Quintessential Careers Press:
The Quintessential Guide to Finding and Maximizing Internships
Chapter 8: Internship Case Study
Page 45
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"Not only did I get the commercial radio-promotions position," Davis notes, "I was allowed to intern a few days in the sales department. Outside of commercial programming, I developed an understanding of most of the business operations of a typical commercial station. I definitely met my objectives there. The position was great at the start. It was mostly socializing at events and night clubs. I was the only person I knew that could get credit for partying."
But Davis says the novelty eventually wore off when the station became short-staffed. "I put all the effort I had into helping out here and there -- working extra hours, helping in the office, staying late before big events," she recalls. "There were paid jobs available at the time, so we [interns] were being watched carefully. Even after all of the effort I put in, I was the only intern who didn't get hired. Every other intern was shocked, and even some of the staff, but that's how things worked. It wasn't the effort that meant anything, just random picks."
Needless to say, Davis would not recommend this internship to others. "Not to sound biased, but it wasn't a very realistic atmosphere," she says. "Working there meant showing off and believing you were a celebrity more than running a station effectively. Interns were mostly discriminated against instead of taught valuable lessons. We weren't allowed to sit in on meetings or do any meaningful work. The most I learned from that specific internship is how unprofessional commercial radio can be."
The experience did show Davis a direction into which she does not want to venture. "This position turned me off to the commercial-music industry," she notes. "Personally, I don't think it's a place for business-minded individuals with a serious passion for quality music. I have a feeling the open-access setup through the Internet may change the structure of commercial music for the better, however. We'll see."
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