5 Things My Internship Journey Has Taught Me About Content Writing!

Pop Culture is that rose-tinted glass that makes everything look picture-perfect.

Look at The Bold Type as an example. It paints such a rosy picture of corporate internships and workplaces. But once you are into the game, you realize how you have been played! I wish I could pick up a more Indianized example, but my mind can’t think of any series or daily soap that is based in a workplace setting, and not the love triangle between everyone. 

Anyways. My content writing journey is a pandemic-invention. To escape my anxiety at having lost indefinite months of college, close near-dear ones, I panic-applied to everywhere I could. And now here I am, 2 years later. As the year draws to an end, my mentor asked me to sit back and reflect on the lessons I have acquired over these years. (No, not my therapist, but my mentor)

I have come up with the following 5.

If you are a beginner, hop-skip-jump

This is true for someone like me who has multiple interests. It means you would have an opinion on them as well. I started my internship journey as a trainee psychologist, where I learnt that I had too much empathy for being sane in the line. But that was also where I had discovered my abilities, and love, for content writing and editing. 

As I jumped across industries- from mental health organization, to animal-assisted therapy, to a political opinion website- I am still looking for a niche to settle on. I had been embarrassed of these changes, until my mentor offered me a change of perspective, and assured me that it’s absolutely alright.

An overtly-anxious mind needs constant assurance. Doesn’t it?

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The slight difference between hustle, and exploitation

I remember the time when I had joined a couple of unpaid internships as either content writer or editor. The work that they used to dump on me was enormous with very little time, but they provided no help with my doubts, or confusions. If you are in one such place, run away as soon as possible.

Internships can be a lot of hard work, but it doesn’t include exploitation. 

I have had people rebuke me for joining unpaid internships. They prefer being rewarded in money. But, I have always looked forward to the experience that I would gather in an organization. I have left a few organizations as soon as I discovered their exploitative tendencies.

Hence, my resume might entail only unpaid internships, but they are the ones where I have enjoyed my times, and have acquired worthwhile experience.

Internships are a place of learning

There is a significant difference between the job world and the theoretical knowledge, and freshers, obviously, wouldn’t have that experience right from the beginning. Internships are the perfect opportunity to get you prepared. Hence, it is a place, where you are allowed to make mistakes, and learn from them. 

Like I said earlier, there are organizations that care little for your own growth. For them, you’re just the person who can get their work done. They might add value to your CV, or folders of LORs. However, they fail to meet the purpose of an internship- to prepare you for the time ahead. It is a two-way transaction.

I have learnt this the hard way; maybe you do not have to.

Unnecessary words are your content’s foe

I am pretty verbose, and my author’s bio downstairs, too, mentions my love for complicated sentence structures. It took my editor some time before she made sure that I stopped using them, and mostly KISS (If you know, you know!).

I have been told a many times by my well-wishers about this issue of mine, but I was somewhat proud about it. As an individual, I have an acute fear of being a failure. As a result, when kept repeating this mistake, my editor’s stern voice was enough to get me on the right track. 

I am not completely out of that zone yet. But, baby steps!

Encouraging mentors are a blessing

Throughout my journey, I have worked with mentors who have always supported me, and have helped me find a way when lost. Such guiding forces make all the hustle seem worthwhile, like it should be. And co-incidentally, all of them have been women.

 When I joined Women’s Web earlier this year, I was assigned to a senior member, and she has truly been a blessing. I have learnt so much under them, including the intricacies of industrial grammar, the different forms of content writing, about myself, and how ellipses (i.e, …) are a strict no-no. I, also, happened to have rediscovered my love for sports! 

Another of my lessons include giving credits to everyone’s work- so here’s mine. Loudest cheers for my mentors-present, and erstwhile- and their contribution in the evolution of my content writing skills!

At the end of the reflection, I realize how massively my content writing skills have evolved. I revisit my first few articles, and I recognize the mistakes that I would hate committing to now. Except, my word count. That somehow always manges to escape my strict controls under my very watchful eyes!

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