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The New York Times Social Media Internship

Great Opportunities Available for Students Proficient in Using Social Media

By , About.com Guide

About The New York Times

According to Wikipedia, “The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization. Its website is the most popular American online newspaper website, receiving more than 30 million unique visitors per month.”

The New York Times Social Media Internship:

The New York Times Social Media Internship is for those individuals who consider themselves to be a whiz using all forms of social media – from Twitter to Facebook and other social technologies utilized in a newsroom and other editorial settings. Social media interns working at the New York Times will get an opportunity to create and engage in conversations with The Times’s readers on various social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, and Instagram.

The full description of the internship is on the news organization’s website. Here’s an idea of what the intern will do:

The New York Times is seeking to find an intern who totally understands the wide range of journalistic opportunities that social media offers. Interns do not need to be programmers to complete this internship but they do have to have a thorough understanding on how social media works. Interns will get the unique opportunity to work directly with some of the leading social media innovators in journalism. This internship is highly competitive so applicants should make sure that their websites are highly professional and up-to-date.

The newsroom is looking for Times academic interns to work on its social media desk. Those working in social media at The Times get a chance to engage readers on social media platforms and other innovative forms of journalism. Interns will work closely the social media editors and developers along with reporters, editors, and Web producers who are currently working on social media-related projects throughout the newsroom. Each intern will also get the chance to work directly on social journalism projects and be a part of providing general support to the social media division of the company.

Candidates should understand the journalistic opportunities presented by social media. While you should have deep familiarity with social technologies, developer skills are not required. Experience using social networks in an editorial context or related work in a newsroom is required. You should also have an excellent eye for detail and great news instincts.

Eligibility: Graduate students are preferred and the selection process is very competitive. All internships are unpaid. Students must receive course credit for the internship and must produce proof of such credit.

Location: This position is based in New York; the applicant must commit to being available to work at The Times headquarters at 620 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan for the spring 2012 semester, with schedules subject to restrictions and expectations set by the academic institution.

To Apply:

Applicants can apply for the social media internship on The New York Times website. Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume, including links to social media accounts you maintain personally. Applicants must then be available for an interview to be considered further. Decisions will be made by Feb. 1.

When applying for internships be sure to check out Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Cover Letter and The 5 Ways to Improve a Resume prior to sending in your documents.

5 Steps to Improve a Resume:

  1. Organize your information
  2. Highlight your qualifications
  3. Use bullet points to display important information
  4. Include only relevant information and remove any clutter
  5. Make sure your resume is error free

5 Steps to Improve a Cover Letter:

  1. Address your cover letter to the right person
  2. Capture the reader's attention
  3. Make your cover letter stand out
  4. Make sure your cover letter is error free
  5. Ask for an interview at the end of your letter

By following these 10 steps you will be well on your way to getting yourself noticed by employers in hopes of getting called for an interview. The sole purpose of a resume and cover letter is to land an interview, so the effort it takes to improve your documents is well worth the effort. Be sure to check out Allison Doyle's, About.com's Guide to Job Searching, website to pick up some valuable internship and job search tips.

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