Landing a dream internship in media or publishing is hard. While agencies and businesses are always keen to work with new talent, budget restrictions, technological change and demands on time-poor managers mean that interns often find it challenging to get their foot in the door.

Hardie Grant has a long history of supporting interns through our various divisions – be that in our books or media divisions. We believe that we can learn a lot from young bright minds. And we know that our interns develop invaluable skills that can make all the difference when it comes to landing their first full-time paid role. We’ve seen first-hand how interns can quickly develop – we’re proud that a number of interns have gone on to join Hardie Grant and move through the ranks.

A day in the life of an intern

Hardie Grant Media currently has two new interns – Qingbo Shi in Sydney and Angela Iaria in Melbourne – who will be with us until the end of the year.

They are working with different teams across the Hardie Grant Media business. While their focus is on editorial content – writing, editing and production – they’re also dipping their toes into the world of content strategy, account management, design, advertising sales, social media and even video. Each intern has specific requirements as part of their degrees, but we also believe it’s important that they gain a well-rounded view of what working in the industry is really like – it’s all about being flexible, innovative and experimental.

With a few weeks under their belts, both Qingbo and Angela are starting to get a taste for the real world of publishing and content marketing.

University of Sydney student Qingbo feels that he’s getting practical experience into topics that he’d only covered in theory at university. “I have learnt how to make flat plans or the scheduling of making a magazine, but the first day of my internship almost refreshed everything I have ever learnt. The schedule is far more detailed and comprehensive. The tools used like Blinkplan are more efficient. I have learnt that I need to be more careful, more efficient, and more precise in the real publishing world.”

Meanwhile, University of Melbourne student Angela Iaria (who has already worked with our editors to write about why your brand needs a style guide) is enjoying the diversity of her internship so far. “Over the 12-week period I’m moving through the editorial, sales and design team. I feel like this is a great approach as it provides me with an overview of how the whole team works together – while also experiencing what each team does individually in greater detail. I can figure out what my strengths are and what roles interest me the most. While I have always felt drawn towards the design team, I have learnt so much about the editorial and commercial team that I wouldn’t have otherwise known. Overall I feel better prepared for a job in the publishing industry.”

How to get a media or publishing internship

Hardie Grant Media only accepts interns who are completing a degree or qualification and who are required to complete a real-life work internship component as part of their studies. This is a standard requirement for many publishing and media degrees or qualifications and these are unpaid internships, as stipulated by the university or tertiary institution.

In addition, we look for interns who can demonstrate a real passion for publishing or content marketing. A portfolio of work or being able to showcase the types of projects you’ve been involved with at uni or other organisations is a great start. During interviews, we also look for people who are prepared, have clearly researched our business and who can articulate why they’re a good fit.

Are you interested in completing an internship at Hardie Grant Media? We have limited opportunities available but get in touch with our HR manager, Penny Rankin, with the following information:

Your CV; either three examples of your work or a link to your portfolio; and a response to the three questions below:

1. What do you think is the biggest challenge we face in the custom publishing and content marketing industry in Australia?
2. If you could choose to produce content for any client, what organisation or individual would you choose and why?
3. Complete this sentence: Three years from now, I aspire to…

Lucy Siebert, head of editorial, Melbourne

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