Internships can be a brilliant prologue to any career journey. They provide a solid foundation, give a real insight into the roles we wish to pursue and offer reliable support, guidance and mentorship when needed.
Not to mention, they’re a great way to build up your CV and get ready for your next chapter. After all, you never know what a short-term internship might lead to – indeed, many of our previous interns at Zahra are now highly valued full-time employees!
I myself started out as a Digital Editorial Intern working with the Food Team at Zahra back in 2019. I learnt so much about the media industry and gained an incredible amount of practical experience, which I know will stand to me for the rest of my career. Three years and a global pandemic later, I was thrilled to find myself returning to Zahra as their new Food Writer and Content Creator.
Here at Zahra, we work with interns in every department; from editorial and digital to food styling, marketing and more – and it’s not about making tea and coffee in this agency. Instead, interns can expect a hands-on experience like none other, whereby they’ll be developing key skills, learning about new systems and sharing ideas with the wider team. We’re passionate about helping our interns feel valued and heard, no matter what position they hold.
Recently, we had the pleasure of working with Ryan Chaben, a university student from the United States, studying professional and public writing along with English. Ryan completed a three-month remote editorial internship, working closely with our Food Team and on easyFood Magazine.
Read on to hear all about Ryan’s experience at Zahra…
“As an American student working towards a degree in English and writing, Zahra was a fantastic place to work and experience what a future career in editorial could look like.
“My day-to-day schedule typically featured writing and formatting articles for the easyFood website. Whether it was a recipe compilation for chocolate cakes or a news article on exciting events coming to Ireland this spring, I worked on adapting my writing style and achieving the easyFood tone of voice – a skill that took a lot of practice!
“As well as honing my writing skills for the digital sphere, I was also given the opportunity to help create content specifically for social media, as well as conceptualise, research and write original, long-form features.
“My tasks weren’t just limited to online content, as I was also able to write for easyFood magazine too; receiving my magazine in the mail all the way from Ireland and opening it to see my work on its pages was a feeling I’ll never forget.
“As someone who dreams of working in publishing, it was great to get a taste of the editing process, as I was tasked with reviewing features for upcoming issues of easyFood Magazine. I really enjoyed the process of getting to look at writing that wasn’t my own with a critical eye – and while I wrote more than I edited, it was fun to get a sneak peek into what I may be doing in the future.
“Being with the easyFood team had me wishing I was at the office with them all! Their passion for their work is clear and their commitment to creating a warm and welcoming team was obvious. I was always jealous when I received a message about a brownie or other treat in the kitchen, being unable to pop in and grab one!
“Working with my mentor on the editorial team was a joy and although receiving feedback was something I previously always seemed to dread, this time it felt like a team effort; working together to create the best content possible.
“My time as an Editorial Intern at easyFood was a fun, rewarding, and happy experience, as a student leaving university and stepping into the big, adult world. I’ll look back on my intern memories with fondness and can’t wait to see what’s next in my career journey!”
If you’re interested in interning at Zahra, check out our Indeed profile; that’s where you’ll find our vacancies. And, of course, you can always get in touch via our Contact Page.
Alison Egan
Content Writer, Zahra
