A collaboration with Bradley and NBC has opened a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to all communications majors – a chance to intern with NBC at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
An informational meeting hosted Sunday night in the Global Communications Center explained the application process to students who want to be considered for available positions.
The 130 seat Horowitz Auditorium was nearly filled with students interested in the internship.
Communications Department Chair Paul Gullifor explained the benefits of the NBC internship, and said with an opportunity this incredible, students had every reason to apply.
“This is what I like to call low risk, very, very high reward,” he said.
NBC typically recruits for interns and works with five specific universities, and Bradley has just become the sixth, Gullifor said.
“You are all in very exclusive company,” he said. “But I don’t care if those other schools are Harvard or Oxford, don’t think we can’t compete.”
The internship calls for students in both New York and London, where the summer 2012 Olympics will be hosted. Students can apply for three different positions, each requiring separate skill sets ranging from production and editing to running errands on site.
The road to the Olympics internship has been a long one but Gullifor said he thinks Bradley students will hold their own in competing for positions.
“I take a class out to [New York] every year, and while we were there I talked to [someone] about the internship, and I had about 12 students with me,” he said. “We kept in touch, and when we were there for an alumni event in November, I told him to come out and meet our president. He came, and he was really impressed with everything going on at Bradley. I made a pitch, the decision was finalized in spring, and it propelled from there.”
Gullifor said the idea evolved from the sports communication major, but was opened to all communications majors.
“We did that as a matter of fairness,” he said. “This is a skill set that cuts across all concentrations of communications, and I think we did the right thing.”
Students present at the meeting said they weren’t sure what to expect, but were excited to apply for the NBC internship.
“I’ve been applying for some things, but never anything this big,” said sophomore electronic media major Elise Andert. “I’m really surprised at the turnout of the people here. I’m kind of hoping everyone here isn’t applying.”
Senior advertising major Shera Stear said she is hoping to get the internship not only for the great opportunity, but to intern outside the U.S.
“I’ve studied abroad in London, and I really want a good opportunity to go back,” she said.
The most important part of applying for the internship is a pristine resume and confidence, Gullifor said.
“We believe in [the students], I believe in [the students], but they have to believe in [them]self,” he said. “We’ve got our seat at the table, so let’s eat.”
