The days of homework do not end when students leave the classroom in pursuit of professional occupations.

A panel of experts from various mass communication recruiting fields told a crowd of 30 that preparation is vital when applying for internships.

During the Professional Freedom and Responsibility panel session entitled “Interns and Beginners – What Employers Want,” five guest speakers discussed ways for professors to help students research and apply for internships and entry-level jobs.

The panel featured human resource managers LanAnh Hoang from KQED-TV and Sondra Lewis from KRON-TV. Other panelists included Victoria Mauleon, producer of “The California Report” on KQED-FM, Bob Nishizaki, assistant managing editor of the Contra Costa Times, and Leslie Guevarra, deputy managing editor for the San Francisco Chronicle. The discussion was moderated by Gerald McNulty, director of the communications internship program at Marist College.

Panelists shared their insights into how students should begin looking for internships, what companies look for, and how to write good cover letters.

“It’s imperative applicants do their research beforehand to find out who their contacts are for specific jobs,” Nishizaki said. “There are handfuls of people who apply that do not have a clear focus. For the most part, those people may have to come back to us later and convince us they know what they want to do.”
However, the panel made it clear that different employers look for varying skills and qualifications.

“If they’ve got enthusiasm and a good cover letter, that will at least get them an interview,” Lewis said, referring to the internships KRON-TV offers.

“We like to see students who have at least two internships before they graduate college,” Nishizaki said. “Rarely would we hire an applicant without a previous internship in the field.”

The panelists tended to agree on certain qualities that help an individual stand out against the competition.

“We look for someone with solid writing skills … someone who has the ability to talk with people. They need journalistic instincts because these interns produce material that goes on the air,” Mauleon said.

“The best advice I can give on writing a standout cover letter is to write what you like about the publication. It makes us feel good when applicants like and know the product,” Lewis said.

The panelists evaluate their interns on their abilities to think critically, solve problems, make decisions and communicate effectively.

“We look for on-the-job performance. It’s about more than just promptness,” Guevarra said.
According to McNulty, students need to understand what each institution requires to get an internship because there are more candidates today than there have been in the past.

“You have to know what you want,” he said. “You have to have a plan.”