James Smith

Majors: Mass Media Communications, Professional Writing

WISH-TV Intern Sports Reporter

How did you learn about this internship opportunity?

I learned about my internship opportunity through my instructor in multiple COM classes, Caleb Martin.

How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals? How did being a Liberal Arts student at Purdue apply to your internship?

This internship helped me build skills because of all of the mentors that worked in the office. They guided me so much when it came to tools used in the news/media industry, techniques, and much more. Being a liberal arts student helped with applying because I am very proud of the Purdue name on my resume and it gives me confidence applying for any jobs.

What is a piece of advice you would give someone in your major looking for an internship?

A piece of advice I would give to someone looking for an internship would be to make connections and be outgoing!

What key responsibilities or tasks have you taken on during your internship?

Responsibilities I've undertaken in the internship would be being responsible about my career. This internship really helped me realize just how important making connections is, reaching out to people, etc. and that if I want to further my career, putting myself out there instead of hoping things will come to me is very significant.

In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participation in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development?

CLA has supported my internship because of what I said earlier: Its name. The great name of Purdue helped my name stand out when applying and what I've learned in classes in CLA helped me excel when I got the job. The internship I had was not paid, so the Job-Ready Award helped me fund a full month of rent, since I had to relocate to Indianapolis.

Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy?

A standout aspect of my experience in this program would be how fulfilling classes have been in both of my majors here in CLA.