you’re not really bound by specific hours – technically you’re supposed to work 20 hours per week, but really, it’s up to you. I made my own schedule and decided how much work I wanted to do. The editor, Mike Ward, is pretty busy, therefore he doesn’t spend anytime holding your hand. This is important, because a real life newsroom is like this.

A typical day is spent working on whatever project or story you’ve been assigned, and collaborating / conversing with other journalists in the office who might be able to help you out. The two major projects I worked on at the Houston Chronicle were first, a long-ish story on Islamophobia in Texas, which was accompanied by a video, and second, an infographic on the legal statuses of Campus Carry at almost all of the state’s colleges and universities. These required some serious collaboration and time, and was entirely at my own pace. They were both ideas that were proposed to me by my editor, but the execution and approach was almost entirely decided by me. This was great, because it allowed me to learn, explore, grow in ways I felt most useful.

Summer 2016

Position: Copywriting and Social Media Intern
Student: Sociology Sophomore

During my internship, I worked four days a week (Monday-Thursday) from around 9:30-6. I would head to my desk next to the other interns to check emails and make my to-do list for the day. What I was working on depending on who I was working for on that particular day. Because I was an editorial and social media intern, I helped the social media manager on Monday and Thursday, and the copywriter on Tuesday and Wednesday.

If I were working with the social media manager, I would check in at her desk to make sure I was squared away scheduling social media and see what other projects were on for the day. Sometimes I’d be handling gifting for bloggers or doing research or finding links for shoppable content—sometimes if she was super busy, I’d take it upon myself to learn tasks she usually did as to anticipate her needs and make her life easier. With Tess, the copywriter, she would check in with me at the beginning and end of the day to see how my projects were going. Because I was writing the same copy every week and we both adopted a “headphones in” attitude, I was given a lot of independence to get my work done.

Three times a week, the three of us would head into a “touch base” meeting with our New Mexico-based editorial director. Here we would delegate projects and go over any issues we were having at the time. Every Monday, there was a project management meeting with the entire creative team where we’d go through every single project on our plate and make sure everyone was on the same page.

In general, I was given a lot of responsibility—I even was able to coordinate and act as the point person for an entire video shoot. I was very much part of the team and was trusted to be very creative with my work. I considered myself more of an entry-level editorial and social media assistant than anything.

Fall 2022

Position: Communications and Brand Awareness Intern 
Student: Plan II and English Recent Graduate, UTNY Participant 

I’m the Communications and Brand Awareness Intern for Candid. Candid is a nonprofit organization that gets you the information you need to do good by sharing resources and data on foundations and nonprofits. I found this internship as part of the UTNY program through postings on Canvas. As the only intern for the small five-person team, I essentially help wherever I’m needed, though I do spend a significant chunk of my time working on social media and digital communications with the Digital Communications Manager. I’m responsible for finding articles about the nonprofit sector and writing copy for those articles to share on our Twitter page. I also do blog triage for Candid—fixing hyperlinks, inserting missing paragraph breaks, and writing alt-tags. I’m also going to manage some of the series for Candid’s new TikTok page, and I created graphics on Canva for a social media newsletter marketing campaign. As far as my administrative duties go, I manage the conferences tracker and conferences calendar for the upcoming year. Finally, I participate in our weekly team meetings and complete any sort of research the team might need (for example, I pulled a list together of brand awareness consultancy firms and a list of best practices to increase newsletter subscriptions). My favorite thing about this internship is working with a group of people so committed to the organization’s mission. I feel like we all genuinely believe in the work Candid does and Candid’s values.

Summer 2023 

Position: Program and Communications Operations Intern 
Student: Sociology,Senior 

This summer I have worked as a Program and Communications Operations Intern at the Center for Students in Recovery here at UT. I am a Student Technician at the center during the school year, my boss discussed this internship opportunity last spring and it piqued my interest so I decided to apply! My largest project by far was inventorying and organizing our library, which had not been updated in years and was roughly 400 titles. I was also able to table weekly for Explore UT as an outreach initiative targeting incoming students curious about the centers’ resources and services. I attended various professional development workshops and lectures provided by Texas Health and Human Services, Healthyhorns and Texas LEAD. I assisted in strategic planning and the coordination of the centers’ marketing plan for the upcoming academic year as well as the execution of summer events. My favorite thing about this internship has been the networking aspect! I have gotten to meet a lot of very great people through my time spent working with Healthyhorns and Texas Health and Human Services. 

Summer 2016 

Position: Communications Intern
Student:  Government Junior

This summer I interned in the communications department of the Dallas Stars Hockey Club. I would begin each day by compiling news clips and distributing them via email to all the employees in the organization, local media members, and some of the player’s publicists. Most of the articles that I included in the news clips document were from the team’s website, the league’s website, the Dallas Morning News, blogs covering the team, Canadian sports news services like The Sports Network (TSN) and SportsNet, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and Fox Sports. I checked these pages daily and would conduct a Google search to find stories or videos about the team that weren’t featured on the previously mentioned sites. This activity required thorough research skills and attention to detail.

After compiling and distributing the Stars’ daily news clips I would write press releases or work on sections of the team’s media guide for the upcoming regular season. I only wrote press releases before and during free agency, and after the entry draft. Outside of free agency and the draft, I focused on the media guide. The press releases I authored focused on the players we drafted and signed in free agency. These documents included biographical information on the players and various statistics highlighting their careers. Completing the regular season media guide is the main task of the communications department during the offseason. The sections I worked on required intense and thorough research of the team and players’ stats from the previous season. I also wrote biographies for most of the team’s recently acquired or promoted skaters.

I also worked the organization’s prospect development camp. This gave me the opportunity to see how the communications department serves as a liaison between the players, the organization, and the media.

Spring 2021

Position: Content Development Intern
Major: Government Sophomore

Dolphin Entertainment is made up by a number of entertainment companies, providing services such as public relations, entertainment marketing, and their own film and TV productions. I worked as a content development intern in their film production department and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I found Dolphin Entertainment through the UT New York program, they were one of the internships advertised and I just applied. I was fortunate to get an interview and then later a job offer. In this internship, I have a variety of duties; these duties include reading books or scripts and providing summaries and analysis, creating potential casting lists for upcoming productions, researching markets for potential development, previewing writers for upcoming projects, and reading scripts for typos. I am able to do a wide variety of things that have provided me an excellent insight into content development in the entertainment world. My favorite thing about this internship is getting to constantly come back to projects in the various stages of their development. For example, I read a script on one of my first few days and I have been asked to come back to it numerous times and do things like create casting lists or research directors for it; I have been able to see its development from its infancy. My internship has been a rewarding experience and I am so happy I have been able to do it.

Summer 2017

Position: Intern
Student: Sociology Junior

This summer, I have been an intern at FANS.COM, an online social media forum where music lovers can talk about their favorite artists and share their concert experiences. It is a very small office, with one full time employee and four interns.  Of the four interns, two (including myself) are social media interns, one intern is involved with music festivals, and the other is responsible for the graphics on the FANS.COM website. It is a very informal work environment, with a relaxed dress code.  As we are all music lovers, there is always music on in the background.

I rarely had a “typical” day at my internship, and that is what made it so interesting. My hours at FANS.COM varied, but most weeks I worked from 10am – 6pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  However, on the days where I was responsible for interviewing fans before and after concerts at various concert venues around New York City, I might have worked a Monday or a Friday, and I started work later in the day and sometimes ended at 11:00pm.  Even though I was hired as a “social media” intern, I assisted in all areas needed at the office.  Since I had previous experience at my other internships in the music festivals division, I often found myself brainstorming with the festivals intern.

Most days at work I would scroll through Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter to find posts about music, artists and concerts.  I then initiated dialogue with the fans that posted the photos or other information to engage them and ask about their concert experiences or what motivated them to post.  It was my “job” to get fans to identify what it was that they liked or didn’t like about a specific genre of music or musical act. I really enjoyed the interaction with these music lovers. Researching social media posts might not sound like “work”, but since FANS.COM is really all about how music lovers’ passions and how they get the word out through social media, the work that I did was integral to the success of the company. 

Spring 2016

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies

A day in the life at the Houston Chronicle is whatever you make it out to be, which, I believe, can be incredibly useful or incredibly wasteful. Because the internship is unpaid, you’re not really bound by specific hours – technically you’re supposed to work 20 hours per week, but really, it’s up to you. I made my own schedule and decided how much work I wanted to do. The editor, Mike Ward, is pretty busy, therefore he doesn’t spend anytime holding your hand. This is important, because a real life newsroom is like this.

A typical day is spent working on whatever project or story you’ve been assigned, and collaborating / conversing with other journalists in the office who might be able to help you out. The two major projects I worked on at the Houston Chronicle were first, a long-ish story on Islamophobia in Texas, which was accompanied by a video, and second, an infographic on the legal statuses of Campus Carry at almost all of the state’s colleges and universities. These required some serious collaboration and time, and was entirely at my own pace. They were both ideas that were proposed to me by my editor, but the execution and approach was almost entirely decided by me. This was great, because it allowed me to learn, explore, grow in ways I felt most

Summer 2016

Position: Copywriting and Social Media Intern
Student: Sociology Sophomore

During my internship, I worked four days a week (Monday-Thursday) from around 9:30-6. I would head to my desk next to the other interns to check emails and make my to-do list for the day. What I was working on depending on who I was working for on that particular day. Because I was an editorial and social media intern, I helped the social media manager on Monday and Thursday, and the copywriter on Tuesday and Wednesday.

