Summer and Spring

I've spent part of the day working on my resume and writing application letters and essays for some opportunities in the spring and in the Summer. I'm glad I've decided on somethings finally, I was getting overwhelmed with some of the choices. I'll be turning in applications to Eller's summer marketing program and an internship at Arizona Public Media in the Spring. I think Eller would be good to learn some business skills, giving my resume a new dimension. Arizona Public Media does great work on radio, TV, and online and I would be honored to work from them and learn some multimedia skills next Spring while I finish up school. Here are the letters I sent to each of the people that would accept me:

Hello Mr. Michaels,

I attended the information session you held at the School of Journalism earlier this semester and I am interested in an internship at Arizona Public Media beginning in January.

I have a passion for telling stories and providing people with information about our community. My experience includes reporting for the Arizona Daily Star, the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the Tombstone Epitapf and El Independiente.

Based on the feedback I’ve heard from fellow students, I know a semester at Arizona Public Media would provide me with great opportunities. With a strong core in writing and reporting, I am now looking to branch out as a reporter and expand my online and multimedia know-how.

Public media was one of my main influences to pursue a career in journalism. As a child, I would listen to National Public Radio every afternoon on the drive home from school in my mother’s car. The stories intrigued me. They opened up new ideas and new ways of thinking and I become increasingly curious about the world around me. As a student of journalism, my curious nature is now stronger than ever and I aspire to tell the kind of stories that led me to the profession.

I know this won’t the type of internship where I’ll be making coffee. I expect to play an active role as an intern and I’m confident I can become an asset to your newsroom. I have strong admiration for your online package and the work your staff produces and I would be ecstatic to contribute and to learn from Arizona Public Media in the spring.

and...

Developing marketing skills at Eller’s summer marketing program would prepare me to meet the challenges of the media marketplace and help me transition from student to professional.

This is an exciting time to enter the field of journalism. Technology has meant changes in the ways people receive their news and the newspaper industry is being forced to evolve and adapt.

With these changes comes opportunity for professionals who are able to market and create new models online. During this evolution, not only will the media continue to depend on advertising revenue, but media outlets will need to better market themselves to stay competitive in a world where news and information is more accessible than ever.

As print media outlets continue to move their product online, marketing skills will make me a strong candidate for a position at a news organization, complementing my background and experience as a reporter.

In addition to the praise graduates of the summer program have shared, I know Eller is a leader in providing students with the abilities to succeed in the professional realm. I have completed a successful and proactive major in journalism and I am confident my academic excellence will transfer as a student of marketing next summer.

I'll be turning both in tomorrow and crossing my fingers.