Tip of the Week: Be Positive

We all dream of going into an internship to get opportunities to be treated as a staff member immediately. This may not always happen right away, if at all. The important thing is to not get discouraged because this could bring your morale down. The people that work around you may see this and remember that in the future when they need someone to step up and produce.

We are trained to be professional journalists and we should carry ourselves as such, whether we are fetching coffee or covering a big story. Even if your internship is not all that you are hoping it to be, make sure to stay positive. Your colleagues will remember that about you when they are writing recommendations for you in the future.

I have been lucky to have worked with a publication that has given me the opportunity to step up on more than one occasion to get my own stories. But there are days when I'm doing things that most journalists would not be enthusiastic to complete. I still treat it as I do everything. I give my all and complete the project as I am told and ask for more work. I am never negative about the work I am given because they know they can count on me to finish a variety of tasks.

I know it's an old motto but it's true: don't bite the hand that is feeding you.