Q. Why did you choose to apply to The Boston Globe Co-op Program? What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
A: I applied to The Boston Globe Co-op Program because I wanted to know what it was like to be in a real newsroom. I had two interviews, first with the hiring manager on the phone and then with the two deputy business editors over Skype. I got dressed up for no reason because they could only see my face but it put me in the right mindset. Tip: Call a friend and test Skype out before any and all interviews.
As a Business co-op, I do all the little things that keep this section running. Someone has to grab the mail and pass it all out, you know. But after I get all those daily tasks out of the way, I have a good chunk of time to pitch and write stories.
Q: Can you describe a typical day at the Globe? What is most exciting? Most challenging?
A: I like to be one of the first people in the newsroom, so I get to work a little early. I check to see if I have voicemails, pass out and file that day’s newspapers and then grab myself some coffee. I’ll get all the not-so-exciting things out of the way first, like responding to emails and writing up the business agenda that lists events in Boston that day. After I check the Bloomberg to see how stocks are doing, I’m usually free to work on stories.
The most exciting thing at the Globe is going out to do a story. It feels like you’re ditching work, but you’re going out for a story and you realize this is work. The second most exciting thing is finding a good story and watching an editor’s face while you tell him about it. There are so many stories out there, something happens every day, and when you find one that’s cool and you can see on your editor’s face that he digs it, it feels like striking a little nugget of gold.
The most challenging thing is recovering. And by that I mean getting over a tough editing session, or getting over a conversation with an experienced reporter or source where you felt dumb for not knowing something. Nobody writes a perfect, amazing story every single time, but it’s hard sometimes to accept it, learn from it and move on.
Q: How have your previous internships set you up for success? Please include where you interned.
A: I previously interned at ABC News in New York and that prepared me for the grind. I had to wake up at 6 a.m. every single day that summer, sometimes work late hours, and get home late to do it all over again. It’s not easy and it’s nothing like being in school, but ABC prepared me for that hardworking girl life.
But more importantly, that’s where I learned to talk to people. I learned the little things school can’t teach you, like how to talk to your boss, professionally but with personality, or when the appropriate time to crack a joke is. It seems trivial, but I don’t think there’s anything more important than relationships with people. I also had to call a crazy number of sources for information and learn how to keep pushing when I didn’t get what I needed. That skill comes in handy at the Globe all the time.
Q: What has been your biggest learning experience thus far?
A: I don’t think there’s anything more important than a good reporter/editor relationship. I believe the editor makes the reporter, and there’s always give and take, but a successful editing session is on both parties. I've learned what a good reporter/editor relationship looks like just by watching the journalists in the Business section. They meet frequently throughout the writing and reporting process and are open to each other's ideas; magic happens when an editor and a reporter are actually friends. But without a solid relationship, I think it could be harder to get good stories out and get them out quickly. I feel blessed to have worked with amazing editors who remind me not to pass on the public relations B.S. to readers, to be completely transparent and thorough and to write stories that people want or need to read.
Hae Young Hannah Yoo graduates in 2017, and you can see her articles from her Boston Globe Co-op Program here.