Sumsaar Thapa
Majors: Mass Media Communications and Political Science
CNN & TNT Sports Inclusion Intern at CNN & TNT Sports
How did you learn about this internship opportunity?
What is a piece of advice you would give someone in your major looking for an internship?
Network as much as you can! Sometimes instead of going through a bunch of applications, hiring managers choose to recruit people they already know would be good at the job. If you're on their mind, you never what could happen!
What key responsibilities or projects have you taken on during your internship?
Internal Communications, event management, and administrative work! Part of my job was helping plan ahead for conventions that CNN & TNT Sports have a presence at. During the conventions, I was in charge of helping with the booth as well as the CNN workshop that featured the anchors. As the convention went on, I was in charge of writing and scheduling the slack messaging for all the CNN & TNT events that went on through out the week. I also worked on the internal coms mentoring program and assisted in administrative work for the inclusion team.
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?
My internship has helped me solidify that I definitely want to continue working for a major media/ news organization. Before I went to my internship, I really thought I wanted to go to law school and be an attorney. I still have that vision for myself but now I want to go into media and first amendment rights law. More than ever, journalists face lawsuits from their reporting. I think it is so important to protect the freedom of speech! Being a liberal Arts student at Purdue played a huge part in my internship. A Purdue education holds much more value than people realize! Many people at my job were so impressed that I went there. Our alumni network is also AMAZING! While at CNN & TNT Sports I got to connect with a lot of them. Sometimes a CLA degree can be overlooked, however specific skills you learn as a Purdue CLA student can not be replicated by other degrees. It really showed in my skills at my internship.
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?
More than anything the Department at Career Services that is offered only for College of Liberal Arts students at Purdue helped me the most with my internship. Before my interview I was able to have mocks and constant resume reviews. Participating in Job-Ready helped me tremendously. Because of the award, I was able to afford going to Atlanta for the summer! I lived about an hour from my office...and Atlanta traffic is terrible. I also was able to join the CNN & TNT Sports at a convention that was a bit of ways away! It really helped me meet people and network!
Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in the Job-Ready program that you find particularly noteworthy?
I think it is important to highlight that it can be used for ANYTHING related to your internship. I love that we were able to also purchase professional clothing. We are college students so sometimes that is hard to afford.