To achieve something in life, you have got to work for it: Harleen Walia

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We all know that practical work is much better than sitting in class and learning the theoretical part. Practicality cannot be taught in textbooks. Internships give students hands-on experience which they need.

In the first semester, we were suggested to intern with NGO. But to me, an NGO sounded quite boring and hence I applied for an internship at The Times of India. I was quite lucky to get through. So, I did my first internship in The Times of India, Chandigarh.

It was my first day at work. I was curious, nervous and full of anxiety. I was to work with the editorial team. I was told to go to different vegetable markets and report on inflation in the price of vegetables. I had no clue as what I was exactly supposed to do. I was completely blank. This internship was at the end of our first semester and hence we weren’t taught much about field reporting then. It was a totally different experience for me. Coming back to it, I went to the market and spoke to different vegetable vendors and got all the quotes and stuff. When I reported back to the office, I was told to file the story. I had no clue as to how to even write a news article. I struggled for some time and finally, with the help of my colleagues, I managed to write my article.

The happiness of seeing my article with a byline in the newspaper the next day cannot be put in words. It encouraged me to work even harder. With this, my interest in journalism grew every single day. Waking up early in the morning with a curiosity to see if the article got published with a byline was an experience in itself. It really cannot be put in words. I wanted to try and explore every type of media to see where my real interest lies. So, after the Times of India, I interned with India Today. In India Today, I worked with the digital department.

The difference between working in the editorial and digital department is that in editorial, we are supposed to go to the field and gather all the information required by ourselves. Whereas in the digital department, the reporters give us the information and we just need to edit it and publish it on social media and the website.

Working with India Today was a good experience. But then for me, the editorial department was much better than the digital department. After my internship in India Today, I was quite sure that I didn’t want my career to be in the digital department. Currently, I am working with NDTV and covering Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with them. My next aim is to work with some production house. I have been trying to contact various production houses and have mailed my CV to them. The reply is still awaited.

When I look back and reflect on the things I learned, I feel that it definitely was a bumpy ride but an experience every student must have. I learned more than I expected during both my internships. I learned that it is very difficult to please a customer. I learned the value of time. I learned to work in a team as well as an individual. I learned to be more responsible. The best thing I learned till now from my internships was – never be afraid to ask questions. Only by asking questions can we get our answers.

The one thing every journalist needs the most is CONTACTS. My main aim is to build as many contacts as I can with my internships. This is the time when I can really build my contacts because once I step into the real world, I won’t have time to work on this. In both the media firms, my bosses and colleagues were great about sharing their contacts with me and referring me to open positions in the industry.

The message to all my juniors is that - internships are really important for every student. It gives you a small aspect of the real world. Internships are the only way to gain experience. And trust me, O grade definitely matters during placements, but industrial experience too is of equal importance. A lot of graduates these days suffer because they did not have any previous industrial exposure. With internships, you have a chance to stand out. Internships are the tool to help you figure out what really you want to do in life. I would definitely encourage each one of you to do as many internships as you can/possible.

Also, it is not always necessary to stick to what’s been provided to you. I applied for internships and got through them. To achieve something in life, you got to move and work for it!

About the Author:

I am Harleen Walia, a 21-year old budding journalist. I am currently pursuing a Journalism and Communication course at Jindal School of Journalism and Communication, O.P Jindal Global University. I am passionate about writing and finding out the truth. I want to give a voice to the unheard people.