Free Labor for One summer
| Published 12/10/04

Graphic by: Ande Hearn

Ever wonder how that job will be like in the real world? Today students are spending countless hours studying and preparing for something that is unknown, but there is always a way to find out how it is in the outside world. I guess you can call it "behind the scenes to your real job" or in other words an internship.

Internships have that one negative factor. Can we say unpaid? College students need that extra cash for books or other things, but internships have that great resume appeal. Though, are they all they are cracked up to be?

Having the idea that interns still bring coffee to everyone and be the gopher has changed. Nowadays interns are able to receive more hands on training and one-on-one with other people within their future field. 

Last summer I was the intern. I did not make coffee or run to numerous places just, but I actually worked. I was the intern at the local news station. I grabbed scripts, wrote scripts and even created my own interpretation of how I would report a story, but that was only for fun.

I was able to realize who I needed to impress within a few days, and he was the station manager. You could just tell that he was boss by his new suit every week. The reporters and anchors have all had their better days. The directors are confusing, because there is more than one with a different approach to each news cast.

Interning had the perks; just not getting pay was one of them. One of the reporters said to me, "Interns are our free labor." I thought that was illegal. But I am only kidding. I was the free labor for a summer, but now I have the greatest resume appeal for right now.