A True Learning Experience: My Internship at CTV

Back in August, before the school year had started, I got the call from CTV that I would be doing my internship there for my first semester. I was more than ecstatic to work at a place with so much credibility and access to knowledge in the media world. I always knew I wanted to work for a media company and it has been a dream of mine to work for CTV. I agreed to work every Friday from 9am-5pm until December 9, 2016. This means my last day will be this Friday. I am sad to leave, but I am glad I started looking for a placement back in July because with the cold weather coming up I will be happy staying in on the weekends! I have learned so much at CTV that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my career and I cannot thank CTV's communications team enough for that.

Going into a PR program I had no idea what I was going to learn. To be honest, I thought it would be pretty similar to what I learned in university studying Communications. But, even though PR involves communications, it is a much different experience that I enjoy a lot more. I am a hands-on and visual learner so the college experience is much more up my ally. I would say I have learned more in just on semester in the PR program a Mohawk College than I have in two years in a Communications program in university. If it were not for this program I would not be able to have this opportunity with CTV.

Being an intern at CTV has taught me things like how to write a proper media release, write a proper pitch letter to media, write concise summaries for their website, and has improved my writing All together. Not only that, but I have come up with media kit ideas, media release headlines and leads which have really tested and expanded my creativity. Not to mention, I am also more technology savvy because of this program and internship. There is a design class in the program that has gotten me, someone who knows absolutely nothing about computers, to know the ins and outs of InDesign and Photoshop. CTV has got me clipping videos for media, uploading episodics and gallery images to there media site from a distributor which are things I thought I would never be able to do. Now I have a step up from the rest! Here is an ad for Grey's Anatomy and Saving Hope. The clips shown are an example of what I would have to send to media. I would clip a certain scene from the whole episode that the media would use for ads like these.

My advice for future students is to start looking for a placement before you start the program. This way you have one right away and can get it done in the first semester with no stress. I also advise finding a placement at an organization that really interests you. Your internship acts as a workplace and you should work somewhere you love. I am telling you this because most internships could turn into a future opportunity to work there full time. At CTV they have many employees who use to be interns. Anyway, I wish you all luck in this program and with your internships!

Natalie Treude | Communications Intern

natalie.treude@bellmedia.ca 299 Queen Street West Toronto, ON M5V 2Z5