Emily Tait as Madison Magazine Editorial Intern

• What skills did you learn on the job?

     Probably one of the most valuable skills that I developed in this position was how to successfully communicate. This includes with my boss/editor, and also, more importantly, with the subjects of the articles I was assigned. Being that most of the subjects didn’t live in the Harrisonburg area, it was crucial that I reached out to them via email in a professional yet approachable way. Going along with this, as a writer with a deadline, I also had to learn how to be persistent in getting interview questions back etc. without seeming too demanding.

• Which classes best prepared you for your internship?

     The two classes that come to mind that have helped me with this internship specifically are professional editing (WRTC 300) and writing as leading (WRTC 340). Professional editing was the class that made me recognize the skills I had in that field, which then propelled me to the idea that editing is what I want to pursue as a future career. It supplied me with the basics for a variety of editing projects and allowed the class to dip their toes into the water a little bit. Writing as leading helped to prepare me for this internship because, since I write articles for a magazine that has a very specific audience, I have to be conscientious about the style, length, wording etc. that I use. The course gave me a fresh perspective on writing in which I need to accommodate to my audience while also leading them in the direction that I want to take the piece.

• What professional growth have you witnessed since your internship?

     One of the most significant aspects in which I think I’ve grown is my confidence as a writer/editor. Coming into this position, I felt good about my abilities (especially since they were strong enough to get me the position). But now that I have written real pieces that will actually be published, I feel a renewed strength in my writing and a new confidence that this field is something that I actually have a shot in.

• How has the internship experience shaped your learning philosophy?

     I suppose my learning philosophy has benefitted from this internship in that when I first started I really had no idea what I was doing or what I had gotten myself into. That being said, I think I can now apply the philosophy of “just going for it,” so to speak, into my future education and career experiences. Although it was a bit overwhelming at first, once I started working on each assignment piece by piece they all started to come together eventually. So I hope to remember that feeling of uncertainty fading into accomplished work I can be proud of as I pursue grad school and a career in the upcoming years.

• Have you been offered a full-time position? 

     I have not been offered a position at the magazine, but there are intern/job opportunities with the publication that I have heard about during the school year that I may look into!