Paul Glader discusses tips and recommendations to get into the right internships

By Raul Flores

Program Chair and Journalism Professor at King’s College in NYC, Paul Glader, spoke to students Thursday afternoon about different tips and paths they should be considering when applying and working at potential internships. 

Glader has an extensive record of experience in the journalism field, not only has he worked with some of the major news publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and The Washington Post, but he also helps students in King’s College with journalism internship placing. 

The session was divided between two parts. Glader dedicated the first half to the tips on how to apply and land internships. He started with basic journalism practices like keeping a record of all your written, published work. Be it a digital archive or a physical clipping of your printed new stories, Glader emphasized its importance. 

“The work you do in your newspapers, radio stations, tv stations, saving that work is what will get you the internships.” Glader said. 

Glader went into great detail when talking about cover letters and journalistic resumes. He said that a good cover letter will be more creative, even more emotional, than the traditional one. 

According to Glader, when it comes to a journalistic resume, it should be kept simple. No need for long resumes; a one-page, three section resume including experience, education and activities & awards is all you’ll need. Also, Glader stressed the importance of accurate and up-to-date contact information. 

He spoke about his experience with rejection, telling students that they should sometimes start small. He elaborated saying that it’s easy to get discouraged when rejected by a major news publication, but learning from that and applying to smaller places can eventually lead you to your desired job. 

“Apply to several internships, make lists, assess your abilities, build relationships with editors,” Glader wrote in his presentation. 

For the second half, Glader gave advice on what to do when finally getting that internship. He gave basic tips such as dressing accordingly to your newsroom’s dress code, constantly communicating with editors and going outside your office for inspiration and story ideas. 

Glader said that reading as much as they can is a great learning tool for every writer. He said that they should be reading not only books, but also news outlets they like. He said that curious minds find great story ideas. 

He went over the struggles of having too many assignments per week and how to push for only a few memorable stories while serving your editors. With this, Glader also recommended to say yes to stories, opportunities, learning, growth and challenges. 

Addressing fears and self-doubt, Glader urged students to take those fears of uncertainty and turn them into a positive work ethic. He said that they should always pursue improvement, asking editors on how to improve work and reading quality journalism. 

“Find your own motivations that will help you push through writer’s block” Glader said. 

Another tip Glader gave to the audience was the importance of having a variety of skills to show for yourself. He said the aside from writing, there are many skills worth a lot in today’s media landscape; video editing, data journalism, infographics, design and web development were among the mentioned skills. 

Glader ended the session by reinforcing the idea that college coursework and published work will help you get into the right places to climb the professional ladder of journalism.