Alexis Chin, Sydney Internship
Interned in Finance, Editing, and Film with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Spring 2013
Internship: I worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (or The ABC) which is the only public, national broadcasting network in Australia. For my internship, I moved around the company every week, shifting from one department to another in order to gauge a better understanding of the company as a whole. I worked with the financial department, looking over various reports and accounts; with news editing, where I assisted in editing raw news stories using a software editing program Aurora; and with the news field crew, where I went out on location to report various breaking news. I also assisted with camera operation for television shows, with ABC Radio, with Master Control (the central unit of the company responsible for putting shows on air etc), with Promos where I helped create various short videos to advertise television broadcasts, and with setting up cameras and lighting for interviews.
I Learned: I had never been employed at such a large national corporation before, so getting to be a part of it was mind-blowing! It was great observing how each department carried out their separate tasks and then brought them all together to produce the final output for television and radio.
In terms of Sydney itself, before arriving there, I never realized what a cosmopolitan city it really was! There are so many cultures and ethnicities that make up the bustling city, and the people all manage to live their daily lives in such harmony. I learned that Sydney is not just about the Opera House and the beaches. There is so much history behind it starting from the very first settlement with the Aboriginals to hosting the Olympics!
Comparing/Contrasting My Work Experiences: The approach to work is a lot more relaxed in Australia, but work still gets done efficiently and on time. The dress code is also a lot more casual.
Australians have a strong belief in the equality of people regardless of job ranking. Their attitude towards interns was very new and refreshing to experience. They give you way more responsibility in the workplace rather than just using you to fetch coffee. As a result, they make you feel like an important asset to the company. Australians always make time to laugh and chat. They are extremely friendly and want to know what you want to do rather than just dishing out work to you. Another important fact: Morning and Afternoon Tea are mandatory for the Aussies!!! Make sure you sign up for gym membership with all the cookies and Tim Tams you’ll be eating!
Hardest Part: I honestly don’t have anything to say for this. I had the most amazing experience of my life and worked with some of the friendliest and most welcoming people! I would return in a heartbeat!
Best Part: Getting the opportunity to be in studio and actually use one of the cameras on set to film a t.v. show, despite my lack of experience, was probably the most fulfilling and career-changing experience for me. Also, meeting Jason Mraz as ‘part of the job’ was just another one of those unexplainable, unbelievable experiences that I still can’t believe happened. Meeting new people from fellow co-workers to backpackers and hearing their life stories was always exciting. Each new person I met gave me the inspiration to want to see more of the world. Furthermore, being in Sydney gave me the opportunity to travel in and out of Australia to see some of the most breathtaking places I will ever see in my life. From Melbourne to Adelaide to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Stevens, the Blue Mountains, Auckland, Queenstown and Fiji, I definitely had the most action-packed semester of my life!
It would also be remiss of me if I did not mention the amazing Aussie cuisine. Meat pies are awesome. Make sure you try a Tiger Pie! You will also become a coffee connoisseur with the 5,000 types of coffee they have available. Lastly, I must say that being in Australia has turned me into a complete adrenaline junkie. From scuba diving to sky diving to climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge to cage diving with Great White Sharks, there are so many opportunities to get your adrenaline pumping, and each experience just kept getting better and better!
