Florida State University - English Department - Internship FAQ
Editing Internship - ENC 5945/4942
The editing internship offers students practical experience in editing and professional writing. Variable credit (0-6 semester hours) is possible for individual internships. The course may be repeated to a maximum of SIX semester hours. S/U grade only.
Students may intern at a variety of venues, including magazines, newspapers, publishing houses, television and radio stations, government offices, advertising and public relations firms, university departments, law firms, and non-profit agencies. Internships offer students the opportunity to network within an intended career field, gain professional writing, editing, and design experience, and create a tangible portfolio to be showcased at a job interview.
Internships may be done during the summer (in either 13-week or intensified 6-week sessions) as well as during the fall and spring semesters. They may be done in Tallahassee or elsewhere, and may even be done while studying abroad. Interns can be paid or unpaid.
Per credit, students are expected to work seven hours per week and write or edit 2,500 words. That is, a 3-credit internship equates to 21 hours a week and 7,500 words in a portfolio, which will provide the basis for evaluation. A final letter of evaluation from the internship site supervisor should be included in the portfolio. Students are also expected to write a one- to two-page self-evaluation, detailing their experience as an editing intern. All materials are due to the English Department's Internship Director by the last day of classes in the term of enrollment. The Internship Director assigns the final grade.
Students are responsible for contacting and making arrangements with the internship site supervisor. The English Department does not place interns. To enroll for credit, students must have a job contract (linked below) and a one-paragraph description on file with the English Department prior to drop/add in the term of enrollment.
If you have questions, e-mail the Internship Director: Dr. Linda Saladin-Adams, lsaladin@fsu.edu.
The job contract:
Who should do an internship?
Although an editing internship can be negotiated for any term of a student's college career, we suggest waiting until at least the junior year. Many students find that internships are more easily negotiated during the summer, when academic schedules are typically less demanding. Use the editing internship as a way to transition into the job market or to "test drive" an intended career field. The internship requires a substantial time commitment from the student and requires students to be focused and independent.
Why should I intern?
Internships allow students to gain access to career venues, to network and build future career connections, and get practical experience in professional writing and editing. The editing internship is a perfect complement to any writing intensive degree and looks great on a resume or professional school application.
Where should I intern?
Our students have interned locally and globally-from the Tallahassee Democrat and National Geographic to the National Enquirer and the Guardian newspaper. Any established agency, magazine, publishing house, company, non-profit organization, state agency, or law firm can sponsor an intern. A list of possible internships in the Tallahassee area is available below. This list is by no means exhaustive-we encourage students pursue internships in career venues that will be most advantageous to future career plans.
As stated, internships are available during any semester and in a variety of locations. Students are encouraged to pursue internships in Tallahassee, their hometowns, or while studying overseas.
How do I find an internship?
Students can reference our sample list of internship site supervisors in Tallahassee, or talk directly with an agency in Tallahassee or elsewhere. At this time, the English Department is not able to place students with internships sites.
Once an internship has been secured, please ensure that your contract letter (linked above) and one-paragraph description are on file with the English Department.
What do editing interns actually do?
The department's expectation is that you will be writing and/or editing, but we define this broadly to allow students a breadth of professional experience. For example, our editing interns have written public service announcements for radio stations, drafted fund raising and marketing materials non-profit agencies, created newsletters in a variety of professional venues, written articles for newspapers and magazines, designed brochures for advertising firms and charitable organizations, and served as copy editors in publishing houses and newspapers across the globe. Additionally, our interns have conducted research for lawyers or museum directors, helped with layout/design, copyediting, and proofreading. The editing internship is designed to help students design their own professional experiences and is therefore only constrained by minimal writing requirements. The English Department anticipates that interns will exceed the minimum requirements and create a portfolio that will be useful in future job interviews. Although we understand that in many offices, especially small ones, all employees are expected to answer phones or file, your main focus should be writing or editing. Please ensure that your internship site supervisor is aware of our requirements.
Can I get degree hours for my internship?
Yes, the English Department offers students degree hours for editing internships-under the ENC 4942 prefix. Three credits of ENC4942 can apply to the major as other writing/elective. Due to increased student demand for professional internships, the English Department now allows students to earn up to six total hours for ENC4942. Students can register for up to six total hours of ENC4942 in variable credit combinations-e.g. students can complete one credit hour of ENC4942 per semester for six semesters, complete three credit hours of ENC4942 in one term, or complete up to six total hours of ENC4942 in a summer or final semester.
Please remember, per credit the internship requires 4 hours of work per week and a portfolio of 2500 words. That is, three credits requires 20 hours of work per week and 7500 words in a portfolio.
Because students receive degree hours for the editing internship (ENC 4942), tuition and fees are assessed as with any other course.
What should I include in my portfolio and how am I graded?
The internship is graded based upon the quality of the final portfolio. Three key elements are required for a satisfactory grade in ENC4942:
- A portfolio of writing and editing commensurate with the number of registered credit hours (2500 words per credit).
