Life & Arts by Kirsty Blake-Knox

Friday, 16 July 2010

My first day at the FT was a bit of a whirlwind: sitting in on conference calls, meeting editors of various departments, going on a tour of the building and trying to get to grips with the computer system left me a bit overwhelmed. I had never worked in an office before so was slightly daunted by it all. Plus, the FT was much bigger then I had anticipated. However, my anxieties soon subsided when I settled into the Life and Arts desk - everyone was so helpful and friendly that I quickly realised I had nothing to worry about.

Unlike other internships you won't spend your time at the FT making tea or photocopying mounds of documents - you become a valuable member of the team given challenging tasks and jobs. You'll be asked to fact check, review shows and books and research a variety of topics. During my four week internship I had to analyse the history of cookery books, delve into Italy's political history and consider the cultural impact of Star Wars, no two days are the same.

Interning at the FT Life and Arts has not only been an extremely rewarding experience its been a lot of fun. I was even lucky enough to get several by-lines published in the paper - which was a real bonus. I'd recommend interning here to anyone.