If I were working with the social media manager, I would check in at her desk to make sure I was squared away scheduling social media and see what other projects were on for the day. Sometimes I’d be handling gifting for bloggers or doing research or finding links for shoppable content—sometimes if she was super busy, I’d take it upon myself to learn tasks she usually did as to anticipate her needs and make her life easier. With Tess, the copywriter, she would check in with me at the beginning and end of the day to see how my projects were going. Because I was writing the same copy every week and we both adopted a “headphones in” attitude, I was given a lot of independence to get my work done.

Three times a week, the three of us would head into a “touch base” meeting with our New Mexico-based editorial director. Here we would delegate projects and go over any issues we were having at the time. Every Monday, there was a project management meeting with the entire creative team where we’d go through every single project on our plate and make sure everyone was on the same page.

In general, I was given a lot of responsibility—I even was able to coordinate and act as the point person for an entire video shoot. I was very much part of the team and was trusted to be very creative with my work. I considered myself more of an entry-level editorial and social media assistant than anything.

Fall 2018

Position: Marketing and Engagement Intern
Student: Government Junior

As a Marketing and Engagement intern at KMFA 89.5, my duties focused largely on various types of audience engagement upkeep, through social media or event planning for example, and on creating one large marketing campaign project throughout the semester. A typical day starts out at the office at 9 in the morning.

Our workspace is a few large tables overlooking North Lamar and Pease Park in the marketing department. The office was built in the early 1950s and radiates a calming energy, it helps that classical music usually plays softly overhead. While KMFA does take up a whole building, the staff is still relatively small and close-knit.

Each morning, as I drank my coffee, I would start to scan the news. Daily media scans were a vital part of our social media upkeep. I looked for any relevant news concerning classical music, Austin music, or general news concerning musicians’ rights and lives. These articles could then be posted by the KMFA social media pages to engage the audience with relevant and interesting news tidbits.

Afterwards, the other intern and I would work on creating event pages for the KMFA website. Music groups, venues, and community organizers can submit events to be promoted on the website’s event calendar and newsletter. We sift through each event and make sure it’s appropriate for the branding KMFA embodies and then input it all into the main calendar.

We usually end the day by collaborating on our big marketing campaign. This varies semester to semester, but it’s mostly intern-led. We chose to create a podcast and build a campaign around promoting it. Each day varied depending on what we needed to do for the podcast. One day was spent recording in the studio, another spent on the script and research, building our presentation, etc. After some independent work, we wrapped up for the day around 2 or 2:30 pm.

Spring & Fall 2020

Position: Politics Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies & Middle Eastern Studies Senior

KXAN News is the NBC Affiliate for Austin, Texas. As a broadcast news organization, they seek to provide succinct and powerful hard news coverage through its in-depth, investigative brand. They are consistently the number one most viewed news station in the Austin market.

I initially decided to apply for an internship with KXAN after some self-research. They have a useful “Internships” section on their website. Shortly after I applied, I interviewed with an executive producer, and I eventually was offered a position as a “politics intern.”

After my initial internship in Spring 2020 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I reached out to an executive producer and was granted the opportunity to return to the station and continue in the role of “politics intern” during Fall 2020.

My main responsibilities as a politics intern included working alongside KXAN’s political reporters and investigative journalists both in-person and remotely to assist with government-related reports, as well as aid in the production of the station’s weekly political program, “State of Texas: In-Depth.” I was also responsible for contributing to the station’s March 2020 Primary Election Coverage, November 2020 General Election Coverage, and Texas’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

My favorite memory from the internship was assisting in the coordination and production of the station’s statewide, live Texas Senate Debate between 2020 candidates Senator John Cornyn and MJ Hegar.

Spring 2017

Position: Investigative – Political Intern
Student: Government Senior

Interning at KXAN News you are given the opportunity to work in a real live news station.  The station is spread out by sections and I was placed in the news department as the political intern.  KXAN is part of the NBC network so it is really great to turn on the TV at home and see your station on with some of the news stories you witnessed. A day at this internship consists of coming in to a morning meeting where all the directors and reporters meet up to discuss the stories that need to be created that day. Ideas are thrown around and ideas are shared which is a great bonding experience for everyone. Once the meeting is over and the reporters are assigned tasks, they head out for the day usually with a photographer to take on the daily task.  The reporters have a deadline by either 5:00p.m or 6:00p.m to have their story finished to be aired that same day.  I usually pick a story that I find the most interesting and tag along with the reporter.  If there is not a rush I usually squeeze in a practice standup so I can create my own package when I get back to the station. I don’t leave till 6:00pm so I spend the rest of my time helping out with the State of Texas show or watch the 5:00p.m show behind the scenes to learn more about the production. The internship provides multiple opportunities to be involved as well as the experience of being a real life reporter.  

Fall 2017

Position: TV Development Intern
Student: Humanities Senior

One of the great things about being a TV Development Intern at Megalomedia in Austin, TX, is that you can set your work schedule to fit around your classes. For me, that meant working at Megalomedia all day Monday and half a day on Wednesday and Friday, for a total of 15 hours a week. The Austin office is located near Zilker park, so there are cool downtown views and lots of spots to grab lunch but parking is limited. If you are driving to work, you’ll probably be given access to a parking lot about 5 blocks away, so give yourself extra time to walk from your car to the office. 

Working in the development department means interacting with about 4 or 5 people each day. I focused on casting and research while working for the company, so I was in a cozy room with a big window with two other people. I became very close to these coworkers and actually loved being in the same room as them, because I could ask them questions from my desk and was there to hear about all of the projects we were developing. If you work in editing, you will be in an adjacent room with two editors. 

Though focused in a particular area, my actual duties varied each day. You could spend a half day researching podcasts, magazines, Reddit, or other sources for a new show idea and then spend the rest of the day finding talent for a different show. I also did a lot of editing work, since I was well-versed in document editing, but what you do could change based on your skills and what the team needs. If you’re there a full day you will get an hour lunch. If not, you can take little breaks when needed and are always allowed to access the great variety of free snacks and drinks in the kitchen. Just be sure to label your food or it will get thrown away!

Spring 2020

Position: Artist Management Intern
Student: HDO Senior

Student Name: Zachary Durbin

Being a fan of some of the artists Mick manages, such as Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges, led me to finding the company whenever I was searching around for internships. That being said, I didn’t find out about their internship program until I happened to connect with the brother of an employee while at a concert in Houston. He mentioned that Mick had a well-known internship program in Brooklyn and then connected me with the program supervisor.  At Mick, I was pretty busy every day. My tasks included compiling weekly artist rankings and analytics using Nielsen and Spotify data, helping coordinate artists’ website, management, and touring needs, overseeing daily administrative duties, including working the front desk, and responding to email inquiries, as well as providing general market research and administrative assistance. My favorite thing about working at Mick was being able to work together on tasks with the other interns as well as getting to experience the business of the music industry that you don’t really have knowledge of as a casual fan.

Fall 2019

Position: Content Distribution Sales Intern
Student: Economics & Government & Finance

My internship at NBCUniversal is with the Content Distribution division specifically with their sales team. My job is to help the team with their day-to-day projects. I help them formulate strategy through conducting research on current and upcoming deals, analyzing data, performing calculations on Excel and doing any general administrative tasks they need. My day starts with me arriving in the office between 9:00 to 9:30 AM every day. Typically, they hire two interns, but I told them I wanted to work full-time so they hired just me for this team. The first thing I do each morning is read through the news of the industry all NBCUniversal employees receive. This is important given the current climate of the media industry with all the giant companies jumping into the streaming war. This is to understand if any competitors are doing anything that could impact NBCUniversal and their upcoming launch for their streaming service which will be coming out in April 2020. Then I will join the department meeting where the team discusses what is happening with all the deals the directors are working on and if they need any help closing the deal. During these meetings, I will typically take notes which my supervisor and I will go over after to see if there is anything that was said I didn’t understand or any research I can do to clarify or dig deeper into something for the team. After this meeting, I’ll do the research or the various directors in the group will send me various tasks they need. Sometimes they’ll have Excel files they don’t have time to go over so I’ll go over them and extract data and input it into other files or in SalesForce so it is clean, and they can use it easier for whatever they need. I’ve worked on various things for the different directors whether that is cleaning up and analyzing data, working on the model for the streaming service, looking up competitors and making sure distributors are following their agreements. My day typically ends around 5:30 to 6 PM.

Fall 2017

Position: Production Intern
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Junior

Each day at The Tonight Show internship is very different in a somehow very structured way. My hours are 10am to 7pm each day, and since I work in the general production department I get to spend the day working on a variety of tasks. 

Our day usually begins by cleaning the office and ensuring that the kitchen, printers, and everything around the office are stocked before the rest of the staff come in. Once people begin arriving and settling in, we start getting called for runs. Our supervisor calls the room and will ask for an intern to see a specific person for an errand somewhere. We could be going to pick up food for a producer or talent, or finding a costume or prop for the show. Since there is a new show each day and so many things people need, most of my day will consist of these sort of tasks, but when we’re not running around the city to find things, we usually work on projects for the writers or other departments, such as finding news articles that Jimmy can use for the monologue, or finding tweets and pictures that get featured on the show.

