BU Abroad: Being an Aussie “Work Experiencer”
A television internship Down Under means more than pouring coffee
In the video above, step behind the set at Australia’s number-one morning talk show with Alexandra Daks (CAS’10, COM’10).
Production interns on NBC’s Today Show would probably count handing a cup of coffee to Matt Lauer as a semester highlight. But as Alexandra Daks found out last spring in BU’s Sydney Internship Program, in Australia it’s different.
As an intern for The Morning Show, the country’s number-one morning talk show, Daks (CAS’10, COM’10) was on air seven times, was recognized on the street, and sat directly across from host Kylie Gillies’ desk. And she never once had to fetch the hosts a cup of coffee.
In a culture that encourages collaboration and equality — interns are called “work experiencers” in Australia — Daks feels her contributions were both valuable and used. Whether interviewing people on the street or looking up movie clips for the show, “everything I did went to air and helped someone,” she says. “That was such a crazy feeling. I was saving them time and making a difference.”
“It’s great to feel that you’re part of the team,” she says. “And that is definitely an Australian thing.” The film and anthropology major’s work was appreciated: she was asked to stay on for an additional five weeks.
“I stayed, and traveled with my mom for the last few weeks,” she says. “My mom says it was her mission to come to Australia to bring me home.”
Returning to the United States this past June was “a bit surreal,” Daks says. Walking and driving on the right side of the road again required some readjustment. On the other hand, the experience of working on live network television made a lasting change, she says. “It was life-altering in regard to my knowledge and confidence in my future career.”
Alan Wong can be reached at alanwong@bu.edu.
Next week, another foreign visit. Read more at BU Abroad.
WOW!
What a fantastic overview to an exceptional experience abroad! When can I go?
looks so fun! Great
looks so fun!
Great interview Daks.
Great Interview Alan! Cant wait to see ours.
Definitely looks like a great experience! Cant wait to make it to Australia one day.
Best,
From South America!
Noice
I love Australia… nice video.
what a hawtie!!
Sounds like she had a great time. I just wish study abroad was more affordable and wasn’t seen as a joke for some majors. BU has no programs that pertain especially to my majors, so I can’t go abroad.
I also lament the fact that when I get an internship, it will be in America, and I will most likely be fetching coffee for people. No one will see me as an equal “work experiencer.” I will merely be another young intern lost in the shuffle.
high quality
This is totally enticing! Thanks for following her, and making this short clip of an intern in australia so beautiful.
Beautiful
Great video, it looks like a movie! It seems like she had a great experience and definitely makes me think about heading to Australia as a place to study abroad.
extremely well done! super high quality, really interesting, makes me want to check out austrialia! and this daks girl is very well spoken and inspiring!
Australia
I have been thinking about studying abroad on and off. I think I might want to do it senior year and Sydney was always a consideration. I totally want to go now!! Well done!
“In a culture that encourages collaboration and equality — interns are called “work experiencers” in Australia — Daks feels her contributions were both valuable and used. Whether interviewing people on the street or looking up movie clips for the show, “everything I did went to air and helped someone,” she says. “That was such a crazy feeling. I was saving them time and making a difference.”
It’s a great thing that Daks’ internship was one that was full of learning. It’s a great thing that she felt that she was a very important part of the team. She could use the experiences and knowledge she has learned to further develop her career in the future.
I always wanted to study abroad and why not in Australia, it’s not the first I heard it’s really good there.
Anyway it seems that she had a great experience there and it shows us that we should not be afraid to leave the US for a while !
Nice video by the way
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