Attitude is everything for an intern!
[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts from LinkedIn users featuring tips for recent grads on finding their first job. Hooman Khalili works for the #1 Radio Morning show in the San Francisco Bay Area on a station called Alice@97.3]
Each semester we hire about 7 interns who have to arrive at the radio station by 4:30AM. They do all the prep for the DJ's, in terms of getting them their news, celebrity gossip and giving them updates throughout the show. They also get the breakfast for everyone on the show. Lastly the interns record the show and write descriptions of everything we are talking about. Our morning show is on the air from 5:30 to 10AM everyday.
As you can see the job isn't rocket science. But what it does require first and foremost is a person with a great attitude. Not a good attitude; a great attitude, which matters more then anything else. When I look at a resume I like to see what interests and hobbies the person has, I like to know that their butt is not glued to the couch in front of their TV 6 hours a day. I want to know that they like to laugh and I want to see that they are reliable. If you are hugely intelligent but a difficult person to deal with then I don't want you and your life expectancy in radio will be short. What we want is someone who is aware and open to learning and being criticized when necessary. One thing I noticed in the 9 1/2 years I have been here is the hugely intelligent people are almost always socially awkward. This is a hugely social job, there is a ton of interaction and communication. 2nd to having a good attitude is giving it 100%, ask questions, let us know what you want, communicate with me!
Look a resume of course is important so have it reflect your personality as well as your experience.
Alright now that I am done with that I have a request for you fine people I am looking for a person who is an economic expert who also knows film production. I am doing a huge project that I need someone to help me with. Just hit me up on LinkedIn if you know of a fit.
Good luck kids, the economy is brutal, so let me end with this. Position yourself in a way so that the company you are applying for, can't live without you. Make your personality so great that without you there will be an emptiness without you. Get to your job before everyone else and ALWAYS be the last one to leave.
There is my 2 cents. You can make it happen. So turn off that TV and LIVE!