There are some days when we’re assigned specific roles as well that take us away from the usual runs. On these days, we get to record the show on a desktop to save as a copy incase the first recording is messed up. We get to help with tickets and bring the audience in for the monologue rehearsal each day, lining them up and answering any questions about the show and then we sit in the studio and watch Jimmy’s rehearsal. And then probably the most exciting aspect of the position are the days when we are the designated studio intern, who gets to spend the entire day in the studio watching and helping with rehearsal. On these days, we watch the guest band or musician rehearse their performance, we watch Jimmy and any guests rehearse sketches they are doing and we stand in when they need help, and then we get to watch the live show from the studio and help with the audience.

The days are hectic and there is always pressure on us to do things efficiently and correctly, but each day brings new and exciting tasks that have taught me to become a worker. 

Fall 2021

Position: Politics Intern
Student: Sociology

I currently work at KXAN-TV, an NBC affiliated television station in Austin, Texas. On a day-to-day basis, I shadow two multimedia journalists who report on statewide politics in Texas and assist with writing web-stories and conducting interviews. I am also writing my own in-depth story about housing affordability in West Campus. I found this internship on the internet when looking for general journalism internships in Austin. My favorite thing about this internship is the people. They are all so kind and more than willing to help me and give me advice. I have never worked in an environment that is as welcoming and conducive to learning as KXAN. 

Spring & Fall 2020

Position: Politics Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies and Middle Eastern Studies Senior

KXAN News is the NBC Affiliate for Austin, Texas. As a broadcast news organization, they seek to provide succinct and powerful hard news coverage through its in-depth, investigative brand. They are consistently the number one most viewed news station in the Austin market.

I initially decided to apply for an internship with KXAN after some self-research. They have a useful “Internships” section on their website. Shortly after I applied, I interviewed with an executive producer, and I eventually was offered a position as a “politics intern.”

After my initial internship in Spring 2020 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I reached out to an executive producer and was granted the opportunity to return to the station and continue in the role of “politics intern” during Fall 2020.

My main responsibilities as a politics intern included working alongside KXAN’s political reporters and investigative journalists both in-person and remotely to assist with government-related reports, as well as aid in the production of the station’s weekly political program, “State of Texas: In-Depth.” I was also responsible for contributing to the station’s March 2020 Primary Election Coverage, November 2020 General Election Coverage, and Texas’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

My favorite memory from the internship was assisting in the coordination and production of the station’s statewide, live Texas Senate Debate between 2020 candidates Senator John Cornyn and MJ Hegar.

Spring 2022

Position: Social Media Manager Intern
Student: Psychology

This semester I had the opportunity to be a Social Media Management Intern at Laundry Service.  Laundry Service is a full service advertising agency that partners with brands such as Nike, Air Jordan, Amazon, Fox, Facebook and more.  They help with the creation of creative assets and then posting the content online.  I found this internship by being recommended here from my last internship at Wasserman.  Wasserman is the parent company of Laundry Service.  Wasserman is the large agency and Laundry Service helps them out with their social media postings.  As a social media management intern I assist in the posting and analysis for our client.  The client I am responsible for is Nike.  I get to shadow in on postings on their Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook on their various accounts such as Nike Womens, Nike Training, Nike Yoga, Nike Football and more.  At the end of every day I get to go into the official Nike content calendar and upload links, hashtags, mentions, etc. to help analyze the effectiveness of the posts we send out.  I get to see what is working vs. what is not and help make recommendations to the rest of the team on what we can do moving forward.  My favorite part of my internship is the team I work with.  They let me shadow them to allow me to learn as much as possible while also giving me autonomy to do work on my own.  They allow me to be creative and come up with my own ideas on how we can improve Nike’s social content.  

Summer 2021

Position: Managing Editorial Intern
Student: English

Open Road Integrated Media is a global ebook publisher/digital media company in New York City that focuses on publishing ebook editions of older works of literature and nonfiction. I found this internship on LinkedIn. Some of the tasks I do include performing quality assurance of Open Road titles on major reading devices (iPad, Kindle, and others), entering descriptive copy and other metadata as needed into the title management system, copyediting and formatting descriptive copy in accordance with Chicago Manual of Style or ORIM house style. Additionally, I prepare books for digitization and tag manuscripts with preset styles for conversion and/or typesetting, review print interior files for formatting issues, convert eBooks from manuscripts, and assist with formatting and updating ebook files. My favorite thing about this internship is how dedicated my coworkers are to teaching me the ebook production process. They are so patient, and they do not give me unnecessary tasks, rather, they trust me with important work that needs to be done. This provides me true insight into what a full-time job here would be like.

Fall 2021

Position: Politics Intern
Student: Sociology

I currently work at KXAN-TV, an NBC affiliated television station in Austin, Texas. On a day-to-day basis, I shadow two multimedia journalists who report on statewide politics in Texas and assist with writing web-stories and conducting interviews. I am also writing my own in-depth story about housing affordability in West Campus. I found this internship on the internet when looking for general journalism internships in Austin. My favorite thing about this internship is the people. They are all so kind and more than willing to help me and give me advice. I have never worked in an environment that is as welcoming and conducive to learning as KXAN.

Fall 2021

Position: Brands and Properties Internship (marketing)
Student: Psychology

Wasserman Media Group is a sports, music and talent agency that also specializes in marketing.  They represent athletes, artists, brands, and properties that are looking to expand their following and partner up with people or companies looking to do the same.  I found this internship through a family friend who works at the company and told me about the position, but I also saw postings for the internship on their website and on LinkedIn.  I am a Brands and Properties Intern which means I focus on the marketing side of companies, teams, and leagues.  Right now, I am working for a company called Betway.  Some tasks I have done so far include helping them search for influencers for their brand, researching competitors and what they’re doing, coming up with presentations on how we can make certain activations between teams and players work as smoothly as possible and keeping an updated spreadsheet with new betting laws from different states.  My favorite part about my internship is the culture of the company.  They truly care about their interns and want us to learn and grow.  They assign us to projects we are interested in and allow us to have weekly calls with senior leadership within the company to network and learn more about what the company does. 

Fall 2017

Position: TV Development Intern
Student: Humanities Senior

One of the great things about being a TV Development Intern at Megalomedia in Austin, TX, is that you can set your work schedule to fit around your classes. For me, that meant working at Megalomedia all day Monday and half a day on Wednesday and Friday, for a total of 15 hours a week. The Austin office is located near Zilker park, so there are cool downtown views and lots of spots to grab lunch but parking is limited. If you are driving to work, you’ll probably be given access to a parking lot about 5 blocks away, so give yourself extra time to walk from your car to the office. 

Working in the development department means interacting with about 4 or 5 people each day. I focused on casting and research while working for the company, so I was in a cozy room with a big window with two other people. I became very close to these coworkers and actually loved being in the same room as them, because I could ask them questions from my desk and was there to hear about all of the projects we were developing. If you work in editing, you will be in an adjacent room with two editors. 

Though focused in a particular area, my actual duties varied each day. You could spend a half day researching podcasts, magazines, Reddit, or other sources for a new show idea and then spend the rest of the day finding talent for a different show. I also did a lot of editing work, since I was well-versed in document editing, but what you do could change based on your skills and what the team needs. If you’re there a full day you will get an hour lunch. If not, you can take little breaks when needed and are always allowed to access the great variety of free snacks and drinks in the kitchen. Just be sure to label your food or it will get thrown away!

Spring 2020

Position: Artist Management Intern
Student: Human Dimensions of Organizations Senior

Being a fan of some of the artists Mick manages, such as Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges, led me to finding the company whenever I was searching around for internships. That being said, I didn’t find out about their internship program until I happened to connect with the brother of an employee while at a concert in Houston. He mentioned that Mick had a well-known internship program in Brooklyn and then connected me with the program supervisor.  At Mick, I was pretty busy every day. My tasks included compiling weekly artist rankings and analytics using Nielsen and Spotify data, helping coordinate artists’ website, management, and touring needs, overseeing daily administrative duties, including working the front desk, and responding to email inquiries, as well as providing general market research and administrative assistance. My favorite thing about working at Mick was being able to work together on tasks with the other interns as well as getting to experience the business of the music industry that you don’t really have knowledge of as a casual fan.

Summer 2023 

Position: Editorial Intern 
Student: English Sophomore 

Modern Luxury is a high-end media company that spans a variety of markets by producing  magazines that discuss a wide range of topics including home, food, culture, lifestyle, and travel. I was connected to this editorial internship by an older girl in my sorority who had previously done it and knowing I am an English major, thought it would be a perfect summer internship to hone my writing skills. Some of my responsibilities include communicating with PR handlers, researching information and sourcing images, and of course writing articles and/or advertisements for the print or digital magazines. I’ve written multiple horoscopes such as “What summer cocktail are you based on your zodiac” and “How you should design your home based on your zodiac,” which are super fun to work on. My favorite things about this internship are how free interns are to use their creativity and the opportunity we have to get published in renowned magazines. 

