So far this year I have done 3 internships at various places and, to be put it bluntly, 2 of them have been bloody terrible.
The first was at good old Daily Echo for a measly week, and even that was enough to angrily unfollow them on twitter and give a bitter old lady tut every time I see their paper. Yes, I understand it's a daily paper and it's meant to be busy busy busy, but in reality everyone in the office looked like they were either in the stages of going doolally, or they already had turned into a genuine fruit loop. 12 hour days, a deputy editor that basically is the editor in chief from spiderman and roaring headlines such as: 'wheely bin falls over, oh no.' The entire time I was there, the editor said nothing to me, the majority of the time I spent rigorously thinking over my crucial purchase from the canteen at lunchtime and I wrote absolutely nothing.
Secondly I was at Sunday Times Travel in the News International building in London. Now this was more like it. Commuting everyday wasn't always the most joyous of occasions but I love London and as my ball and chain works there to, we went for a couple of post work meals and 'cocktails'. Fucking la di dah I know. From day one I was given work by the shovel load, mostly sub-editing and extensively fact checking there travel features. I also got to write a couple of bits and bobs, do some picture research, just generally learn which was a big shock to the system after Daily Echo. Also excited to get my name on my first flannel panel in the August issue! Another nice thing, people ACTUALLY talked to me. I wasn't just a retard in the corner looking at everyone like I was Liam Neeson in The Grey and they were the wolves. I had a nice gay guy called Gary next to me who let me water his desk plant, bought me twixes and cat-walked his daily amazing pairs of socks for me each morning. I know you don't go to internships to make bloody friends but it just makes the whole thing a little bit more enjoyable considering I was paying shit loads for a train ticket!! On the subject of expenses, I must've spent so much money on bloody coffee shop food and drink where I keep trying to be suave and sophisticated on my own at lunchtime. I need panini pocket money if I'm gonna continue keeping pret and starbucks afloat!
