When searching for internship opportunities last fall, I was convinced I wouldn’t be accepted anywhere. At the time, I was completing my first year of college. My mom was very helpful during my search. She found a radio advertising internship and thought I would enjoy it. I thought, “Radio?!”. However, I went for it and ended up being their pick!
My internship was with a business who owns seven radio stations! Many of the stations were familiar, I grew up with one in particular. That station is all rock music; my dad and I would always listen together.
When the time came to start the internship, I never thought I would become so nervous. But it turned out totally fine, even better than fine, it was great! My very first day I got to sit with an on-air talent and watch the magic happen. You never really know who’s behind the mic talking to you about the weather and facts about the day. I’m so honored to have met so many incredible people during my time there.
My second day of being an intern came and I was put on air! Of course, I was nervous, but when I got to experience being on-air, I turned out more comfortable than I had ever expected. It was the people. Everyone who worked there welcomed me and made me feel comfortable. I was even able to go with certain stations and do live remotes at local businesses. That experience helped me meet a lot more people and take note of the loving community.
Of course, not everything I did was on-air. I had to do intern duties such as cleaning and running errands. I ran many deliveries we had to do and even went with our salespeople to multiple businesses. I became more and more interested in radio advertising. My major is advertising and public relations. But I never thought about radio advertising.
The more meetings I went to, the more I could see the appreciation of the business owners as they saw the success of their ads. That made me like it even more; the business is defined as “hyper local”, it emphasizes and advertises with local businesses. I even took a radio advertising course while I was there which equipped me with many skills. Towards the end of my internship, I even started up a sale with a business on my own which soon after was in production then on-air!
Overall, I had a great experience meeting new people, being part of big events, regularly on-air, and figuring out another step on the path of life I’d like to take. I encourage anyone who’s seeking an internship to explore more options out of your comfort zone. It seems scary, but it can truly help you find your passion in life.