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MSU | Career > Work

Work away from home: Internship hunting as an out of state student

Updated Published
Mikia Lawrence Student Contributor, Michigan State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Living in Michigan for the past three years has become second nature to me. So much so that now I feel disconnected from the outlets back in my tiny hometown just north of Pittsburgh. With just one full year left of college, I have been striving to find an internship for the summer. The problem is that I am returning home for my last summer so all of the connections I have made through Michigan State are null and void until next semester. Here are three things that I have done to lead me to my summer internship with WKBN in Youngstown this summer.

  1. Searching local markets

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is market 27 out of 210 in the television industry. With this high ranking and national presence, the opportunities to start are much more competitive. I also didn’t want to limit myself either, so I used the market knowledge to my advantage to find other areas and stations within the hour radius of my hometown. The Youngstown, Ohio market opened up another list of stations to look into. 

  1. Apply to anything

This was something that I had to force myself to get used to. Finding a paid internship is hard and I want to get a foot in the door with a true newsroom experience. I applied to two paid opportunities, and one unpaid. The important thing is to keep an open mind throughout this. My professors were not kidding when they said I am choosing one of the most competitive careers to go into. With that being said, if there’s even a possibility of being able to apply, do it because you never know what could come out of it.

  1. Reach out!

This was the best piece of advice I received when it came to searching for an internship. Even if a station doesn’t have something posted, find their assignment desk email, a phone number, or even just a general contact and ask. The worst you can get is a no. I have reached out to stations on Linkedin, made phone calls, asked people with connections, and sent emails. 

Believe it or not, that last one is the reason I have an internship for the summer. I sent an email to the WKBN assignment desk and their managing editor emailed me back asking for a resume, cover letter and time to meet. From one email I had an interview. Knowing this, make sure to reach out, but also make sure to have those key materials ready. You never know when the opportunity to present yourself will appear. The resources are endless, and there is always time to try new things even if it wasn’t what you started looking for.

Mikia Lawrence

MSU '26

Mikia Lawrence is the current Vice President and Co- Campus Correspondent of MSU's Her Campus Chapter and is starting her first year of the position. She oversees chapter operation and assists with internal as well as external affairs such as meeting planning, brand partnerships, and recruiting. Lawrence is also a part of the design and editing teams to create graphics and edit content for her chapter.

She is a junior journalism major at MSU with minors in broadcast journalism and leadership of organizations. She was an anchor and the producer for her high school's daily live announcements throughout her four years. In the 2024 spring semester she was an intern at HOMTV in Meridian Township.

In her free time, she enjoys watching sports with friends, reading, writing, and playing dinosaurs with her little brother.