Internship: Books by Christian Halsted

Tuesday, 29 June 2010

"Christian, would you mind doing the ‘small talk’ interview tomorrow morning? It’s with Neil Gaiman." "Christian, I have just the perfect book for you to review; can you make it for Wednesday next week?" "Christian, can you get hold of the RHS and ask them about any new initiatives? Oh, and I’ve left two articles on your desk that needs some copying. There is an editorial meeting at 4 if you want to come along." "Christian, can you send me your blog entry before Thursday please?" "Christian, you can go home now. Oh, and thanks a lot!"

I suppose most people wouldn’t believe that editorial interns actually get to do such things. But having read other intern’s blog posts here at careersatft.com, I can confirm that an internship at Financial Times is not about making coffee or copying documents in a dark room behind the kitchenette all day. Some interns have described the job and especially their first week as a whirlwind, some have been overwhelmed and some have even feared being fired before starting. All seem to have enjoyed their time though. And why shouldn’t they? The FT is not only a trendsetting newspaper with a highly respected profile located in the heart of London, it is also a place where people treat each other respectfully and interns are professionally arranged to blend in.

At the FT I’ve been given the opportunity to work side-by-side with respected journalists in one of the world’s most well-known newspapers. Not only do I learn from the people around me, I also get to learn about publishing. This included copy reading, fact checking, researching, writing reviews and interviews as well as assisting editors with administrative work. Being an intern has given me good insight and valuable experience to decide what career I want to pursue.