Fall 2022

Position: Digital Editorial Intern
Student: Government Freshman

 I am currently a Digital Editorial Intern for Modern Luxury Media. I work as a copy editor in the Vegas branch of the magazine, Vegas Magazine. I found this internship through LinkedIn. I write weekly pieces on what’s noteworthy in fashion, restaurants, entertainment, architecture, philanthropy, art and beyond as relevant to the Las Vegas market. My favorite thing about the internship is exposing stories to a large market and sharing pieces, published under my own byline, with family and friends.

Fall 2019

Position: Content Distribution Sales Intern
Student: Economics, Government, and Finance

My internship at NBCUniversal is with the Content Distribution division specifically with their sales team. My job is to help the team with their day-to-day projects. I help them formulate strategy through conducting research on current and upcoming deals, analyzing data, performing calculations on Excel and doing any general administrative tasks they need. My day starts with me arriving in the office between 9:00 to 9:30 AM every day. Typically, they hire two interns, but I told them I wanted to work full-time so they hired just me for this team. The first thing I do each morning is read through the news of the industry all NBCUniversal employees receive. This is important given the current climate of the media industry with all the giant companies jumping into the streaming war. This is to understand if any competitors are doing anything that could impact NBCUniversal and their upcoming launch for their streaming service which will be coming out in April 2020. Then I will join the department meeting where the team discusses what is happening with all the deals the directors are working on and if they need any help closing the deal. During these meetings, I will typically take notes which my supervisor and I will go over after to see if there is anything that was said I didn’t understand or any research I can do to clarify or dig deeper into something for the team. After this meeting, I’ll do the research or the various directors in the group will send me various tasks they need. Sometimes they’ll have Excel files they don’t have time to go over so I’ll go over them and extract data and input it into other files or in SalesForce so it is clean, and they can use it easier for whatever they need. I’ve worked on various things for the different directors whether that is cleaning up and analyzing data, working on the model for the streaming service, looking up competitors and making sure distributors are following their agreements. My day typically ends around 5:30 to 6 PM.

Fall 2017

Position: Production Intern
Student: Rhetoric and Writing Junior

Each day at The Tonight Show internship is very different in a somehow very structured way. My hours are 10am to 7pm each day, and since I work in the general production department I get to spend the day working on a variety of tasks. 

Our day usually begins by cleaning the office and ensuring that the kitchen, printers, and everything around the office are stocked before the rest of the staff come in. Once people begin arriving and settling in, we start getting called for runs. Our supervisor calls the room and will ask for an intern to see a specific person for an errand somewhere. We could be going to pick up food for a producer or talent, or finding a costume or prop for the show. Since there is a new show each day and so many things people need, most of my day will consist of these sort of tasks, but when we’re not running around the city to find things, we usually work on projects for the writers or other departments, such as finding news articles that Jimmy can use for the monologue, or finding tweets and pictures that get featured on the show.

There are some days when we’re assigned specific roles as well that take us away from the usual runs. On these days, we get to record the show on a desktop to save as a copy incase the first recording is messed up. We get to help with tickets and bring the audience in for the monologue rehearsal each day, lining them up and answering any questions about the show and then we sit in the studio and watch Jimmy’s rehearsal. And then probably the most exciting aspect of the position are the days when we are the designated studio intern, who gets to spend the entire day in the studio watching and helping with rehearsal. On these days, we watch the guest band or musician rehearse their performance, we watch Jimmy and any guests rehearse sketches they are doing and we stand in when they need help, and then we get to watch the live show from the studio and help with the audience.

The days are hectic and there is always pressure on us to do things efficiently and correctly, but each day brings new and exciting tasks that have taught me to become a worker. 

Summer 2021

Position: Managing Editorial Intern
Student: English

Open Road Integrated Media is a global ebook publisher/digital media company in New York City that focuses on publishing ebook editions of older works of literature and nonfiction. I found this internship on LinkedIn. Some of the tasks I do include performing quality assurance of Open Road titles on major reading devices (iPad, Kindle, and others), entering descriptive copy and other metadata as needed into the title management system, copyediting and formatting descriptive copy in accordance with Chicago Manual of Style or ORIM house style. Additionally, I prepare books for digitization and tag manuscripts with preset styles for conversion and/or typesetting, review print interior files for formatting issues, convert eBooks from manuscripts, and assist with formatting and updating ebook files. My favorite thing about this internship is how dedicated my coworkers are to teaching me the ebook production process. They are so patient, and they do not give me unnecessary tasks, rather, they trust me with important work that needs to be done. This provides me true insight into what a full-time job here would be like.

Spring 2016

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: American Studies Senior

Being an Editorial Intern at Ouur Media/Kinfolk has been an invaluable experience in my college career. It is relatively difficult to write a description of the internship and internship site, largely because the company is in transition: Ouur just moved its headquarters from Portland, Oregon to Copenhagen, Denmark, where I completed my internship. 

A typical day at the office starts at 9AM and ends at 5PM with a one-hour break for lunch and a 15 to 30 minute afternoon “tea time” where everyone takes a few minutes to chat. For the amount of work they produce, Ouur is an extremely small company. The number of people in the Copenhagen office fluctuates between eight and ten. The small team translates to a very focused work environment. Something that I particularly appreciate about the office, however, is that everyone – not just the interns – participates in menial tasks such as doing grocery runs, organizing the office, and preparing for daily tea time. In fact, recently, we hosted a launch dinner for B&O Play in our gallery space. Three members of the team were at the dinner, while the rest of us, including one of the company’s cofounders, helped to serve the meal. In a sense, Ouur is very much like a large family.

Naturally, as Editorial Intern, my main duties lie with Kinfolk: conducting research, transcribing interviews, writing copy, etc. However, with such a small workforce, I help in all departments as needed. Personally, I found this to be very rewarding, as I was able to develop skills in communications, art direction, marketing, and business. Furthermore, I was able to strengthen my understanding of the company as a whole. I was also asked to participate in meetings about the company’s business plan, mission and goals, and structure. I found it really unique that I was not only invited to sit in on such influential meetings but that I was able to contribute ideas. I believe that is very telling of the internship experience: ultimately, at Ouur, you are treated as much more than an intern. For the period you are there, you are welcomed as an employee and as part of the our family.

Summer 2016

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: English Sophomore

My experience as an editorial intern in the Reference department at Oxford University Press was a valuable introduction to the world of academic publishing. Due to the nature of the content produced by my department, my tasks were predominantly digital, working to maintain OUP’s online scholarly research databases. The majority of my duties included updating author profiles to improve online discoverability, logging author contracts, and creating database records of forthcoming works.

My hours at OUP mimicked a typical workday, arriving at 9:00 AM and departing at 5:00 PM. I was expected to come into the office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and was given an hour each day for lunch. The OUP environment is professional and productive yet also extremely flexible. As long as I completed my assignments on time, I was free to construct my day as I wished. The rapport between employees was friendly and familiar. Immediately, I felt welcomed into the department.

In an effort to expose interns to the multiple other facets of academic publishing, OUP organized several intern events throughout the summer where we met with the heads of the various other departments. These meetings allowed us to catch a glimpse of other areas that we might be interested in pursuing and to expand our scope beyond the relatively narrow lens of Reference. Overall, OUP is a wonderful work environment with many opportunities that show their investment in their interns’ interests and future success.

Spring 2020

Position: Production Assistant
Student: Humanities & Health and Society Senior

Name: Amarachi Ngwakwe  

This semester I served a production assistant with Decibel ATX, the news and public affairs show at Austin PBS, where I created video packages about the local community. During my internship I assisted the team with script-writing, production, scheduling interviews, finding archival footage for digital videos. I also learned to manage video, audio and lighting equipment from setup and breakdown for interviews. Austin PBS is one of the best places I’ve interned, everyone was very kind and made an effort to get to know me. I always felt welcomed at the office and everyone I met was always willing to help me in any way they could. I think this internship is an excellent opportunity to grow for anyone interested journalism and media.

Spring 2018

Position: Commercial Content Intern
Student: English Junior

I interned at South by Southwest this semester and it is an experience I would recommend anybody interested in working in the entertainment industry have. It’s the largest media event in Austin and has exhibitions for film, music, and technology. This large range of industry allows for a specific role in a large organization. I was the commercial content intern in the innovation department and assisted in producing video content for the festival including the daily highlight reels and creative fix series. There are a host of different internship opportunities at the company including event planning, marketing, and social media management. SXSW is synonymous with Austin and looks great on a resume, has extensive connections in multiple industries, and is quite possibly the best place to intern in the area if you’re interested in music, film, or tech.

The application process was very simple. I went on their website where they list all available internship positions. They instruct you to submit a cover letter listing your top 3 preferred positions and your resume. I submitted and received an email response saying that I was ineligible as they require interns to be enrolled in college. I responded because this was a mistake as I was still enrolled in school, received a response saying that they’ll pass my application onto the various departments, and I got an interview with commercial content. Less than a month later I received an email confirming I got the position. The point is to follow up.

My day to day at South by Southwest before the festival was a lot of computer work. I worked 10:00-4:00 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday totaling 18 hours a week. It mainly involved organizing google docs and spreadsheets in preparation for the festival, but the main attraction the internship was the festival which was a phenomenal experience.

Spring 2017

Position: Media and PR
Student: American Studies Sophomore

As a Film Press Intern at SXSW, my day to day duties varied greatly as the festival approached. When I started in November, much of my duties involved data entry and going through a database to ensure correct information, as well as preparing for the busy festival season. As the festival got closer, it became my job to update press releases and information emails that were to go out to publicists, press, and talent. Each intern was also given a specific scheduling task. Mine was to schedule publicists in provided interview rooms, which could take an hour or two a day, while others were tasked with creating the red carpet schedule. I also handled tasks that came up on a day to day basis, including corresponding with publicists, crafting emails, and taking notes on red carpet calls with studios. 

My job changed entirely the week of the festival. During the festival, the main task was working red carpets, in which I managed a team of volunteers to set the green room and escort talent and their guests through the theater, as well as manage press and place them in the press line. This was especially fun because the same people come to every carpet, so I formed great relationships with the press and got to meet many cool celebrities. Other tasks included helping to craft press releases and manage crises. At one point, they needed me to manage a theater and train volunteers for an entire day.

All of the time I spent at SXSW was worth it. While 15-20 hours a week is a large chunk of time, I learned incredible skills, formed relationships, and had a ton of fun. Nothing I did was busywork and was definitely worthwhile. 

Spring 2015

Position: Interactive Operations Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies Sophomore

Day by day my role changed as the festival got closer, a typical day was not ever necessarily typical. Upon getting to the office, usually around 10 am I would find my supervisors and discuss what needed to be done that day. At the beginning of the season my day usually consisted of quality control and quality assurance on publications. These publications included the guides given out to attendees as well as the online schedule. A lot of the work was both editing and cataloging the errors in order to help prevent them in the future.

I also would get lunch with coworkers most days. This gave me an opportunity to learn more about the company as well as the various different positions within our team. As Festival got closer I began to work on a few longer-term projects. Some of these projects included shuttle trackers and seeing where our largest crowds would be. These projects were completed over the course of weeks and had many different tasks to be done. In addition I would add daily projects that were less complex.

During the festival I was on site at one of our many venues as another contact person. I was available to help handle any problems that came up with volunteers, attendees, or a variety of other things. After festival along with some time off I was able to continue working on those long term projects and looking at the affects it had on the festival and how that information can be used to better the festival in future years.

Fall 2017

Position: Intern
Student: English Senior

My internship this semester was with Spectrum News, the company formerly known as Time Warner Cable. The office is very close to campus, located on Colorado an 17th Street. The internship was advertised as a general news job, with the ability for the intern to choose which area he or she wanted to specialize. The variety and freedom drew me to the internships, so I was excited to acquire a wide range of skills. 

A normal day typically starts in the early afternoon and lasts into the evening. At the beginning of the internship, I rotated around different sections of the newsroom. After a month of rotations, I was able to pick my area of concentration: reporting. As a reporter, I started my shift with an afternoon staff meeting. During the meeting, the head of assignment desk went around all the reporters to hear different story pitches. Reporters stories were either approved or they were assigned different stories. The meeting also covers statistics of the site’s top viewed stories in both Austin and San Antonio.

Once the reporters are given their stories, they begin contacting sources to speak on camera. This research process can take a couple hours. The interviews need to be conducted fairly quickly so the story can air that evening. Once an interview is locked down, the intern and reporter go out into the field with camera equipment to shoot. At the location, we take B-roll and shoot a couple standups that can be used in the story package. We get the interview on camera, and then we upload all the footage to ingest and begin cutting the VOSOTs. Once the package is put together, you may do a live shot or be put on a new story. 

Spring 2017

Position: Spectrum News, Austin Intern
Student: Psychology Senior

I worked at Spectrum News (formerly Time Warner Cable News) as the News Broadcasting Intern. The site is located about a 15-minute walk away, at 1708 Colorado street. I was required to work 10 hours per week, so typically I worked on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

My role at Spectrum was to assist the reporters in all aspects of News media. I had the opportunity to gain first class experience in the broadcast media industry in which I was exposed to multiple aspects of news media such as reporting, photojournalism, production, sports and weather. Some of my responsibilities included shadowing reporters in the field, news writing, interviewing and assisting in the production of news stories and working closely with a meteorologist reporting local weather. In addition, I worked with reporters and anchors to determine story form and content, as well as to assemble newscasts. The production aspect of my role required me to work closely with master control operators and technical directors with video and audio transmission and quality of on-air content. Finally, I had the opportunity to shadow sports staff, report on various sporting events and learn how to monitor and edit sports videos. In essence, it was very hands on learning experience with the goal of gaining valuable experience in all facets of broadcast journalism.

My responsibility as an intern grew throughout my time at Spectrum. At first, I was doing simple tasks, like photocopying, watching my boss and proof reading material. As my boss began to trust me more, he allowed me to write stories from a template, and by the end I was also shooting my own stories. My typical day consisted of arriving at work at 12.30 and checking in with my boss. Typically, he would talk to me about my assignments for the day and let me work on them alone before showing them to him once I had given them my best shot.

Summer 2016

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: English Sophomore

My experience as an editorial intern in the Reference department at Oxford University Press was a valuable introduction to the world of academic publishing. Due to the nature of the content produced by my department, my tasks were predominantly digital, working to maintain OUP’s online scholarly research databases. The majority of my duties included updating author profiles to improve online discoverability, logging author contracts, and creating database records of forthcoming works.

My hours at OUP mimicked a typical workday, arriving at 9:00 AM and departing at 5:00 PM. I was expected to come into the office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and was given an hour each day for lunch. The OUP environment is professional and productive yet also extremely flexible. As long as I completed my assignments on time, I was free to construct my day as I wished. The rapport between employees was friendly and familiar. Immediately, I felt welcomed into the department.

In an effort to expose interns to the multiple other facets of academic publishing, OUP organized several intern events throughout the summer where we met with the heads of the various other departments. These meetings allowed us to catch a glimpse of other areas that we might be interested in pursuing and to expand our scope beyond the relatively narrow lens of Reference. Overall, OUP is a wonderful work environment with many opportunities that show their investment in their interns’ interests and future success.

Spring 2023

Position: Music Fest Intern
Student: Anthropology Junior

SXSW is a festival with music, film, education, and interactive subsets. SXSW’s mission is to help artists achieve their goals. It’s a festival that is used to push unique work in film/ TV, music, and technology and brings artists from all over the globe. SXSW also facilitates an environment for artists to make connections through networking. I found the internship online and happened to recognize the supervisor who interviewed me from the local music scene, so we were able to relate and connect immediately.

During the internship, I reviewed and organized artist applications and “graded” them to determine their official invite. I also created and organized playlists of official artists by announcement date and seasonal themes like Valentine's Day. During the week of the fest, I worked at the artist help desk assisting artists with their registration needs and providing artists with their appropriate wristbands.

My favorite thing about the internship was discovering so many new artists for my personal and professional DJ library. Additionally, being able to access the fest with a platinum badge for the first time after being in Austin for 8 years was really great. Got paid to see some of my favorite artists ever.

Spring 2018

Position: Commercial Content Intern
Student: English Junior

I interned at South by Southwest this semester and it is an experience I would recommend anybody interested in working in the entertainment industry have. It’s the largest media event in Austin and has exhibitions for film, music, and technology. This large range of industry allows for a specific role in a large organization. I was the commercial content intern in the innovation department and assisted in producing video content for the festival including the daily highlight reels and creative fix series. There are a host of different internship opportunities at the company including event planning, marketing, and social media management. SXSW is synonymous with Austin and looks great on a resume, has extensive connections in multiple industries, and is quite possibly the best place to intern in the area if you’re interested in music, film, or tech.

The application process was very simple. I went on their website where they list all available internship positions. They instruct you to submit a cover letter listing your top 3 preferred positions and your resume. I submitted and received an email response saying that I was ineligible as they require interns to be enrolled in college. I responded because this was a mistake as I was still enrolled in school, received a response saying that they’ll pass my application onto the various departments, and I got an interview with commercial content. Less than a month later I received an email confirming I got the position. The point is to follow up.

My day to day at South by Southwest before the festival was a lot of computer work. I worked 10:00-4:00 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday totaling 18 hours a week. It mainly involved organizing google docs and spreadsheets in preparation for the festival, but the main attraction the internship was the festival which was a phenomenal experience.

Spring 2017

Position: Media and PR
Student: American Studies Sophomore

As a Film Press Intern at SXSW, my day to day duties varied greatly as the festival approached. When I started in November, much of my duties involved data entry and going through a database to ensure correct information, as well as preparing for the busy festival season. As the festival got closer, it became my job to update press releases and information emails that were to go out to publicists, press, and talent. Each intern was also given a specific scheduling task. Mine was to schedule publicists in provided interview rooms, which could take an hour or two a day, while others were tasked with creating the red carpet schedule. I also handled tasks that came up on a day to day basis, including corresponding with publicists, crafting emails, and taking notes on red carpet calls with studios. 

My job changed entirely the week of the festival. During the festival, the main task was working red carpets, in which I managed a team of volunteers to set the green room and escort talent and their guests through the theater, as well as manage press and place them in the press line. This was especially fun because the same people come to every carpet, so I formed great relationships with the press and got to meet many cool celebrities. Other tasks included helping to craft press releases and manage crises. At one point, they needed me to manage a theater and train volunteers for an entire day.

All of the time I spent at SXSW was worth it. While 15-20 hours a week is a large chunk of time, I learned incredible skills, formed relationships, and had a ton of fun. Nothing I did was busywork and was definitely worthwhile. 

