This two-part blog post series is dedicated to Miles Doornbos, the man responsible for the internship program at Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me in Chicago, Illinois. Visit my About Page for the What’s-What.
When it comes to landing a job as a summer intern at NPR, organization is everything.
From day one, interns at NPR are given real-world, hands-on responsibilities. Working alongside top professionals in the field, interns do meaningful work across a variety of departments at NPR. - Want To Be An NPR Intern? Website
Great responsibility necessitates a strong work-ethic, time-management know-how, and organizational dexterity. Don’t be mistaken, to become an NPR intern, one must possess superior organizational prowess.
Take, for example, the qualifications for the Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me Operations Intern:
Strong organizational skills
Attention to detail
Computer literacy (Mac preferred)
Sense of humor *
*It should also be noted that one of the responsibilities listed for the Wait, Wait Production Intern is “Gather tape as needed.” I’d like to point out that I excel at gathering tape. Sign me up for the next Tape-Gathering Olympics because I’m a Pro.
You read that right: “strong organizational skills.”
Naturally, I typed “Organizational Skills” in my Google™ search bar, and one of the first links that came up was an article from Monster Worldwide Inc. (the company name leaving little doubt that this was a highly credible, scholarly source). The article outlined ideal buzzwords to showcase in one’s résumé. I was onto something.
“From working in the kitchen at your local fast food franchise to managing a doctor's office [to becoming an NPR intern], your sense of organization shows that you have the focus, clarity, and strategic ability to fulfill a variety of tasks successfully.” - Monster Worldwide Inc.
Focus. Clarity. Strategic ability. I liked where this was going. It was time to see if I, too, possessed any of these highly-employable traits:
Creating and Keeping Deadlines
Project Management
Making schedules
Coordinating Events
Productivity
Filing
Keeping Records
Taking Notes
Documentation
A solid list. Becoming an NPR intern would definitely require advanced proficiency in these skills and others… but I was decidedly mediocre at all of them.
Enter: The Bullet Journal.
Considered by many to be the holy grail of organizational proficiency, successfully-maintaining a bullet journal has provided me the organizational expertise necessary to secure a gig at a syndicate with all the poise and prestige of National Public Radio.
The Bullet Journal is a powerful tool that allows me to organize all my thoughts, notes, plans, and ideas into a central location.
I used to attach sticky-notes to every surface in the house. I had 619 separate notepads in my iPhone. I wrote expo marker messages to myself in ALL CAPS on the bathroom mirror (full disclosure: I still do this … and then transfer them to my “Shower Thoughts” list on pages 72 - 73 of my bullet journal). Every morning was like the plot of the 2000 crime drama, Memento, a scavenger hunt of conspicuously placed reminders that I desperately needed to remember.
Wasn’t there something I didn’t want to forget last night? Sh*t.
Before the bullet journal, I found myself rummaging through my backpack for notes scribbled on napkins in ballpoint pen. Post-bullet journal, I established a routine system: Where did I write down that idea for a dope, soon-to-be-famous podcast about becoming an NPR intern? Let’s check the index! Ah, pages 42-46! Done. Easy.
Don’t scoff, fellow Millennials. I’m well-aware that it’s 2019. Ordinary pen and paper may seem boorish and lackluster to the unenlightened, but I assure you, there is SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE to back me up. Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them. This thing WORKS!
In the digital age, we constantly crave our electronic devices. We feel physically uncomfortable when our precious iPhone is held by anyone but ourselves. Our electronics rule our lives, and there are myriad organizational apps you can download to further digitize your existence. Every computerized calendar and integrated note-taking platform claims to increase your productivity, but in actuality, they’re probably slowing you down. They might, in fact, be preventing you from securing that internship position with National Public Radio.
Here’s the thing: you’re more than welcome to follow Alice down the rabbit hole of programmed “productivity,” or you can get serious about managing your time effectively. Ditch the digital tools that only claim to help you get somewhere and start actively achieving your goals instead. The modern-day success story is analog.
Huge shout-out to Ryder Carroll, the man who saved my schedule… and inadvertently helped me get an Internship at National Public Radio.
Continue Reading…
And as always, listen to Carter Will Be An NPR Intern on Spotify at: spoti.fi/2N5Cu2L
For a what’s-what about the podcast, visit my about page.
For an evolving page of photos/experiences, visit my portfolio.