Hauser and Rucker | Downie

Caroline Hauser and Philip Rucker
Former Post Interns
From a Live Online chat on washingtonpost.com on Tuesday, October 3, 2006; 7:00 PM

Do you want the scoop on summer internships in The Post's newsroom? Here's your chance to chat about the program with two Post employees who started out as interns.

Caroline Hauser and Philip Rucker both participated in The Washington Post's summer internship program this past summer. Hauser, a copy editor, interned in on the National and Style desks; she was hired on the Metro copy desk. Hauser is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Rucker, a reporter, interned with the Southern Maryland bureau and will continue to cover Charles County government. Last summer, he interned in The Post's Prince George's County bureau. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he was news editor of the student daily paper and was a freelance reporter for the New York Times.

Details about how the 12-week program works and how to apply can be found here . But as the Nov. 1 application deadline nears, Hauser and Rucker were on hand to help potential applicants better understand the program, the highly competitive selection process and working in The Post's newsroom.

The transcript follows:

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washingtonpost.com: Thanks for joining us today, Caroline and Philip. Can you start by telling us a little about your internship experiences, and what it was like to intern at The Washington Post?

Philip Rucker: Good evening and welcome. We're here for an hour and eager to share our thoughts on journalism internships and what it's like to work in the Washington Post newsroom. Let's get started.

Caroline Hauser: It's great to be here, and we're looking forward to your questions.

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Washington, DC: What experience helped you the most to be prepared for this internship?

Caroline Hauser: Previous internships and college experience. I had done two copy-editing internships at daily newspapers before I came to The Post, and those experiences helped me know what to expect.

Philip Rucker: A solid internship at another daily internship. I interned on the City Desk at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans the summer before coming to the Post and that experience helped me learn to navigate a big newsroom and what to expect at a paper like The Post.

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Cambridge, Massachusetts: What's the difference between the interns that get hired at the end of the summer and the ones that don't? How did you make yourself a good candidate for a permanent position once you had gotten the internship?

(I realize that I'm assuming that I'll even get the internship, but I'm curious)

Philip Rucker: That's a tough question. There are so many variables involved in the hiring process. Generally the most successful interns are those who exhibit sophisticated reporting and writing skills on par with The Post's staff. Successful interns also show versatility by tackling breaking news as well as enterprise and features. Lastly, a tireless work ethic is always a plus.

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New York, N.Y.: Do you have any advice for copy-editing candidates on how to send in effective clips? And how would you suggest those clips be formatted? (i.e., When sending in headline clips, should the whole article be included? Are before-and-after clips helpful or a nuisance?) How many of which type of clips would you suggest submitting?

Caroline Hauser: As the internship application Web site says, copy-editing interns should submit six to eight clips, preferably photocopies, on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. If I remember correctly, I sent eight headlines (with the stories) and one before-and-after editing sample. Try to show a variety of headline styles, and, if warranted, explain special circumstances related to your headlines or editing samples in your application packet.

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Lincoln, Neb.: My clips are all from metro reporting, but I'm an economics major and I'd like to try business reporting. Could I be a good candidate for a business job even though I've never done business reporting?

Philip Rucker: Good question. If business reporting is your first choice, you should indicate that on your application. Make sure you highlight your economics background because it will probably make you stand out in a competitive applicant pool. The most important thing is to have a strong portfolio of clips (even if they are in Metro reporting) and demonstrate an aptitude for business reporting. But if you can, try to do some business reporting this fall while you are at school.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Have you ever had a retiree as an intern? If not, would you consider one? I know some think we need to make more opportunities for the young who can contribute for longer periods of time, yet there are people with expertise and still a lot of life left in them who wish to consider career changes. What do you think about retirees as interns?

Caroline Hauser: Internship applicants must be college juniors, seniors or graduate students enrolled in a degree program on the application deadline, which is Nov. 1.

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Washington, DC: I'm an observant Jew who can't work from sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday. I know interns usually get the weekend hours because nobody else wants them, but will editors make exceptions for religious reasons?

Philip Rucker: Newsroom diversity is important at The Post and the top editors surely would try to make accommodations.

Caroline Hauser: That said, this is a daily newspaper, and there are a lot of schedules to juggle.

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Columbia, Mo.: Where do interns live during the summer? Is it hard to find housing?

Caroline Hauser: Washington is a pretty tough housing market, especially if you are out of town and looking for a short-term place. Some interns find sublet arrangements on online classified sites, some housesit and some live with family or friends. Knowing whether you will be in the downtown office or a bureau will help you decide where to live.