Fall 2017

Position: Intern
Student: English Senior

My internship this semester was with Spectrum News, the company formerly known as Time Warner Cable. The office is very close to campus, located on Colorado an 17th Street. The internship was advertised as a general news job, with the ability for the intern to choose which area he or she wanted to specialize. The variety and freedom drew me to the internships, so I was excited to acquire a wide range of skills. 

A normal day typically starts in the early afternoon and lasts into the evening. At the beginning of the internship, I rotated around different sections of the newsroom. After a month of rotations, I was able to pick my area of concentration: reporting. As a reporter, I started my shift with an afternoon staff meeting. During the meeting, the head of assignment desk went around all the reporters to hear different story pitches. Reporters stories were either approved or they were assigned different stories. The meeting also covers statistics of the site’s top viewed stories in both Austin and San Antonio.

Once the reporters are given their stories, they begin contacting sources to speak on camera. This research process can take a couple hours. The interviews need to be conducted fairly quickly so the story can air that evening. Once an interview is locked down, the intern and reporter go out into the field with camera equipment to shoot. At the location, we take B-roll and shoot a couple standups that can be used in the story package. We get the interview on camera, and then we upload all the footage to ingest and begin cutting the VOSOTs. Once the package is put together, you may do a live shot or be put on a new story. 

Spring 2017

Position: Spectrum News, Austin Intern
Student: Psychology Senior

I worked at Spectrum News (formerly Time Warner Cable News) as the News Broadcasting Intern. The site is located about a 15-minute walk away, at 1708 Colorado street. I was required to work 10 hours per week, so typically I worked on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

My role at Spectrum was to assist the reporters in all aspects of News media. I had the opportunity to gain first class experience in the broadcast media industry in which I was exposed to multiple aspects of news media such as reporting, photojournalism, production, sports and weather. Some of my responsibilities included shadowing reporters in the field, news writing, interviewing and assisting in the production of news stories and working closely with a meteorologist reporting local weather. In addition, I worked with reporters and anchors to determine story form and content, as well as to assemble newscasts. The production aspect of my role required me to work closely with master control operators and technical directors with video and audio transmission and quality of on-air content. Finally, I had the opportunity to shadow sports staff, report on various sporting events and learn how to monitor and edit sports videos. In essence, it was very hands on learning experience with the goal of gaining valuable experience in all facets of broadcast journalism.

My responsibility as an intern grew throughout my time at Spectrum. At first, I was doing simple tasks, like photocopying, watching my boss and proof reading material. As my boss began to trust me more, he allowed me to write stories from a template, and by the end I was also shooting my own stories. My typical day consisted of arriving at work at 12.30 and checking in with my boss. Typically, he would talk to me about my assignments for the day and let me work on them alone before showing them to him once I had given them my best shot.

Summer 2016

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: English Senior

A typical day as an intern at Sterling Publishing begins at 9 a.m. sharp. I arrive at the office, swiping my key card to let myself into the locked double doors, and switch the lamps on in my cubicle. There are already several emails awaiting my attention in my inbox, and I take my time carefully reading and responding to them. Most often, they are from the editorial staff and request assistance with drafting publication summaries and reader’s reports. They require that I read the attached manuscripts, consider whether the proposed book is unique and marketable, and then compose a report with my final verdict as to whether I think the book should be published or not. I send the summaries and reports to their respective editorial staff members, and then settle into some of my more long-term projects.

Over the course of my internship this summer, I have been tasked with completing edits for a series of cookbooks and superfood informational texts. Stephanie Pederson, the author of the series, would send me new chapters of her books as they were completed. I would then make the first edit to the raw manuscripts, fixing errors in grammar and style, converting metric measurements to imperial, and reworking sentences for clarity. When I completed a chapter, I would then send it to the editor in charge of cooking and food books.

I take an hour break for lunch, during which I get to sit outside in Bryant Park, located very close to my office. After quick editorial meetings and pleasant exchanges with my fellow interns, it is time to leave the office at 5 p.m.

Spring 2018

Position: Intern
Student: English Junior

The Texas Book Festival has six main staff members: literary director, communications coordinator, administrative coordinator, executive director, outreach manager, and the development director. Almost each of these positions require interns in the summer and fall. I personally interned for the literary director and communications coordinator (they work closely together) in the spring (I was a guinea pig intern and was the first intern to ever intern for them in the spring).

As for a “Day in the Life,” I did many things for them. My main job was to log any incoming submissions into the spreadsheets. To be honest, you basically have to manage all the main master spreadsheets: the submissions, invitations, confirmations, early interests, etc. So even though I took an MIS class at UT, I never knew how much more I would be learning in the field. This job is definitely detail-oriented and very self-motivating, as you’re expected to be independent and proactive. When I wasn’t logging submissions, I would prep for the committee meetings by printing and labeling all the forms the members would be looking at. I also worked on research projects such as researching video content and writing the occasional blog post for the TBF blog. When my main supervisor didn’t have any tasks for me, I found myself translating some vocabulary words for the outreach manager, looking for contact information for the development director, or doing some administrative tasks (such as conducting inventory or measuring posters for possible clients) for the administrative coordinator. I was expected to contribute at least 10 hours a week. In addition to the hours, I sometimes had to table at events such as Michael Pollan’s event at the Long Center or the San Antonio Book Festival.

Fall 2016

Position: Festival Programming Intern
Student: English Senior

As a festival programming intern, I normally begin my day by logging on to the computer at my small desk and checking my Texas Book Festival email account. The emails that I receive from my supervisors normally tell me what I will be doing that day. For example, they might need spreadsheets made, or the website might need to be updated. Every day is different, and some days they might need more menial tasks to be finished, such as taking packages to the post office or filing documents. Normally, however, I am doing something on the computer related to helping organize event logistics, writing content for the website, making digital forms for events online, and proofreading important documents. I also have to write emails to authors and publishers to go over logistical details about their involvement with the festival. The internship site is in an office building downtown. This provides interns with experience working in an office setting. 

Right before and during the festival, however, the internship is a lot more chaotic. The interns are responsible for picking up authors from the airport, delivering gifts for authors to their hotels, decorating the venues for the festival, dealing with unhappy festival-goers, and basically doing whatever needs to be done at that moment. It is a three day commitment, and there is not really time for a break from Friday morning to Sunday evening (but it is still really fun!). The interns do, however, get to choose what they want to help out with during festival weekend.

Fall 2015

Position: Programming Intern
Student: English Sophomore
The Texas Book Festival is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by Laura Bush with the purpose of celebrating authors and their contributions to the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination. The festival has evolved into one of the premier literary events in the country and takes place in and around the State Capitol in Austin, hosting about 300 authors each year. More than 40,000 book lovers of all ages attend the Festival annually, enjoying author readings and presentations, panel discussions, book signings, cooking demonstrations, live music, local food, YA authors, children’s activities, and exhibiting vendors from across the state.

With a four person staff, the Texas Book Festival relies heavily on its volunteer and intern base. No two days interning at the Texas Book Festival are ever the same, and that is part of what makes the experience so thrilling. Because of the nature of the festival, there are different priorities for each month. Sometimes you must keep track of book submissions during the early months of the year while during the weeks before the festival date you focus on addressing the concerns of authors who are already confirmed to attend.

Some of my responsibilities included communicating with the Festival’s 300-some authors and their publicists about the various events authors attend during the Festival; writing descriptions of Festival sessions for the Festival’s website; writing thoughtfully about the authors’ books and bios for the Festival’s website; managing one or several of the festival’s special events; working with the Festival’s design firm and PR director; and escorting authors and other VIPs throughout festival grounds.

I formed many close connections with the festival’s staff and with the featured authors and their publicists. As a booklover myself, my experience interning at the Texas Book Festival is something that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

Fall 2019

Position: TM Studio Intern
Student: Psychology Senior

For this semester, I have interned at Texas Monthly with the TM Studio department. Our department focuses mostly on supplemental magazines, such as Texas College Guide and Texas Sports Facility Guide, that ship out around the same time as our main monthly magazine. For the most part, my responsibilities involved numerous editorial tasks, such as copywriting, proofreading, and editing for my and others’ articles.

In general, Texas Monthly is a friendly work environment with plenty of supportive co-workers ready to help whenever needed! My supervisors were always happy to answer any questions I had about certain tasks. There were also times when I was able to interview members of different departments, such as marketing, events, and HR. All of them were able to schedule times to interview and have an engaging conversation about their duties at Texas Monthly. It was nice to not only explore different responsibilities about the company as a whole, but also get to know different people around the office on a more personal level. It felt less like being a cog in the machine, and more like an intimate collaborative effort in order to accomplish common goals.

As far as my personal responsibilities, I proofread and edited others’ articles that talked about different tourist attractions across Texas. For my own copywriting assignments, my topics ranged from student athlete profiles, community college articles, and introduction pages for the city of Houston. Although some topics were harder to write about than others, I always had the help of my supervisors to help me guide me toward finished products that were worth publishing, and I’ll be sure to keep those lessons with me moving forward in my career.

