How awesome would it be to get to live in New York City and work with a huge media outlet? While some pursue this dream, very few actually get to achieve it. Julia Baker is one of the lucky, hardworking students who was able to accomplish this goal when she interned for NBC Universal at The Today Show.
Baker, a senior journalism major, received an email from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism announcing the fall internship. Baker has a background in entertainment news being a host and reporter on Straight Up. Even though the internship was not looking specifically for students interested in entertainment news, she applied anyway. “I figured not applying would be a dumb decision considering it is the opportunity of a lifetime,” she said. After sending in a cover letter, resume and a having a phone interview, Baker was excited and surprised to find out that she got the internship.
Even though Baker had other internships, this was her first with a network. “I worked with nine other interns who have all had network experience and I was the only one who hadn’t,” she said. In the end, Baker thought that not having any prior network experience may have benefitted her. “I felt like I ended up working harder than some of the other interns because I had never done anything like this.”
Most young journalism majors are told to start small when looking at jobs and internships. Julia thinks it’s all about the personal experience. “I think it’s so important to put yourself out of your comfort zone,” she said. “Don’t let insecurities get in the way of being successful.” She also advises students to stand out, especially with big internships. She encourages students to always leave a good impression.
“Every day was really exciting,” Baker said while describing her duties as an intern. The initial description of the internship made it seem like a lot of office work, but Baker was able to do so much more than that. She was able to go on a shoot in the Catskill Mountains and even take part in her favorite segment “Ambush Makeover.” Her favorite part of the job was helping reporters and producers with their research.
The biggest change was going from small town Athens, Ohio to the Big Apple. “I definitely had a bit of a culture shock,” Baker said about her move. For three months, she lived two blocks from 30 Rockefeller Plaza and truly got the “New York experience.”
“There were so many times I’d get on the subway and I’d be going the wrong direction, and didn’t know it until eight stops later,” she joked.
Just a few months from graduation, Baker said that she misses her internship at The Today Show and everyone she worked with. She said she would have no problem jumping back into a network job when she gets her degree from Ohio University.