Journalism Internship

My name is Stuart Wood, and I went out to Kolkata with PAVE for an internship at The Daily Telegraph India in February 2018. Just two months ago, after returning from my travels, I started a new job working as a junior news reporter for a magazine publisher based in South West London – and the internship is what got me there.

My boss recently told me (after a couple of drinks at a work event!) that my internship with PAVE was the thing that made me stand out from a crowd of over 300 applicants. He told me there were people with more work experience, and people with more immaculate grades – but my internship in India set me apart because it showed character, independence and an international outlook.

This really validated my decision to take on the internship with PAVE, and I wanted to share it in the hope that others can see the value of working abroad. Before leaving I had a few reservations about embarking on an unpaid internship, as I’m sure most people would – but I looked at it as an investment into my future.

I think I can categorically say now that my PAVE internship was the best investment into my future I’ve ever made, and it has really been the difference in starting out my career in journalism. Not only did it get me the job, but the skills I picked up from working in an editorial environment have directly translated into my new role. I’ve learned how to interview people confidently, how to find angles on stories, how to source images and quotes, and a whole host of other useful skills.

That’s to say nothing of the experience of India itself, which had a huge impact on my life and my writing. The sights and sounds of the country were really inspiring and I met lots of interesting people who I’m still in contact with today.

Overall I can’t say enough good things about PAVE and my internship at the Telegraph – they made sure I was looked after, helped me get everything sorted out, and provided me with a platform to launch my career in journalism. Thanks, guys!