Fall 2017

Position: Custom Publishing Intern
Student: English Junior

Working in the Custom Publishing department at Texas Monthly, your day-to-day life is never quite the same; each day is unique and brings its own set of challenges along with it. You might spend your day at the office trying to scour the internet for a photo for an article, or you might be editing or proofreading a story, or you might even be writing your own piece for either our blog or one of the magazines we’re working on, it’s different each day. Sometimes you might even be asked to help another department with a task or go through the supply closet and take inventory of the things in there, but for the most part you will stay within the Custom Publishing Department. Basically, your job is to be an assistant to the project managers in your department and help them with any tasks that they need help with. With that being said there is at least a little bit of structure in your day to day life.

Depending on how you decide to schedule your time at the office, they do ask that you work between ten and twelve hours each week, and that you try to make the shifts at least three hours long, so that you can actually get some work done. The first thing that you do when you come into the office is log into your computer over at your desk and then from there once you’re settled it is essential that you check your email because that is the main point of communication that they use in the office.

From there, once you’ve checked your email you can then go on to see what you’re going to be doing that, as I said earlier each day is different, so depending on what projects you are assigned you might be doing one thing one day and something totally different another. A couple of examples of what you might be doing are trying to track down a photo that we can use in an article, or proofread a piece, or even write a piece for our blog or even a magazine. It all depends on the day.

All in all, this is a great place to intern at, one that will provide you with a lot of experience and give you a little taste of what it’s like to work at a magazine.

Position: Editorial Internship
Student: English & Plan II Junior

A Texas Monthly editorial intern works about 12-15 hours a week, which I broke into three 4-5 hour shifts. I would usually come into the Texas Monthly office, which is a beautiful one with a breath-taking view of the state capitol, sit down at my desk, and check the intern Slack channel where requests come in from editors and writers. Every day was different and the tasks could range from transcribing an interview with state Congressmen, doing research on the craziest things Alex Jones has said for Texas Monthly’s Bum Steers editorial, fact-checking magazine pieces, and writing my own articles for online publishing on Texas Monthly’s website. You should be able to research well, deliver quickly, and should be willing to do work outside of the office if you take on bigger responsibilities like fact-checking or writing pieces. Sometimes, especially around deadlines, all of the editors and writers will stay until 1 am to finish pieces, and while you don’t need to stay late you should be willing to answer emails and do edits even after you leave the office. Texas Monthly is, however, very flexible if you need to move your schedule around for school, and the overall vibe of the office is casual and friendly.

Biggest advice would be to take advantage of the free food and newly-released books that the office always offers and do not be afraid to ask for jobs you want. Texas Monthly does not give jobs fact checking, for instance, to interns who do not ask. Overall, if you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, voice it. While they can always turn you down, they want to see you succeed there. Also, they will never make you go get their coffee or clean plates in the office. You will only be doing substantial work directly involved with Texas Monthly editorial content, which is huge, and not something all editorial internships offer. 

Spring 2017

Position: Audience Development Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies Senior

During the spring 2017 semester, I was an audience development intern at Texas Monthly (TXM). TXM is a monthly consumer magazine that covers Texas lifestyle and politics. Much of my work helped the audience development department conduct audience and market analysis. At the end of each week I would complete postage reports for TXM and the other publications once covered by the audience development department. Each month I would complete customer service reports. These types of reports help my supervisor analyze the TXM audience and how each publication is publically received.

On a more day-to-day basis, I would have several administrative tasks. This would include fulfilling back issues requests, mailing out TXM BBQ-club packets and completing any sort of specific project my supervisor assigned me. My last week at TXM, the audience development department head asked me to complete a cover analysis for the top-selling newsstand magazine covers in Texas. I learned just as much from observing at department meetings and talking with TXM employees as I did doing my internship projects.

 My supervisor made me feel more than comfortable to ask questions. She always gave thorough directions and would tell me why I was doing the work I was doing. Meaning that she related my small contribution to the TXM monthly enterprise to the larger effort of running a monthly publication. I attended department meetings every week and through out the semester my supervisor set up meetings with TXM employees so that I was able to ask questions and learn about their role in the company. TXM also has an intern orientation where department heads come in to talk to the new interns about their job and their work with TXM.

Summer 2016

Position: Custom Publishing Intern
Student: English Junior
The day-to-day work at the summer Custom Publishing internship at Texas Monthly can vary. Throughout the three months you will be working during the summer, expect a myriad of opportunities for research, writing, and publication. The supervisors will work with your schedule and give you a one-hour lunch break. An example of a schedule would be working on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9am to 3pm. Each day you will go to your desk and work on whatever has been assigned. The desks and workspace are of high quality and include a computer and phone. From writing weekly travel blog posts for textraveler.com and austinrelocatingguide.com to completing photo research, there is alway something to do. Work can include writing articles about festivals, people, and day road trips for Ride Texas Magazine 
and pitching ideas for the My H-E-B Life monthly issues, creating inspiration PowerPoint slides for the upcoming magazine. Every week at least one intern blog gets published and because there are two Custom Publishing interns, the publications alternate. At least once or twice a month, a blog you write will probably get published.

Expect to be motivated by the work environment at Texas Monthly that helps with motivation and one’s success. Employees at Texas Monthly are often positive individuals and make it a pleasant day to go into work. While sitting in the breakroom during lunchtime, employees may involve you in their conversations and ideas for stories.

Spring 2016

Position: Publishing Intern
Student: English Junior

The first thing prospective interns should know is that there are several different departments working within Texas Monthly.  I intern with the Custom Publishing department, which is essentially an in-house publishing unit that produces a variety of publications such as Ride Texas magazine, a motorcycle riding magazine owned by our department.  However, depending on your interests, there are several options to choose from such as Editorial, Sale and Marketing, Design, among others.   

The office enjoys stunning views of the surrounding city and skyline, which could never get old.  I personally worked for Texas Monthly Custom Publishing for 12 hours per week, divided into four-hour chunks on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I arrive at the office at 9 am and some employees are already at work, while others are just arriving.  The company seems to be relatively flexible with hours and work schedules.  
In the morning I generally say hi to the people in my department, check my emails, make coffee, and then get started on whatever assignment I have been working on or inquire about a new assignment if I have completed those from a previous day.  My main responsibility was creating blog posts for websites such as TexTraveler.com or AboutAustinRelocating.com.  I really enjoyed crafting this content - it was both fun and educational for me.  I also was tasked with drafting stories for Ride Texas magazine, so now my work will be published in print (as of this summer).  Aside from writing I also worked fact checking, copy editing, and brainstorming editorial ideas.

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: Plan II Junior

The Texas Monthly Editorial Internship is a creative way to investigate culture and politics in the great state of Texas. Texas Monthly is a monthly publication that covers happenings across the state. Based in downtown Austin, TX right on Congress Avenue, Texas Monthly offers a broad bi-partisan survey of the State and what it means to be Texan. It offers a glimpse into the life of the modern Texan in the context of our ever-changing national and international landscape. The general interest publication looks for creative and unconventional ways to tell the narratives of Texas.

This internship offers students interested in writing, journalism, or media a chance to see the inner workings of a monthly publication. Working for Texas Monthly gave me a chance to explore more accessible writing styles and a new industry. Additionally, it gave me a new appreciation for everything Texas. The tasks of an intern vary depending on the needs of the writers and editorial staff. I’ve transcribed interviews, gathered data on oil rigs, created a presentation on the history of corn, and assisted writers in smaller editorial tasks.

An interesting part of the internship experience is the requirement that editorial interns submit pitches for monthly editorial meetings. Seeing the renowned editorial team bat ideas back and forth taught me a lot about vetting my own stories for our specific audience.

Finally, the “Day in the Life” of a TM intern is, honestly, whatever you make it. The office is incredibly laid back with unlimited Topo Chicos, clementines, and an oatmeal station. The attire is hip-casual. You report to yourself, which gives needed flexibility with a hectic college schedule, though you must come in a minimum of twelve hours a week. Through seminars with writers and editors, you will gain a much greater appreciation for language and awareness of long form writing and editing techniques.

Fall 2015

Position: Media Marketing Intern
Student: English Junior

Here’s a look into my typical day at the office. I would first check the marketing mailbox and deliver mail to various marketing employees. Once I got to my desk, I signed into my computer and checked my email for my daily assignments. If I had any questions about my tasks that day, I would head over to my supervisor's desk for clarification. And then my day would officially begin.

My responsibilities as a marketing intern ranged from administrative tasks to marketing specific tasks. The administrative tasks included a lot of random assignments to help the marketing team operate, such as creating FedEx labels for shipments, printing out and organizing forms, and creating booklets of marketing plans. The marketing tasks, which were much more exciting, including creating event entries and slideshows on WordPress, updating social media platforms and drafting tweets, fact checking the promotional content, and ad copy editing.

I also spent a lot of my semester working on various ​Texas Monthly​BBQ Festival tasks. The TMBBQ, which takes place on the first weekend of November, aims to promote ​Texas Monthly​and bring together the entire Texas barbecue community. Shadowing is an important, beneficial part of the internship that you should definitely take advantage of. Find out what all the marketing employees are up to and ask them questions. See if there is anything that you can do to help. This internship is what you make it, so take advantage of the vast amount of resources that ​Texas Monthly ​provides.

