And thus, with a simple request from @MartinSaunders (as he was known at the time) began my internship at Youthwork magazine (and, in the interests of fairness, Christianity magazine).
Right from the start it felt like God has been at the centre of this year, down to the details of finding a youth work job to go alongside the internship, a job that was discovered on the same day as the internship was mooted, and offered the same day the internship was offered.
Let’s begin with a couple of vitally important bits of information. Working on Youthwork mag is not the most glamorous existence. I don’t spend my whole time reporting from the swankiest locations, going to the best parties and meeting the great and the good of the youth work/Christian world. (Though I am now on first name terms with Matt Redman, if my first name was ‘podcast guy.’)
What I did get out of the year was working as part of an amazing team. From Saunders, via a month of Helen Crawford to the TeamYouthwork that is now assembled headed by Sarah Wynter and Phoebe Thompson (think The Avengers but with a far better gender-balance and less spandex), it has been a genuine privilege to work as part of, and alongside, such a creative and passionate team. Add to that the joy of working in an office along with the rest of the Christianity magazine and Premier Christian Radio teams and you have a working environment that is rarely less than joyful (and this comes from a man who is about to spend the next 4 hours in meetings).
Being the intern at the mag means far more than writing and editing. Two highlights of the year have been being involved with the two Youthwork Summits (2011 and 2012), and whether I’d been involved or not, they would still have been the highlights of the year. On top of that I rarely laugh more than I do during our fortnightly podcast recordings (even if the editing process means that half of it has to be cut out), and the fact we’ve managed to have such a wonderful variety of guests (and even some listeners) suggests that we’re doing something right, possibly.
Finally, a word about TeamIntern. I’m not the first person to intern in this office, I won’t be the last, and there’s something nice about that. A support network, people that understand what it means. And while Sean Skinner sits just the other side of the office, