By Avery Gardner

On November 1^st, I got the opportunity to have an interview for an internship with MTV 360. The department is responsible the logistical aspects of some of MTV, MTV2, and mtvU’s biggest award shows and special events. An intern will help the department heads find freelancers, solidify contracts, develop sponsorships, help with event scheduling, gather creative elements, and host launch parties. All of that sounds exciting. However, the question remained, how could I prove that I was ready to take on all of those responsibilities?

The interview began with standard questions. “Tell me about yourself.” “What are your weaknesses?” Then, my interviewer wanted to see how my experiences applied to the internship position. Luckily, I listed PRSSA under my “Entertainment Management Experience” with several bullet points, instead of just listing it as an activity. This allowed the interviewer to ask about each bullet point and it gave me the opportunity to elaborate. He was really impressed with the positive relationship that our chapter has built with university’s PR staff and the events that we coordinated. I also shared my portfolio with him, which displayed pictures from our ESU PRSSA website so that he could actually see some of our chapter’s accomplishments. 

After that, the interview flowed like a friendly conversation. I was told would hear back sometime before next semester. That evening, I followed up with a “thank-you” e-mail that showed how much I really wanted the position and that I was grateful for the experience. Two weeks later, I found out that after interviewing other candidates, my interviewer chose me for the position.

The interview was a great experience because it reinforced what our professors and our advisors always tell us – GET INVOLVED! Not once did I discuss my grades or classes during the interview. Although a high GPA is required for acceptance, MTV really wanted to see that I was able to apply what I learned in the classroom to real life. With classes, work, and a social life, extracurricular activities can become a nuisance.  Nonetheless, hang in there. PRSSA and my other extracurricular activities were the main topics discussed during my interview, and it ultimately got me a dream internship!