It’s Never Too Good To Be True.

Hello, my name is Tiffany and I’m a senior double majoring in Communication Studies and Broadcast Journalism & Documentary. This summer, I interned at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) as the Digital Editorial Intern for HGTV.

That sentence still sounds surreal to me, yet I concluded my internship yesterday. Four months ago, I was applying to ten internships a day, stressed out about not having one lined up for the summer. I doubted myself and wondered… are these top media companies too good for me, too out of reach? I’m here to tell you that you can get that internship at your dream company, and perhaps that dream job you’ve been thinking of… because it happened to me, when I least expected it. You should always trust in what you have to offer and never sell yourself short.

The first step is believing in yourself— and the rest will follow.

The Miraculous Phone Call.

The way I got the internship was miraculous. I had applied to six digital and editorial internships at WBD and did two initial Hirevue interviews back in April. However, I assumed that HR had moved forward with other candidates after not hearing back for a month— until I received a wildly confusing phone call from one of WBD’s recruiters. The recruiter had congratulated me on getting the internship and informed me that I would be working with Caroline, my manager. However, I hadn’t met Caroline or spoken to her at all, so I was oddly confused. I later found out that Caroline liked my journalism portfolio so much that she wanted to offer me the position without even interviewing me. So that is how I got the internship, without a second or third round of interview! Needless to say, I was ecstatic and beyond proud of the work I’ve done.

 

Calling All HGTV Lovers!

My role as a Digital Editorial Intern consisted of producing editorial content for HGTV’s website: writing press releases, feature articles, and producing galleries about show hosts and their unique interior designs. Prior to this internship, I had no knowledge about HGTV nor did I know how to write about interior design. I quickly familiarized myself with the HGTV voice and read numerous articles on the site to teach myself the technical terms to use:

  1. Living rooms are supposed to be “light, bright, and airy.”
  2. Having an eye-catching “kitchen backsplash” is a game changer
  3. “Hues”, “tones”, and “accents” mean different things

Throughout my internship, I interviewed HGTV hosts about their show, wrote articles describing the best designs from certain shows, press releases on new shows premiering, and more informational pieces on ways to transform a living space. While I didn’t encounter any big obstacles, I struggled with describing certain interior spaces from time-to-time, which I resolved by seeking inspiration from other related articles on the HGTV site and mimicking the writers’ verbiage. I can now say that I am confident and well-versed in writing about interior design— a major accomplishment in my books!

Below are links to my work:

  1. “20 Signs You Should Host an HGTV Show”
  2. “Jenn Todryk’s Best Designs from Season 1 of ‘No Demo Reno'”
  3. “Get to Know Adar Kirkham, Host of Freestyled”
  4. “Before and After: Tour Jasmine Roth’s Cali-Cool Condo Makeover”
  5. “HGTV Greenlights New Show Featuring Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa”
  6. “Cristy Lee Stars in New HGTV Show ‘Steal This House.” 

 

Company Culture and WBD Perks

I am truly in awe of WBD’s internship program. Each week was packed with guest speaker panels, career building workshops, networking opportunities, and special events (like Shark Week!) Not only were interns working on their own projects and tasks, there was a plethora of resources and opportunities for us to learn and grow professionally. Best of all, all interns were invited to three exclusive movie and show screenings at the Warner Media headquarters. We got to watch Elvis, DC League of Superpets, and the Game of Thrones spin off: House of the Dragon before they premiered! This was truly and unforgettable internship experience and I’ll never forget the meaningful connections and memories I made.