By Heaven Carmichael
When I began to look for an internship last year, I realized that finding an opportunity during COVID-19 was going to be difficult. Many companies decided not to have internships, and some organizations were only allowing one or two interns at a time.
But in the end, I landed the perfect internship for me. In the spring of 2021, I found a website called Teamwork Online that listed sports journalism jobs. I was intrigued by a video production internship with Indy Eleven Professional Soccer, and I decided to apply for it.
Going through the hiring process was a bit nerve-racking at first since COVID restrictions were still in place. The interview was on Zoom and I didn’t know exactly what to expect. However, it went great. The media team at Indy Eleven was very easy to talk to. I was actually offered the position about 30 minutes after my interview ended, and I accepted. I was excited to learn more about journalism and especially video and media production.
My internship started in fall 2021. I focused mainly on editing and shooting videos for Indy Eleven’s social media. My videos were posted on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
One of my responsibilities was a video project called Mic’d Up, where I followed one player for a day, usually during a special occasion. For example, one Mic’d Up video was at the team’s go-karting event and another was at their photo day at Grand Park. These videos were my favorite to film and edit because they helped me get to know the players better.
At least once a week, I was in charge of filming home games for cinematic purposes. This was one of the best parts of my internship because I got to see what professional games are like behind-the-scenes and what content creators do on a day-to-day basis.
Towards the end of the semester, I decided to try to continue the internship to further develop the skills I had learned. I asked my supervisors if I could intern again, and they said yes.
This semester has been a bit different, especially because I am no longer the only communications intern. I am now in a fluid position where they assign me whatever they need completed for that day.
So far, I have focused on press releases for the upcoming season. I am new to writing press releases, so I was nervous at first. However, my supervisors have made it a comfortable transition from videos to writing. Press releases are the main difference between on season and pre-season because Indy Eleven’s roster is still being built. It seems like every day or every week there is a new announcement on staffing and players.
The media team believes that an internship is the time for students to learn and make mistakes. So, they are not too harsh when something isn’t the way they want it. They are a team that works together to put out the content they believe is best, and they teach interns how to be a part of that team.
My supervisors have made it easy for me to keep up with school and work because they have been accommodating and have allowed me to make my own schedule.
I am very appreciative of Indy Eleven for allowing me to intern with them for two semesters now. I have already learned so much and every day they teach me more. Going into this position, I had no real experience in journalism other than my classes. Indy Eleven took a chance on me and I couldn’t have asked for a better first internship.
Heaven Carmichael is a senior concentrating in journalism and will graduate in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Indy Eleven Professional Soccer offers internships year-round. Interested? Visit https://www.indyeleven.com/careers. Apply by Feb. 28, 2022, for Summer 2022 internships.