The Internship ENDS... :)

In the starting days, I was really determined to give a post for each day during internship. With the efforts, I started up but it didn't last longer than two days. Yet not so brave attempt. So, here I am again altogether summarizing the Internship journey as it ended last week. The reason for missing out the posts was obviously the tight schedule (Excuse No #11232) :p

This Summer Internship was my first step to the Professional Work Environment of Journalism. It was the second day of my college when I first heard about the Internship thing being a part of the course and since then I had been waiting for the moment which finally came after the first year final exams. I was pretty excited to work altogether in a new environment with unknown people.

The journey actually started with preparing a resume for applying in the organization. Being a perfectionist at work, I made sure to research enough for designing my Resume and within a week, I was ready with the resume and then I applied in various organizations either through mail or handed over to the offices.

 It was 26th June when I got a call from The Times of India about the selection and then I need to go there to collect my joining letter along with a general Interview.

The Internship period started from 1st July till the end of the month. Due to lack of vacancies, I was placed in the Sports Department by the HR Manager. A sport was not a cup of tea for me for sure. I was hardly passionate about the sports other than watching the Indian Cricket team finals or IPL matches of my favorite team.

Regardless of the choices, I felt destined to be part of an organization as huge as Times of India. The first day I entered the premises in ITO, I was pretty impressed with the aura. Being the 175th year of the organization, the lobby was decorated with the special editions of the newspaper and anniversary special things .

Then, interaction with the Sports Senior Editor Mr. Alok Sinha also the 2nd main head of TOI -Sports in the country was interesting. I was supposed to work under his guidance. The work culture in the organization was incredible and the teamwork was the only reason for the success.

Boss explained the whole procedure of the newspaper production right from receiving the news from the agencies to designing the page layout to be distributed the next day. Along with this, he told the Pros and Cons for the internship and most of all he was a chilled out boss.

My internship was mainly confined to desk job. So, I found my seat in the cabin along with the sub-editors and Sports journalists. During the internship, I assisted them in the editing work and also learnt the page designing. I saw them taking interviews on phone from various sports persons to writing 500 words news stories and scoring bye-lines every other day. Sports department was a bunch of sports crazy people who even used to watch matches along with curiosity jumping of the seats and in no less time I became a part of it. Though not in Delhi, but July was a sports filled month. In the course, I was lucky enough to follow Wimbledon (Tennis), Tour De France (Cycling), Golf Tournament, The Ashes, Tri-Series and India-Zimbabwe Tournament among many on the 52 inch screen along with those people. I read Wikipedia and Googled a lot on sports to increase my knowledge as much as I could. Along with this, I became a Daily reader of minimum three newspapers (TOI, HT and Mail Today) and plenty of news websites. In few days, I began living sports by following and talking about it. 

For the reporting, I covered a press conference and was destined enough to meet Milkha Singh, four days after watching Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and then I was super inspired from his story. The conference was even attended by the U-19 WC Captain Unmukht Chand. The press conference was a nice experience after which I even filed a report from which the boss was impressed. These were the advantages of being associated to media organisations.

Everyday I used to proofread a single page from Sports section which then directly used to go for printing. The next day in the morning, even the fresh newspaper used to appear old for me because I was so overloaded with the news stuff all around.

I actually start loving my work and my love for the print media just deepened through the internship. 

"Getting a touch of practical work in the required industry, seeing the professionals at work and further learning from them." That is what Internship all about. Getting a reality check of the industry through the professionals by learning the way things work.

Now, when my internship is over, I feel nostalgic about those days wishing it as my regular job. This internship made me read newspaper by starting from back pages i.e. Sports section and reading the bye-lines of my former colleagues with a different feeling. It was one of its kind experiences which made me feel a bit confident and made me learn through the actual work of print industry. I am a learner and I tried to acquire as much as I could during the internship time.

DAY 2

Tired of earlier day traveling, I thought preferring Indian Railways over DTC would be a better idea. But contrary to my expectations, it took me less time to travel and more time in waiting for the train. A scene at the railway station reminded me of my childhood assignments where we were supposed to write essays and that picture composition on "A Scene at the Railway Station".
I guess it to be my first self journey on Local train from which another 25,000 passengers travels throughout the day.Its tiresome experience due to lack of seats just similar to Delhi Metro. My reporting time was 4 and I managed to be there by 4:15.
Well Day 2 left me with all praises for the senior author sitting next to me whose 700 words story got published which he wrote and edited in front of me.
This is what internship all about.
Getting a touch of practical work in the required industry, seeing the professionals at work and further learning from them.
I guess myself to be more excited than him while looking at the newspaper early morning. It gives a really proud feeling watching the process of newspaper making right from the scratch till designing and further telling the pre-formation story to your parents with full excitement and blah blah blah...
The day was late even today while waiting for the train to home and then it was all falling away on the bed. Also the irony for the day was seeing newspaper being made on one hand and people using it as mat while sitting on the floor of the local on the other hand. Its quite irritating thing. This is not what newspapers are made for. They are supposed to be read and must not used or thrown away as for the bye products unless its being recycled and properly utilized.Its not just a paper but contains the efforts of many right from making it to printing it and further distributing it.

Well there are more days and more new stories to come..
Keep Reading :)
Over and out!
Ciao

DAY 1

It was Monday,(1st of July) first day of the week and the month in the calendar, I woke up at 6 a.m in the morning with a similar feeling I had on my first day to college and maybe school (I don't remember, guess I was too small).

My first office day in the internship period ended up at 8:30.The day unfolds in a very amazing manner.I was asked to report at 10 in the morning, but this is India time hardly matters on the way with traffic (senseless excuse).I left home at 9 willing to reach at a place where I would be going for the first time and that too in an hour(stupidity).But nevertheless, I manged to make it at 10:30 and was still not late for the work. Then I met HR manager who handed me my Internship letter and introduced me with all the official requirements for the job. Then I came to know that I had been kept for the Sports Department which kicks off at 4 in the evening. So, I had no option left other than waiting for the long 5 hours.

Premises of the Organisation was mesmerizing and just aesthetic and not to forget was the Cafeteria with good interiors and delicious food at an affordable price. So, I found my way to library to pass my time. I sat over there as a hungry reader ready to absorb all that I read. So I started with the newspapers then switched over to news magazines then 'Lonely Planet Magazine' and finally to the Encyclopedia of 'World Cinema'.
In all the things I read, Lonely Planet was something very nice to look at, travel and photography is exciting for me and it kept me occupied for hours. Even the Encyclopedia of World Cinema was nice with the things where it started, the off-beat brainchild of  Cinema across the World and India. While reading, I prepared my watch list with likes of Charlie Chaplin, Satyajit Ray and Steven Spielberg and many others.It was a complete grind of the Cinematic things, I wasn't able to read the whole ( it was so long ) else I would have to drop the idea of internship and read that book alone.

In between the reading schedule, I kept taking breaks to feed my hungry stomach so I fed on some yummy foods along with my lunch.The wait was over then and the clock ticked to 3:30. I went upstairs and met the Senior Editor and I was accompanied by fellow Intern. The Editor made us introduced us to our job profile and the work that would be sanctioned to us. The work atmosphere was just so pleasant. I kept reading the E-newspapers online along with facebooking and observing people at work.Its like sharing cabin with another 20-25 Sports Enthusiastic people who breath, live and enjoy sports along with watching it live on the 52 inch LED screen all day.

At the end of the day, Sports for me was something that I always skipped off while reading a newspaper and now I see the sports pages being produced in front of me.Its exciting and too quick to be produced.

Its alright, I will learn :)

Over and out!
Ciao :)