Student Intern Spotlight: Justin LaCoursiere

Are you a Fordham student who has yet to experience your first real-world internship? Not sure what to expect? Well look no further. To give you some insight on the internship experience, we have asked your fellow Fordham students to share their experiences as student interns.
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This week we caught up with Justin LaCoursiere, a senior at Fordham College Rose Hill who recently completed an internship at Hearst Corporation.  Justin is a Communication and Media Studies major with a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Business Administration. On top of his school work and internship, Justin is an incredibly active student on-campus. He is currently involved in several organizations, including Sodexo, Inc. & Affiliates as a National Student Board of Director and Student Culinary Council member, The Ram Newspaper, Fordham Nightly News, Office of Residential Life as a Resident Assistant, Residence Halls Association, original undergraduate research, New Student Orientation, Dorothy Day Center for Service & Justice – Urban Plunge, Peer Educators, Campus Activities Board, Office of Mission & Ministry – Global Outreach, Up Till Dawn, and Polar Plunge.  Justin gave us the details about interning at Hearst as well as valuable tips for students looking to gain some real-world work experience by participating in an internship.

In regards to his experience interning at Hearst, Justin had nothing but positive things to say.  Justin interned at Hearst for a year and half, typically working 2-3 days per week.  While this commitment may seem difficult to manage as a full-time student, Justin explained that his department at Hearst was always extremely flexible and understanding of his busy schedule, and always prioritized his role as a full time student.  This is true is many cases, as employers may state a minimum time expectation, but are typically flexible regarding availability. If you are interested in interning, do not let the fear of time commitment stop you from gaining important internship experience. 

As for a typical day for Justin, he was usually very busy working on Hearstlink, Hearst’s internal communication system.  Justin was responsible for composing articles for this site, as well as publishing internal communication. This process typically consisted of conducting interviews with the magazine Editor-in-Chief’s, department heads and other Hearst executives.  Justin also edited press releases and completed Public Relations-related research projects.  He raved about the helpfulness of every one he worked with, and made sure to take full advantage of the great internship opportunity.

Justin was lucky enough to obtain his internship at Hearst through a member of his family who referred him for the position.  Hearst later contacted him to set up an interview and he was offered the position on the spot. This is great example of the importance of networking and using all professional connections available to you to get a job or internship.  You should not be disheartened if your family members do not work in your field of interest. Justin emphasized the importance of networking with everyone you can, suggesting that one should establish as many business relationships as possible, as you never know who might be able to connect you with someone in your field.  Focus on identifying existing contacts, such as your professors, family friends and advisors, as well as establishing relationships with new contacts, such as Fordham Alumni and Employers who visit the Fordham Campus. You can never have too many professional contacts, but make sure you understand networking basics in order to make the best of these professional relationships.

When asked if he found his experience at Hearst to be valuable overall, Justin responded quite positively: “I’ve learned so much through my internship; it would be hard to sum it all up. What I will share is this: interning teaches you that which cannot be learned in the classroom. There is something to be said about those who have real hands on experience in their field. I’ve learned to work with deadlines, think on my feet, and be part of a professional team. Thanks to my internship, my communication skills have greatly improved and my writing has gotten much stronger. I’ve gained the knowledge and skills needed to make me more competitive when applying for jobs. My time as an intern has been very valuable.” While it may be stressful at times balancing courses, extracurricular activities, AND an internship, if you can manage your time efficiently, it is certainly a worthwhile experience.

After interning at Hearst for a year and a half, Justin ended his internship this past December with a great letter of recommendation and an open conversation about possible future employment opportunities at Hearst. If you take Justin’s advice and network, play a proactive role at your internship, and take full advantage of the hands-on work experience, you too can experience a rewarding and engaging internship.

Want to share your unique internship experience with the Fordham Community? Email Sfriedberg@fordham.edu and let us know!