An internship with the Life & Arts desk by Julia Hobbs

Thursday 7 January 2010

Arriving at the FT on the first Monday after the Christmas break via multiple bus journey across London was like finally arriving at the Emerald City, (only it is brownish).

Seated next to another new intern in the lobby we exchanged names and smiles whilst shedding scarves and coats before crossing the final security line. After a tour of the large yet calm editorial floors (there were no stand-up exclamations of ‘Hot Dog!’) we were invited to observe the editor’s morning meeting and witnessed firsthand Mr. Barber at the helm of this international powerhouse.

I can only echo the positive comments you will have read within other entries in this blog- I felt warmly welcomed and instantly a part of the Life & Arts team.

As an editorial intern you can expect to assist with the day-to-day tasks of the editors; this may involve chasing a proof copy of an unpublished book, fact-checking restaurants in far away places or even preparing a short side bar! Working on the Life & Arts Desk is challenging, I have had the opportunity to indulge my interest in cultural happenings, and feel that my input and participation has been valued. The responsibilities of the intern are varied and interesting; this is most definitely not an internship where you will be left to do filing in a corner. In just the first few days I felt that I was already beginning to harvest practical skills that will help me in my future career in journalism.

I look forward to the next few weeks.