Spring 2015

Position: Editorial Intern
Student: English Senior

As a Texas Monthly editorial intern, you will be completely immersed in a professional culture, and you will learn the detailed ins and outs of magazine journalism. Writing opportunities are not guaranteed, however, interns are tasked each month with creating and researching story ideas. Everyone on the editorial staff does this, not just the interns. Before the monthly editorial meetings, the Editor in Chief, Brian, will look over everyone’s ideas and pick a few to put on the “short list” to be discussed in meeting. If you have a good enough idea, yours might be picked, and you might have the opportunity to be featured in the magazine or online!

A lot of your day will consist of compiling research for stories that are in the works, transcribing interviews, and reading the magazine. Honestly, reading is a huge part of the internship. When you read, you are exposed to the voice of the writers, and it makes it that much cooler when you get to talk to them about their process of researching, structuring, and writing the story. The interns were able to speak with fact checkers, editors, and writers throughout the internship about the process of story telling, and often, these staff members would give the interns a story to read before the meeting, so that there would be something specific to discuss. Transcribing interviews will sometimes take up the entirety of your day, which may sound daunting, but in reality, transcribing was sometimes the most interesting task assigned.

As an intern, you get to listen in on really incredible interviews, sometimes with big time musicians and movie stars. This gives you the opportunity to hear how the writers approach an interview, and when the story is published, you get to feel proud that you played a part in it. I highly recommend the internship if you are looking for an independently structured journalism internship. At Texas Monthly, you get what you put into it. You can go that extra mile to meet everyone on staff and learn as much as you can, or you can do the bare minimum. It’s up to you.

Fall 2019

Position: Tour Marketing Intern
Student: IRG Senior

I have spent my fall semester as a tour marketing intern at Triple 8 Management. Triple 8 is a music management company based in Austin with a second office locate in Nashville, TN. Because Triple 8 is a smaller management company, its employees are able to more intently focus on and cater to the needs of the artists they manage. The managers at Triple 8 handle tour marketing and social media, as well as the day-to-day logistics management. Triple 8 is a client-based company, so all work is done with the intention to please the artists.

As a tour marketing intern I have been given a number of tasks, ranging from general office work to artist specific research and reporting and everything in between. I conducted weekly social pull reports that helped the artist managers analyze the effectiveness of our social media. I also assisted in maintaining the grassroots marketing measures as well as the social media accounts. In addition to these regular tasks, I also assisted with packaging and mailing out prize items, promo materials, albums, and other artist merchandise that needed to be delivered to fans and tour locations. All of these tasks allowed me to gain valuable and experience in the music industry and gave me realistic insight to everything that goes into successfully managing artists. Some of the artists I have worked with include Whiskey Myers, Scotty McCreery, Eli Young Band, Kaleo, and Joe Nichols. I have been allowed to execute my tasks in my own way and be my own lead on my projects.

Triple 8 invests a lot of time and effort into making sure that the interns have an extremely well-rounded and beneficial experience. There were regularly hosted “lunch and learns” with the owners of the company so that the interns have an opportunity to ask questions and meet people that hold a higher up position. Overall, the time I have spent at Triple 8 has been extremely beneficial to my skill set and work experience.

Fall 2019

Position: Intern
Student: English Junior

The Texas Book Festival has six main staff members: literary director, communications coordinator, administrative coordinator, executive director, outreach manager, and the development director. Almost each of these positions require interns in the summer and fall. I personally interned for the literary director and communications coordinator (they work closely together) in the spring (I was a guinea pig intern and was the first intern to ever intern for them in the spring).

As for a “Day in the Life,” I did many things for them. My main job was to log any incoming submissions into the spreadsheets. To be honest, you basically have to manage all the main master spreadsheets: the submissions, invitations, confirmations, early interests, etc. So even though I took an MIS class at UT, I never knew how much more I would be learning in the field. This job is definitely detail-oriented and very self-motivating, as you’re expected to be independent and proactive. When I wasn’t logging submissions, I would prep for the committee meetings by printing and labeling all the forms the members would be looking at. I also worked on research projects such as researching video content and writing the occasional blog post for the TBF blog. When my main supervisor didn’t have any tasks for me, I found myself translating some vocabulary words for the outreach manager, looking for contact information for the development director, or doing some administrative tasks (such as conducting inventory or measuring posters for possible clients) for the administrative coordinator. I was expected to contribute at least 10 hours a week. In addition to the hours, I sometimes had to table at events such as Michael Pollan’s event at the Long Center or the San Antonio Book Festival.

Spring 2018

Position: Intern
Student: English Junior

The Texas Book Festival has six main staff members: literary director, communications coordinator, administrative coordinator, executive director, outreach manager, and the development director. Almost each of these positions require interns in the summer and fall. I personally interned for the literary director and communications coordinator (they work closely together) in the spring (I was a guinea pig intern and was the first intern to ever intern for them in the spring).

As for a “Day in the Life,” I did many things for them. My main job was to log any incoming submissions into the spreadsheets. To be honest, you basically have to manage all the main master spreadsheets: the submissions, invitations, confirmations, early interests, etc. So even though I took an MIS class at UT, I never knew how much more I would be learning in the field. This job is definitely detail-oriented and very self-motivating, as you’re expected to be independent and proactive. When I wasn’t logging submissions, I would prep for the committee meetings by printing and labeling all the forms the members would be looking at. I also worked on research projects such as researching video content and writing the occasional blog post for the TBF blog. When my main supervisor didn’t have any tasks for me, I found myself translating some vocabulary words for the outreach manager, looking for contact information for the development director, or doing some administrative tasks (such as conducting inventory or measuring posters for possible clients) for the administrative coordinator. I was expected to contribute at least 10 hours a week. In addition to the hours, I sometimes had to table at events such as Michael Pollan’s event at the Long Center or the San Antonio Book Festival.

Fall 2019

Position: TM Studio Intern
Student: Psychology Senior

For this semester, I have interned at Texas Monthly with the TM Studio department. Our department focuses mostly on supplemental magazines, such as Texas College Guide and Texas Sports Facility Guide, that ship out around the same time as our main monthly magazine. For the most part, my responsibilities involved numerous editorial tasks, such as copywriting, proofreading, and editing for my and others’ articles.

In general, Texas Monthly is a friendly work environment with plenty of supportive co-workers ready to help whenever needed! My supervisors were always happy to answer any questions I had about certain tasks. There were also times when I was able to interview members of different departments, such as marketing, events, and HR. All of them were able to schedule times to interview and have an engaging conversation about their duties at Texas Monthly. It was nice to not only explore different responsibilities about the company as a whole, but also get to know different people around the office on a more personal level. It felt less like being a cog in the machine, and more like an intimate collaborative effort in order to accomplish common goals.

As far as my personal responsibilities, I proofread and edited others’ articles that talked about different tourist attractions across Texas. For my own copywriting assignments, my topics ranged from student athlete profiles, community college articles, and introduction pages for the city of Houston. Although some topics were harder to write about than others, I always had the help of my supervisors to help me guide me toward finished products that were worth publishing, and I’ll be sure to keep those lessons with me moving forward in my career.

Fall 2019

Position: Tour Marketing Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies Senior

I have spent my fall semester as a tour marketing intern at Triple 8 Management. Triple 8 is a music management company based in Austin with a second office locate in Nashville, TN. Because Triple 8 is a smaller management company, its employees are able to more intently focus on and cater to the needs of the artists they manage. The managers at Triple 8 handle tour marketing and social media, as well as the day-to-day logistics management. Triple 8 is a client-based company, so all work is done with the intention to please the artists.

As a tour marketing intern I have been given a number of tasks, ranging from general office work to artist specific research and reporting and everything in between. I conducted weekly social pull reports that helped the artist managers analyze the effectiveness of our social media. I also assisted in maintaining the grassroots marketing measures as well as the social media accounts. In addition to these regular tasks, I also assisted with packaging and mailing out prize items, promo materials, albums, and other artist merchandise that needed to be delivered to fans and tour locations. All of these tasks allowed me to gain valuable and experience in the music industry and gave me realistic insight to everything that goes into successfully managing artists. Some of the artists I have worked with include Whiskey Myers, Scotty McCreery, Eli Young Band, Kaleo, and Joe Nichols. I have been allowed to execute my tasks in my own way and be my own lead on my projects.

Triple 8 invests a lot of time and effort into making sure that the interns have an extremely well-rounded and beneficial experience. There were regularly hosted “lunch and learns” with the owners of the company so that the interns have an opportunity to ask questions and meet people that hold a higher up position. Overall, the time I have spent at Triple 8 has been extremely beneficial to my skill set and work experience.

Fall 2021

Position: Brands and Properties Internship
Student: Psychology

Wasserman Media Group is a sports, music and talent agency that also specializes in marketing.  They represent athletes, artists, brands, and properties that are looking to expand their following and partner up with people or companies looking to do the same.  I found this internship through a family friend who works at the company and told me about the position, but I also saw postings for the internship on their website and on LinkedIn.  I am a Brands and Properties Intern which means I focus on the marketing side of companies, teams, and leagues.  Right now, I am working for a company called Betway.  Some tasks I have done so far include helping them search for influencers for their brand, researching competitors and what they’re doing, coming up with presentations on how we can make certain activations between teams and players work as smoothly as possible and keeping an updated spreadsheet with new betting laws from different states.  My favorite part about my internship is the culture of the company.  They truly care about their interns and want us to learn and grow.  They assign us to projects we are interested in and allow us to have weekly calls with senior leadership within the company to network and learn more about what the company does.