I will never forget the time I made an editor cry.
During an internship at a medium-sized daily, I had been given the latitude to pursue a story on why a certain Montana county had so many centenarians. As I researched the story, I saw that the data was bad. So I revamped the story as a “think piece” (okay, I never actually used that word) on aging in Montana. I drew on history, philosophy, public health, cinema.
It was a disaster.
The editor who had placed so much trust in me disintegrated upon reading a draft of the article. Tears. Sniffling. Panic. I hadn't set out to devastate my editor. But there we were, seated at the windowed conference table of the newsroom, my editor gently weeping, me eyeing the room for an escape hatch.
In a few months or years, you'll have your own stories. Someday you might be able to laugh about them. But in the present, they will be painful.
Here are a few tips I picked up to help ease the transition to the working world.
Appearance Matters: Dress appropriately, especially for the first week. After that, the office may be more casual, and you can relax. But sexy clothes are out. Try tucking in your shirt. Button-up shirts should be buttoned-up. It's the little things that count, and it's surprising how many new graduates don't realize this.
First, Be Solid. Then Be Spectacular: Before you set out to rewrite the history of literary journalism, start small. Show that you can do the basics – breaking news, meetings, daily features. Once you have proven yourself, editors are more likely to trust you to tackle bigger, broader stories.
Never Surprise Your Editor: Student newspapers can be lax on this. But daily newspaper editors will freak out if you turn in a 25-inch masterpiece when the budget says 12 inches. If you're going to try something new, run it by your editor first. Nothing burns an internship like a funky story format at 5:30 p.m.
Every Once in Awhile, Surprise ‘Em: This is best on shorter, fun stories that aren't time-sensitive. If you take a stab at a literary lede, be sure to have a solid lede in your bag in case your editor blanches. And only take that chance when you really think you've nailed it. You only get so many mulligans as an intern.
When You're in a Hole, Stop Digging: In an internship, you can get over your head in a hurry. That's part of the experience. You should be confident in the skills you have and courageous enough to take on tough story assignments.
But when you're in trouble, you need to talk to someone sooner rather than later. Don't wait until deadline to announce that you couldn't get that interview with the mayor. Or that you dropped your notebook in the lake. Or that you still haven't figured out how to log into your company computer. You're an intern. You aren't expected to be perfect. So speak up.
Report the Hell Out of Everything: Editors like to ask a lot of questions. You need to be prepared to answer them. Did you call this person? Is this group a nonprofit? How old is this student, and what's their major? Did you get the court documents?
Be selective about what you include in the stories but know the answers to those questions.
And always keep the cell phone numbers of the people you interviewed. There's a good chance you'll need them on deadline.
Have Fun, But Limit the Partying: Enjoy the job and interact with co-workers and other interns. But remember: You're there to work, not to plan after-work drinking parties.
Newsrooms can be an absolute blast. When big breaking news happens, there is no better place to be. Soak it up, and get a little dirt under your fingernails.
