Ok, I know it sounds *super* corny but working at Cosmo was something I dreamed about for three years that seemed super far-fetched until I took a giant leap to apply. Yes, I also have to admit that it still feels surreal sitting at Cosmo’s desk, writing a listicle about what I’ve learnt from interning here because if I’m being very honest, this is an experience I will *never* forget.
So, here are 5 (of the many) skills I’ve learnt working at Cosmo and what you can learn too. By no means is this list exhaustive but keep reading to find out how to make the most of your creative internship…
[1]
Journalism is super rewarding
What I mean when I say this is journalism requires fervent passion. If you’re interested in working in a media or journalistic field, you need to make sure you’re telling a story, whether it be yours or someone else’s. Telling a story requires honesty and authenticity. Regardless of your audience size, connecting with people on a deeper level in media-related fields will help you reach heights that may have seemed like mean feats before.
[2]
You work alongside experienced and informed people
A massive driving force for me to, foremost, apply to Cosmo and later be thoroughly involved in the internship, is that I knew I’d be working with the very best of the best. Journalists, by and large, are intelligent people who deeply find purpose in what they do. Working alongside my Editor-In-Chief Milli Midwood and Digital Editor, Sara AlHumiri, I’m learning expert skills that I could never have just studied at university.
[3]
You ALWAYS want to do more
Without sounding pretentious, I have to say that I *love* staying busy when I’m at work and this doesn’t mean not having a second to breathe in the day. I mean that I’m always pushing myself harder to force myself out of my comfort zone because guess what? You won’t be able to explore your skillset until you keep trying to voluntarily try to broaden your repertoire. This will *deffo* help you to also create more career opportunities for yourself.
[4]
Be proactive
This is the crux of what journalists do: we observe, analyze and then contextualize. Being proactive really helps in having an immersive experience in a media-related field. You proactively need to read the news, absorb information and see how it affects people. The human impacts of any given story will help you put the bigger picture of a story in context. For example, when I’m writing a story, I have always been told to ask myself, “How does this story affect young women?” because the target demographic of Cosmo is young women.
[5]
You get to meet a lot of interesting people
Finally, the most useful skill facet of journalism/ being in a media-related field is interacting with a wide array of people from varying backgrounds. I personally think it is the biggest perk of being an intern here at Cosmo. I am *constantly* exposed to interesting people, not just journalists but people on the sales team, videography team etc. Additionally, going to PR events has been extremely interesting, fuelling my social side.
Ultimately, it has been a really enjoyable journey working at Cosmo, rewarding in its very extreme. I look forward to my day at work every day, excited to know what my schedule will entail.
For anyone seeking an internship, I highly recommend checking out the ITP Media Group Internship 2021. NEOM and ITP are inviting applications from Saudi nationals aged between 22 and 35 with an interest in a career in digital journalism. For more information or to apply please click here.Click here for more information.