Late last year, Michael Omoruan was questioning whether he made the right decision by switching majors from computer science to film. As a soon-to-be rising senior at Lehman College, he was worried about the available jobs in his desired career field amid a tightened labor market and pandemic.
“Once I began to think about the recession and finding a job in my desired career field, I got nervous,” Michael, who one day aspires to be an editor, screenwriter, or journalist, said. “I’m more passionate about film than I was about computer science and glad I made the switch, but I couldn’t help but worry.”
But now, he feels more confident after interning at Katie Couric Media (“KCM”) this summer. The internship, which was open to two Braven Fellows, allowed him to gain valuable experience across all areas in media — from content and production to business and partnerships.
“This internship helped me realize that I am a lot more capable in this field than I originally thought,” he said. “Coming in, I was intimidated to work at such a recognized firm, but now I feel a lot more confident in getting started in the industry, thanks to everything I’ve learned.”
During his 8-week experience, he was able to enhance his professional skills in effective communication, content creation, project planning, and audience strategy while also gaining a deeper understanding of how a successful media company operates.
“I learned so many new things,” Michael says. “Things like search engine optimization, how to determine whether an organization aligns with KCM’s brand, how to assess the efficacy of social media posts, tips and tricks on programs like Adobe Premiere and After Effects, and so much more.”
And, he’s not the only one. Daikira Brown, a Chicago native and Braven Fellow from National Louis University, also landed the prestigious internship. Currently junior studying communication, Daikira hopes to become a full-time journalist after graduation; her dream job is to be a reporter with ABC News.
As a current freelance journalist, Daikira knows how competitive the field is. “Experience is everything,” she says. And thanks to this internship, she feels a lot more confident in her future endeavors. “Even though I’ve been steadily honing my writing skills for 3 years now, this internship taught me how to be a stronger writer,” she says. It helped her draft more “personal” stories, unlike the reporter-style ones she typically publishes.
She also learned about audience strategy and will always remember a piece of advice she received: choose content with a purpose to attract your target audience.
“This is a huge stepping stone for my career, and I am so grateful for this internship and the connections I’ve made within the industry,” she says. Now that she has had an internship outside of Chicago, she is confident that it will give her a competitive edge when she applies for other roles in the future.
Michael and Daikira weren’t the only ones who were so grateful for the opportunity. Eliza Costas, Director of Digital Content at Katie Couric Media, appreciated the help. “Daikira and Michael were willing to help wherever needed and quickly became integral parts of the KCM team,” she said. “Whether it was helping with the launch of the new KCM website or assisting in video production edits, we loved having them on our team.”
Just like Michael and Daikira, two new Braven Fellows will embark on their internship at Katie Couric Media next month. Their advice for future interns: to take full advantage of the opportunity and voice what you hope to learn from the internship. “The staff is incredible and is so invested in your development,” Daikira notes.
This content was originally published here.
