Q. I've struck intern gold: I've been working for a satellite bureau of a top-10 circulation daily in Washington. I have a great rapport with my immediate editor and the national editor, and they've helped me a lot with my copy. I've been given the time and space to really polish and develop my stories, and so have gotten in a section-front and an A1. I adore all of my co-workers, every single one of whom has been super-nice to me and helpful with background and advice.
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So, would it make sense to try to extend this internship through the spring and, if so, how should I approach that? One, I know the paper has an intern year-round, but I'm not sure they can afford to pay me. A local academic program is giving me a stipend for the fall, and there's a round of layoffs hitting as we speak. Two, shouldn't it be time to pay my dues at a small paper in the middle of nowhere? Three, I've spent most of my time reporting thus far -- sort of by accident -- in Washington, and I'm worried about being pigeonholed as an inside-baseball type. I'd love to cover politics long-term, but I think just reporting inside the beltway suggests a very narrow view of things.
So on one hand, I'm feeling a bit of intern fatigue. But part of me says my circumstances here are too great to let go.
Thanks,
Torn A. Try to get your internship extended.
There is no reason not to.
While we recruiters advise people that it is good to start small, and stay there if it works for you, none of us would advise you to purposely leave the kind of situation you describe.
So, sit down with your editor, ask about your chances of hanging on and act accordingly.
There is a better than 50-50 chance your editors won't keep you, but if they do you will always be free to leave later.
Getting your internship extended would not be a bad problem to have.
"Breaking In: The JobsPage.com Guide to Newspaper Internships."
Coming Thursday: She knows that old work samples can be a no-no, but has a good excuse: She was disabled. She is fine now and wonders whether editors will excuse the gap.
