An internship is where classroom learning and real-world experience meet. It’s a chance to “try on” a job and find out if a particular career path is for you. Because good internships offer a tremendous learning opportunity, many universities require students to complete at least one before graduation.
I’ve always enjoyed cows and writing, and I feel very fortunate to be able to combine those interests into a career as an editor for Hoard’s Dairyman. If you think this might be the job path for you, too, consider applying for our editorial internship.
For the past 31 years, Hoard’s Dairyman has hired a summer intern. From Day 1, these interns become part of our editorial team. They work right in our editorial office, so they are part of the day-to-day interactions with our entire staff. One editor is the main supervisor for the intern, but the other editors and staff members also offer advice and mentorship all summer long.
As you might guess, our intern does a lot of writing for our print magazine and our electronic publications. There are several projects our intern is in charge of each summer, and we encourage them to propose their own story ideas as well.
The internship also provides a few opportunities to travel, representing our magazine at dairy meetings, breed conventions, and farm visits. We hope these trips give our intern a broader view of the dairy industry.
The summer goes by quickly, and we always miss our interns and the good work they do when they head back to school. It is our hope, though, that students leave our office with new editorial skills, work experience, and some valuable life lessons.
If you want to learn more about our internship, please visit our website for details. Take a look at the video on that page featuring Sarah Thomas (pictured above), a student at Virginia Tech University, who served as our 2019 intern.
The due date for our internship application is quickly approaching. We encourage any students with a passion for writing and dairy to apply by October 16, 2019. Students should mail a cover letter, resume, grade transcript, and three written letters of recommendation from references to Abby Bauer, Associate Editor, 28 Milwaukee Ave. West, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.
If you have any questions, please contact us at (920) 563-5551 or abauer@hoards.com. Remember, all application materials are due by October 16, 2019. If you want to join our editorial team, apply today!
The author is an associate editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
