When hosting an intern, it can be great to provide practical advice and support whilst they’re interning at a company. One of the best ways to do this is by encouraging them to go above and beyond at their internship to impress – this could involve giving them the confidence to pitch an idea and get that first byline.
We all know that creativity can be directly impacted by the environment that someone is in. Sometimes, the best way to come with ideas can be in an informal, non-pressured environment… such as the kitchen table!
You might be able to prompt your intern by asking them what they’ve read recently in the news that’s intrigued them, what they want to report on if they had the opportunity, or maybe even a passing “I overheard someone talking about X at work today”. A simple nudge in the right direction could encourage the intern to come up with a new idea and discuss it with you first, giving them the confidence to then take it with them to an editor at their placement.
Pitches should be timely, and the intern should be constantly reading, watching and engaging in the world around them. They should also know the publication that they’re working at inside out – talking through these topics with you may also help them to identify blind spots in their knowledge which they could work on in order to have the best possible chance at making a great impression during their internship.
With your expertise, you could also guide your mentee on how to pitch an idea – you could look over their idea, look over their pitch and advise them on how to make it the best it can possibly be – even reading over it if they got commissioned. You want to instill as much confidence in your mentee as possible, so they can get that byline!
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