Julia Hinders
Graduation Year
May 2017
Major
Broadcast Journalism
Hometown
Champaign, IL
Hobbies
Photography, videography, painting, drawing (anything creative!)
LinkedIn
Employer
WCIA 3
Internship Title
Production Intern
What were your duties?
As a production intern, I performed many of the same duties a production assistant would have. Every day I acted as a production assistant during the hour long talk show, 5, 6, 7, and 10 o?clock news in which I ran a studio camera, handheld camera or teleprompter for all segments. I would also assist during live, off-site segments by running cameras or acting as the on-site producer.
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
My internship at WCIA was extremely hands-on. During every news segment I was doing something, helping out and learning. Whether I was actively engaging in the newscast by running a camera or the teleprompter, or observing the director or producer, I was always learning. There were so many experiences available to me to get involved at the station even outside of my role as a production intern.
What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
Because the internship was so hands-on, there were a lot of experiences to learn, but also to make mistakes. I was given a lot of responsibility and thrown into production right away. Although this was a challenge because I had to learn so quickly, I had a great team to help me. Their help and understanding really allowed me to grow professionally and acquire many skills that will be extremely helpful in my future in broadcast journalism.
How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
Although I hadn't taken many classes in production previous to my internship, I did feel very prepared to be fully immersed in a news station. My ability to engage with the other professionals at the station was greatly due to my experience at U of I and the College of Media. The fast paced environment provided a challenge. However, U of I and the College of Media prepared me for such an environment through my rigorous classes and schedule.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
The fast paced environment, amazing networking experience and numerous skills I acquired during my internship really prepared me for a career in the field of news production. I was given so many chances to learn, not just about production, but the workings of the entire station. By always taking the opportunity to work throughout the station at each department, I have a better understanding of how the entire station is run. By learning about each department and even working with each department, I was able to gain so many skills that will help me in my future career.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
My number one advice for interns is to take every opportunity that an employer gives you and do it to the best of your ability. If you can do this, you make your presence that much more important. If an employer needs you to carry out specific tasks, not only do you as an intern feel special, your presence is special. To make your employer need you will make you an extremely important part of the flow and an asset to your employer. You won't fade into the background as just another intern, but you will be seen as much more than that and your employer will notice that.
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