Internships in Content Writing: Everything you need to know about them  

Whether you’re a part of the currently blooming freelancing industry or have gotten a more conventional degree in the field of medical science or engineering, you must be familiar with the term “internship”. Some of you might’ve done these at the beginning of your professional career. For others, you could’ve covered it as a part of your college or university curriculum. But at the end of the day, we’ve all either been interns ourselves or have seen others do it. Internships in content writing are everywhere too.

The concept of internships is in no way a new one. However, of late, many freelancers, especially those who offer content writing services, have collectively formed a new opinion on it. They deem internships unnecessary and exploitative in nature. Are you of the same opinion? This blog might change your mind about it.

Today, we’ll attempt to learn in-depth about how internships can help you. This is applicable both if you’re at the start of your career in content writing or have been doing it for a while. Later, we’ll also talk about what to look for in an ideal content writing internship.

Do internships in content writing really help?

Without further ado, let’s address the question that has been known to trouble every new freelancer: do internships really help?

The answer to this question relies heavily upon the kind of internship you’ve chosen; the dynamics can change how you view the entire process. We’ll talk more about choosing the right internship later, but for now, let’s focus on what the right internship can do for your career. 

Internships can catch you up with the fundamentals of the industry

Have you ever seen how people learn a new language? Most of them begin by purchasing books or online courses about it. But if you merely keep reading these books and watching these courses, is it enough? Will it ever help you speak the language fluently? Not really. For that, you’ll need practical experience, such as watching a movie in that language and conversing with other native speakers.

This is exactly what an internship can do for you. You can catch up with the fundamentals of content writing. Or familiarize you with the industry’s jargon. You are exposed to broader marketing strategies as well. This helps you develop a deeper understanding of how content can slot into marketing planning frameworks like STDC or into ever-evolving marketing funnels. You can even gain valuable first-hand experience in creating content for the web.

The liberty to explore diversity

As a novice writer, you are likely to face challenges in landing the right clients, especially if you don’t have sufficient experience. Let’s face the truth: at the beginning of your career, you can’t always hope to find work suited to your experience. Instead, you’ll need to broaden your experience and, in turn, broaden the scope of your work.

Interning at content writing firms and agencies can lend you just the diversity you need; they have clients in varying niches requiring different forms of content. And while this diversity can seem a little daunting at first, it’s a challenge that molds you. Once you get a hang of it, you’ll always come out of the experience wiser.

Clueless about niching down? Internships can help

Right after we’ve discussed diversity, let’s talk about how internships can also help you with its exact opposite: niching down. Truth be told, niching down can’t really be considered the opposite of gaining diversity. If anything, it’s more of the next step in your journey as a content writer; both aspects are interlinked.

As an intern, you’ll be given subjects from different niches to create content on. In this process, you not only broaden your diversity but can also figure out the niches in which you enjoy working the most. And if there’s a particular niche that you like writing in, wouldn’t you prefer niching down? It will not only make your work more interesting but also easier with time.

So, if you’re a new writer curious about the niche in which your interest lies, an internship is the most convenient process to help you figure it out.

Adding experience to your portfolio

As a content writer, you must already be familiar with the pain of not having the authorship on every piece of content you create. Add to it the fact that most of the work you do remains unattached to your name, and you’ll notice how little you actually have to add to your resume if you want to work for companies. You’ll also notice the shortfall in your portfolio if you want to land clients and projects independently.

If you’re new to the industry, your lack of experience is even more lethal for your career as it creates room for mistrust. Why would a client want to work with an inexperienced content writer when they can easily afford an experienced one? As a result, you’ll either end up client-less or will be stuck with low-paying clients.

Internships can save you from all that trouble. They offer you a chance to tell the industry, “I know what I’m talking about,” which makes all the difference. 

Choosing the right internship: What to look for?

Now that we’ve already established how internships in content writing can help your career take off, let’s delve deeper into what kind of internship you should choose for yourself as a beginner. It’s no secret that the writing industry is brimming with all kinds of internships, be it paid or unpaid, on-site or remote.

From this vast sea of internships, how would you be able to find the right one for yourself? There’s no instrument that could measure the suitability of an internship for you. But there are certain key factors that can help you make the right choice.

Getting paid: should it be a priority?

The first question that crosses every novice’s mind before starting an internship is, “Will I be paid for it?” And for a good reason; money is an important factor that comes into play when you transition into an adult.

When it comes to internships, whether or not getting paid should be a priority depends completely on your purpose behind it. There are many students across the world who see internships as an opportunity to help them with college expenses. If you’re one of those, an unpaid internship won’t make sense for you.

On the other hand, if you can see yourself making a career in the writing industry, running behind money in the initial stage might not be the best idea for you. Look for internships in content writing that provide the most value. Work with companies that deal with diverse clients globally and give yourself a chance to learn more than what books and courses could teach you about content writing. 

The best way to go through with it?

• Check out the company’s website and socials to understand their vision.
  
• Reach out to other interns/employees working there on social media and learn about the working environment. 

Doing these can tell you a lot about what you could potentially learn in your time there, which should be your focus at this point. 

Balancing work with studies? Go for flexible internships in content writing

As we just discussed, most people start looking for internships when they’re still students. And as students, they often have responsibilities towards academia that might end up interrupting with work.

So, if you’re a student, first and foremost, you need to look for a flexible internship that doesn’t come in the way of your classes, assignments, or exams. But what makes an internship flexible? Internships that don’t follow a rigid time frame, offer extended deadlines and allow you to take any leave (even longer than a day, in case of exams) with sufficient prior notice.

Since most content writing internships today target college-goers, it wouldn’t be difficult for you to find one for yourself. And even if you’re settling for an internship that doesn’t offer much flexibility, it is essential to communicate about your circumstances with your employer clearly in the very beginning to avoid any conflict later on.

Is interning with independent freelancers better than doing so at content writing firms and agencies?

Do you know any novice writer who works directly under an expert writer as a subcontractor? While outsourcing was once looked down upon in the freelance industry, the practice is getting increasingly popular today as writers often find themselves with more workload than they could possibly handle. This is where the art of delegation comes in; by outsourcing some of their work to novice writers, these writers create an internship-like arrangement that benefits both the trainer and trainee.

When given a choice between interning for firms/agencies and independent writers, I’d always recommend you go with the latter, particularly if you see yourself working independently as a freelancer in the future. This is because while creating content remains constant in both cases, there are many other skills you must master to be a successful freelancer that you cannot hope to learn at a firm or agency. These skills include client acquisition, creating contracts, invoices, and work calendars. You can even learn broader content marketing topics like running a content audit or how to create customer personas no matter which option you pick.

To sum it up, while an internship at a content writing firm or agency can help you land a content writing job in the future, interning with an independent writer can boost your chances of creating a successful career in freelancing.