Philip Rucker: The Washington housing market is brutal. Most interns sublet apartments or group houses for the summer. I think many summer interns use Craigslist to find sublets. Both of the summers I interned here I lived in group houses with friends from college who were in town doing different things. There tend to be a lot of group houses available for sublet in Georgetown because college students attending Georgetown go away for the summer.

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Philadelphia, Penn.: How do I make myself stand out among 800 or however many applicants? I've read the bios of past interns, and it seems like everybody speaks four languages, has a master's degree, has worked for the New York Times, is a refugee from a war-torn country, or some combination of all of those? I'm a senior at a good college, from a middle-class background, who has worked at three newspapers most people haven't heard of and have good clips but have never broken some huge story. Do you have tips on making my application memorable?

Philip Rucker: I don't speak four languages and I'm still here. But you're right, the most successful candidates are those that stand out in a crowded and competitive field. The two best ways to do this are in your clips and your autobiographical essay. Try to show versatility in your clips, and don't shy away from sending in an article that is quirky or humorous (so long as it's well written). I think the essay is the best way you can differentiate yourself. Try to highlight a life experience that is particularly unusual or personal.

Caroline Hauser: Don't be intimidated by the bios. The folks who select summer interns have a lot of experience, and they're looking for more than credentials. If you have solid experience and think you can contribute to The Post in a meaningful way, apply away.

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Washington, DC: In terms of difficulty, how does the Post internship compare to previous internships you've had and your student newspaper experience?

Philip Rucker: Reporting and writing for The Post is the most difficult journalism experience I've had because the standards and expectations are so high. The editors treat interns as regular staffers. You don't fetch coffee and make copies. You write, edit, shoot and design for section fronts and sometime even A-1. That said, the internship is incredibly fulfilling. There's nothing like waking up in the morning and seeing your story (or your headline, your photo, your design...) in the nation's best newspaper.

Caroline Hauser: This is a serious place, and, as Phil said, the expectations are high. But the mission is the same -- I hope -- as at any other paper you've worked at: Tell the truth. And do it by deadline.

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NY, NY: Was it intimidating to enter the newsroom as an intern? Did you get lost?

Philip Rucker: Of course the newsroom was intimidating at first. This is THE WASHINGTON POST, and the 5th floor newsroom hasn't changed much since Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman and All the President's Men made it famous. Thankfully the editors and reporters are very welcoming, especially during your first week. There are many orientation events and you get to meet a lot of people. I'd recommend seeking out a few people (your editor, your assigned professional partner/mentor, another reporter in your bureau) who can help you navigate the newsroom at the beginning.

Caroline Hauser: I only got lost on the way to the gym. Tom Wilkinson, one of the assistant managing editors, can help you with that.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you each walk us through "a day in the life of an intern" based on your two different internships?

Caroline Hauser: Depends on the day. On Wednesdays, we had intern class lunches with speakers such as Ben Bradlee, Len Downie, Bob Woodward and Don Graham. Many interns also have regular meetings (often as informal as a coffee run) with the professional partners (mentors) they're assigned for the summer.

As a copy editor, my shift starts anywhere from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and follows the production schedule. We put out several editions, making changes and adding updates to each.

Philip Rucker: As Caroline said, there are a lot of structured events in the program. There's also a great day-long bus tour of the Washington region where senior editors are your tour guides. And if you're lucky, you can spend the day at a beautiful farm in rural Virginia eating crabs.

There is no typical day for a reporter. You could go to the newsroom (or your bureau) in the morning, check-in with your editor and spend the day making calls on an enterprise story you'd been working on for a while. Or you could get a call from your editor waking you up at 6 a.m. and dispatching you to the exurban hinterlands to cover a deadly flood.

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Princeton, NJ: Are there any opportunities for someone interested in writing for the Health/Science desk that isn't eligible to be a Kaiser Fellow?

Philip Rucker: Not sure, but e-mail Pam Kendrick at kendrickp@washpost.com. She can answer for you.

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New York, NY: My past writing experience is with a publication that has an ideological slant (think Washington Times, New York Sun, etc.) Will that be counted against me?

Caroline Hauser: The Post is looking for daily journalism experience. Your clips will be evaluated by experienced professionals.

Philip Rucker: The Post prides itself on its journalistic objectivity, and senior editors at the newspaper will read and evaluate your clips. But I don't think editors would prejudge someone based on the publication she worked at.

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New York, NY Is the atmosphere among the interns really competitive? Do you actually become friends with each other or are you jealous of each other for getting better assignments, etc (or both?)

Caroline Hauser: We are definitely friends. Interns are spread throughout the newsroom: each copy-editing intern is on a different desk; the design, graphics and photography interns are on their respective desks; reporters work for different sections (and, within sections, in different bureaus and on different beats).

This is an intense experience, and it's nice to have people to share it with.