- A final letter of evaluation from the internship site supervisor evaluating the student's performance;
- A one- to two-page self-evaluation of the internship completed by the student;
Many students compile their final portfolio in a three-ring binder. The binder should hold the writing and editing completed during the internship, the final letter of evaluation, and the self-evaluation. Because word requirements are minimal, many students are able to separate their tasks via tabs. That is, one tab holds public relations and marketing material, another holds written articles, yet another newsletter drafts and edits, etc. The portfolio may also include drafts, mock ups, proof sheets, even CDs, DVDs or printouts from web sites. We encourage students to create the portfolio as a talking point for future interviews. Please schedule an appointment with the English Department Internship Director to see representative examples of successful portfolios. We ask that students please pick up the portfolios after receiving the final grade.
Following is a representative list of employers in the Tallahassee area who have sponsored internships. Please visit the company's web site or make a phone call for more information if a contact person or e-mail address is not listed. Keep in mind that the contact information listed here may have changed since our most recent update. Even if the contact information here is not current, someone at the company will most likely be able to point you in the right direction. It is the intern's responsibility to check the agency contact information prior to applying for an internship.
Commercial and Trade Magazines
Tallahassee Magazine/Rowland Publishing
Contact: Roseanne Dunkelberger
rdunkelberger@rowlandinc.com
(850) 878-0554
www.rowlandinc.com
Florida History and the Arts
(Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Historic Preservation)
(850) 245-6300
www.flheritage.com/services/magazine/
Tallahassee Woman Magazine LLC
Contact: Kim Rosier, Publisher
kim@talwoman.com
PO Box 13401
Tallahassee, FL 32317-3401
Voice: 850-893-9624
Fax: 850-254-7038
www.talwoman. com
Publishers
Anhinga Press
(850) 442-1408
info@anhinga.org
Literary Magazines and Journals
The Southeast Review
Contact: Katie Cortese
southeastreview@gmail.com
Journal of Beckett Studies or
Journal of Early Modern Cultural Studies
Contact: Jack Clifford
(850) 644-0235
jclifford@fsu.edu
Benjamin Williams
Quotation World Publications
850-322-9564
admin@quotationworld.com
www.quotationworld.com
Non-Profit Agencies
Health News Florida
www.HealthNewsFlorida.org
Contact: Ben Wilcox
Ben.Wilcox@HealthNewsFlorida.org
850-544-4448
Florida First Amendment Foundation
www.floridafaf.org
Contact: Barbara A. Petersen
850-222-3518
Lee's Place, Inc.
A Non-Profit Grief & Loss Counseling Center
Contact: Melinda Piller, Director of Development
850.841.7733 phone
850.841.7702 fax
e-mail: melinda@leesplace.org
www.leesplace.org
March of Dimes
(850) 422-3152
FL617@marchofdimes.com
Boy Scouts of America
(850) 576-4146
www.suwanneeriver.net
Florida PIRG (Environmental Protection)
www.floridapirg.org
info@floridapirg.org
850-224-3321
University Publications and Offices
Student Government Association and Other Student Publications
Contact: Marvin Harris
(850) 644-0037
mharris2@admin.fsu.edu
FSU Sports Information Office
Contact: Tina Dechausay
(850) 644-1403
tthomas@fsu.edu
FSU Media Relations/Office of News and Public Affairs
Contact: Browning Brooks
850-644-8343
bbrooks@fsu.edu
Seminole Boosters
Contact: Mary Pat Desloge
(850) 644-3484
mdesloge@admin.fsu.edu
FSU International Center
Contact: Kenneth Martin
(850) 644-4793
kmartin@admin.fsu.edu
Newspapers
Tallahassee Democrat
Contact: Jane Parrish
(850) 599-2349
jparrish@tallahassee.com
FSView & Florida Flambeau
Contact: Chris Lewis
(850) 561-6653, ext. 212
clewis@fsview.com
The Yeti
fsuyeti@gmail.com
www.theyetionline.com
Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations
Tracy Cochran
The Little English Guesthouse, Proprietor
737 Timberlane Road
Tallahassee, FL 32312
Tel./Fax 850-907-9777
tracey@littleenglishguesthouse.com
www.littleenglishguesthouse.com
ThinkCreative
(888) 224-1169, ext. 14
info@thinkcreative.com
www.thinkcreative.com
Franceschi Agency
Contact: Lee Ann Fransceschi
(850) 385-2900
www.franadvertising.com
Zimmerman Agency
(850) 668-2222
ssimpson@zimmerman.com
www.zimmerman.com
Moore Consulting Group, Inc.
Contact: Krisita Burket
(850) 224-0174
krisitab@moore-pr.com
Onyx Group
Copywriting intern
Please email resume & writing samples to jobs@onyxcreates.com
Government
Florida House of Representatives
Contact: Beverly Broussard
(850) 487-6026
beverly.broussard@myfloridahouse.gov
Office of the Attorney General
Contact: Michael Skiscim
(850) 245-0140
michael.skiscim@myfloridalegal.com
Department of Management Services
850-488-2786
Florida Commission on the Status of Women
(850) 414-3300
info@fcsw.net
Leon County Public Information Office
Contact: Jon D. Brown
(850) 606-5300
pio@leoncountyfl.gov
Radio and Television
Clear Channel Radio of Tallahassee
(WTLY 107.1, WTNT 94.9, WXSR 101.5, WFLA 1270 AM., WOKL 100.7)
(850) 422-3107, ext. 3210
Triad Broadcasting
(850) 668-3677