TV station intern learning sales concepts

Stefanie Tatum of Scott City, a senior at Southeast Missouri State University, is an intern at KBSI-TV Fox 23 in Cape Girardeau. She likes the fast pace of the business. She goes out on sales calls while learning about promotions and advertising.

"I work on different sales presentations," said the 21-year-old mass communications major. She completed her major in December, but to graduate in May, she needs to complete a required internship. That's OK with her -- she likes her job, which gives her the college credits she needs.

"Some majors don't require internships, but mine did," she said. "I'm learning a lot and working with some really nice people."

Tatum has been an intern a little more than a month. Last semester she applied for the internship program by e-mailing her department's internship coordinator. Before meeting with the coordinator, she called KBSI-TV and asked general manager for sales Jennifer Chronister if the station would let her intern.

The reply was a resounding "yes," said Tatum, adding that Chronister told her she was once an intern at the station.

When she met with the internship coordinator, Tatum said she was told she was "the most prepared person who ever applied. I had a resume and a cover letter saying that KBSI has already agreed that I could intern there."

Tatum works at the station Tuesdays and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., which gives her 14 hours a week. She needs 180 hours to complete her internship requirement.

Recently, she helped put together a marketing presentation to help the sales representatives when they meet with clients and potential clients. The presentation was the result of her research into marketing concepts.

"There are different categories of business here, and that presentation concerned banking and financial," she said.

Tatum said the company is great to work for. Besides garnering valuable experience in sales and marketing, Tatum has flexible hours when necessary.

"If I need to take a test at school or do extra studying prior to a test, the management here makes it possible," she said.

Tatum keeps a daily log of everything she does at the station and e-mails the log to her internship coordinator every Friday.

Tatum said she knows of one other intern who is majoring in mass communications and works at the Southeast Missourian. Tatum chose the television station because she thought it would not only be fun, but it would help prepare her for her goal of being a retail marketing director.

"When I graduate, I'll take this experience with me," she said. "Although I don't get paid, except with college credits, that's fine with me. Working here is like going to class every day. I have a lot of questions that are always answered. I'm learning what I need to know."