By Malika Kaloo
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – The internship program at The National newspaper could be resumed after two years of the pandemic, said John Dennehy, a staff writer, in an April 11 interaction with the Feature Writing class at American University of Sharjah.
Dennehy said that the internship is typically six weeks long and each internee will be assigned a mentor to guide them through the process.
The programme was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic but The National is hopeful it could restart this year.
“Trying to get jobs in journalism is not easy but the training you are getting here (AUS) will really help you go a long way,” he told the students. “News sense and curiosity are among the most important traits that we look for in an intern. Hard work is also important.”
According to the presentation by Dennehy, The National offers an unpaid internship program for all positions, including reporters, designers, photographers, multimedia producers and copy editors. Each intern will receive a customized work plan and they are expected to work eight hours a day for five days a week.
“We want the interns to walk out with real-life experiences and skills,” he said
Students interested in the program should email their resumes, cover letters, three pitches and three work samples to the managing editor of The National when it resumes.
“Your pitches will make you stand out. For this internship program, your pitches are very important,” Dennehy said.
Three senior editors will interview the shortlisted candidates at The National’s Abu Dhabi newsroom.
