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Advertising Internships

What you need to know about qualifying for JMC advertising internships and what is expected of you once you secure an internship can be found here. To learn more explore the links, then make an appointment with the Internship Coordinator to get answers to questions you may have. Remember, you cannot register for internships online. We will register you for the course once you secure an approved internship and submit an online application.

Requirements

Every student majoring in any sequence of Journalism and Mass Communication must complete an internship (JMC 40092) as a requirement of his/her degree. Each intern must complete at least 300 hours of work at his/her internship, which can be taken in the fall, spring or summer semesters. If you do your internship in the fall or spring semesters, you should consider a reduced schedule of classes, as you will be working a minimum of 20 hours per week.

To qualify for internship credit, you MUST complete the online application form on this website. After your internship application is approved by the internship coordinator, you will be registered for the class through the JMC office.

If you do your internship in the fall or spring semester, check with your faculty adviser for the name of the faculty member who is the internship coordinator. If you are doing your internship in the summer, see Professor Fran Collins. All summer internships (courses) are listed in the Summer III session.

You will be required to submit online reports during the internship. The internship coordinator will advise you about the requirements for the reports. The internship coordinator may also request work samples and additional assignments.

At the end of your internship, your immediate supervisor will be asked to submit a confidential online evaluation form.

The internship is one credit hour and is graded as an S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory). Failure to report on a timely basis or failure to complete the 300 hours can result in a U grade, and the internship will have to be repeated.

If you have questions, see the internship coordinator. Internships can be valuable tools for future jobs. Take them seriously and do a good job. Good luck!

Minimum Prerequisites:

Advertising

FAQ

1. Why do I need an internship?
2. What are the prerequisites for the internship?
3. When should I do my internship?
4. How long does an internship have to be?
5. How do I find one?
6. OK, I've found the place at which I'd like to do an internship. Now what?
7. Once I get the interview scheduled, how do I prepare for it?
8. What about during the interview?
9. What about after the interview?
10. Once I have the internship secured, how do I register for it?

1. Why do I need an internship?
It's an opportunity to apply the knowledge you've gained in your advertising classes to a professional setting. You can also gain valuable knowledge about working in the profession. And it's an opportunity to begin networking and developing references for future job searches.

2.What are the prerequisites for the internship?
The internship is a one credit-hour course, and it is a requirement of the advertising degree. You must successfully complete JMC 31002, Advertising Copywriting, and JMC 31003, Advertising Media Planning, before you can do your internship for credit. Many students prefer to complete all coursework required for their major before completing an internship, so they feel they’re more fully prepared for the professional demands of the internship.

3. When should I do my internship?
You can do your internship anytime after you've completed the above prerequisites. The earliest time is usually the summer after your junior year. You can do the internship during the summer, fall or spring semesters. You may want to consider doing your internship after you've completed all your classes. Some organizations use internships as three-month interview processes, and, if the organization offers you a full-time job at the end of your internship you can start immediately instead of having to finish the classes for your degree.

4. How long does an internship have to be?
JMC requires a minimum of 300 hours of work to earn internship credit. This is seven and half weeks, if you work 40 hours a week and 15 weeks, if you work 20 hours a week.

5. How do I find one?
You need to find one yourself because we want you to go through the process of looking for a job, since you'll be looking for a full-time job fairly soon. But we'll help. Check with Professor Fran Collins for any inquiries she may have regarding interns and for tips to make your internship search easier. If you want to do an internship in another city, try to get a directory from that city's American Advertising Federation advertising club. You can do a search online, contact the city's Better Business Bureau, or access the American Advertising Federation website at www.aaf.org. Go to Club Services and then Local AAF Clubs and Federations. You can identify geographic areas you’re interested in exploring.

6. OK, I've found places where I'd like to do an internship. Now what?
First, call them and ask if they take interns. If so, then ask how to apply and follow those instructions. If you get a receptionist, ask who handles internships. Make sure you get that person's name, title and phone number, and then ask to be connected to him/her. If you get his/her voicemail, leave a message.

Once you get in contact with him/her, tell him/her exactly what you want and ask what to do. Make sure you keep accurate records of what transpired and what future action is needed. Do you need to re-contact a place at a certain time? Do you need to send something at a certain time? What is the name of the contact person?

Your goal here is to get an interview. So keep working toward that. If you call and leave a message, don't ask him/her to call you back. Tell him/her you'll call back. It's OK to leave your phone number or email address, but make it clear you'll be calling him/her back. Be persistent without being obnoxious. Call back every other day or even every day. Be polite and courteous.

7. Once I get the interview scheduled, how do I prepare for it?
You should have a resume and cover letter prepared and send them to a potential employer or make sure you take them to an interview. If you are interested in an internship in creative, you need to have a portfolio of your creative work. This can be the ads you created in the copywriting class, as well as ads you created outside the class on your own. If you are looking for an internship in media planning, you'll want to take the media plan from your media planning class. If you're interested in account planning or account management, you still should take the samples of your work.

Dress professionally. Remember it's always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Show up at least 10 minutes early. It might be a good idea to check out the location of the internship before you interview, so you know how long it takes to get there and where to park.

Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer. Many times an interviewer will ask you if you have any questions, so make sure you do. This shows your interest in the organization.

8. What about during the interview? Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
Try very hard to think on your feet, so you can answer the interviewer's questions quickly. But think about your answers. If you really don't know something, tell him/her you don't know. But remember, the interviewer is trying to find out what you do know. Try to be relaxed and conversational. If you think of a question, ask it. If you don't understand something, say you aren't sure what the interviewer means.

It's possible that more than one person will interview you. Be prepared for this. You may be asked a question and then a follow-up question. Be prepared to elaborate on your original answer. Think about possible questions before the interview, and think about your answers to these questions. For example, if you're asked why you want to get into the advertising business, you should be able to answer immediately. Make sure you ask about working hours, pay, parking, who your supervisor would be, when you would start and when you would finish.

9. What about after the interview? Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
Try to get the interviewer to give you some idea of the next step. If the interviewer doesn't suggest a next step or doesn't indicate whether you got the internship, ask him/her if you did or didn't. If there are more steps to take, make sure you understand clearly what these are. If a decision is to be made at a later date, ask if you can call at that time to find out if you got the internship. Whatever the interviewer tells you, make sure you note it, and put it on your calendar.

10. Once I have the internship secured how do I register for it?
Complete the online internship application form. After it has been approved, you will be registered for the internship credit. Professor Collins will confirm your registration by e-mail and remind you of the reporting procedures.