Philip Rucker: We have bloody duels outside on 15th Street. Kidding! We all became friends. The Post is a competitive place, but I've found that people compete with themselves more than with their peers. You're only here for 12 weeks, so there's no sense in wasting time worrying about what other interns are doing.

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Orlando, Florida: What are some tips on writing the biographical essay? I don't know if I should chronicle my life or just highlight how I found journalism.

Thanks.

Philip Rucker: Good question. You only have so much space in the autobiographical essay. I'd recommend writing about one specific experience or memory or person in your life that may be representative of a broader theme. That shaves away a lot of the timeline stuff (when I was born...when I was 5... when I was 13...) and allows you to delve into one thing and really focus on the actual writing. That's what I did, and apparently it worked.

Caroline Hauser: Be honest. Be sincere. Be funny.

Use spell check.

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Toronto, Canada: Is it true that metro reporting interns don't get to work in the main office?

Caroline Hauser: The Post has a large and diverse circulation area, and suburban news bureaus are vital to our coverage. Several reporting interns are assigned to bureaus; others work downtown.

Philip Rucker: About two-thirds of the Metro reporting interns work in bureaus in either Maryland or Virginia. I worked one summer in our Prince George's County bureau and another summer in our Southern Maryland bureau. Interns in the bureaus have very close contact with their primary editors, who are based downtown. (There are also editors in the bureaus who edit the "Extras," the weekly and twice-weekly community news supplements.) Also, all of the interns gather downtown in the main newsroom once per week for lunches and that's a good opportunity to see senior editors and reporters.

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Bristol, Connecticut: Once you get the internship, what's the one thing you would warn interns about?

Philip Rucker: Get ready to work on overdrive for 12 weeks.

Caroline Hauser: You will feel overwhelmed at times, but it will pass.

And Washington isn't the most pleasant place to spend July.

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Princeton, NJ: It seems like most of your media experience has been in the daily newspaper business. Was this a conscious decision that you made (as opposed to careers in broadcasting, radio, or magazines) and why did you choose this particular path?

Philip Rucker: I think it's a personal choice. I kind of fell into newspapers through my college daily and got hooked. Actually, as a Washington Post intern you could have a chance to do all of the above: The Post newspaper, Washington Post Radio, our affiliation with MSNBC and News Channel 8, Washington Post Magazine. Still, the main mission here is producing the best newspaper possible.

Caroline Hauser: I wrote my first newspaper story on Sept. 11, 2001, and I haven't looked back.

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Chicago, Ill.: As interns, what were your foremost concerns before you started at the Post, and were they borne out? What traits did you notice about your fellow intern class (good and bad)? And, of course, what's it like to go from intern to staff at one of the best papers in the country? Thanks and take care.

Caroline Hauser: My concerns were the same as they were before previous internships: How will The Post's style differ from other papers' styles? How quickly will I learn the production schedule? How quickly will I learn to navigate the city? All of these things take a couple of weeks, but there are plenty of people around to help you, including your fellow interns.

Going from intern to staff member is an adjustment, but that first full-time job is an adjustment for everyone.

Philip Rucker: Like probably most interns, I was concerned I wouldn't be good enough and that somehow The Post made a mistake in picking me. But once you get here, you'll see that editors at the highest level wade through hundreds of applications to select the intern class. I was surprised at how diverse the intern classes are -- not only racially, but in terms of personal life experiences, professional experiences, college experiences. Lastly, going from intern to staff is hardly no adjustment; interns are treated like staffers. The real adjustment is going from college student to full-time employee. For starters, you don't get three weeks off at Christmas!

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Fort Lauderdale, FL: Was there technical training before you began the job? About how long did it take to get used to the system of operation in this new office. And what did it take to get through the days?

Caroline Hauser: We had a week-long orientation, several days of which focused on learning the databases and programs we use. You'll be ready to work that first day, but you'll discover new tricks all summer. FYI, The Post uses CCI.

Philip Rucker: Training is long. You'll get sick of the bagels and coffee that's served, but you'll soon love your trainers.

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Columbia, Missouri: What was the worst part of your experience? (I know, I know, it's a great internship, but there must be ways in which it's not perfect).

Caroline Hauser: The worst part is that the internship ends, and some people leave.

But the connections you make, the lessons you learn and the people you meet during the internship will stay with you the rest of your career.

Philip Rucker: I agree with Caroline.

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washingtonpost.com: That wraps up today's discussion. Many thanks to Caroline Hauser and Philip Rucker for joining us.

Philip Rucker: Thanks for participating. If you have any more questions about internships here or journalism in general, feel free to e-mail me directly at ruckerp@washpost.com.

Caroline Hauser: My thanks, also. You can reach me at hauserc@washpost.com. Good luck!

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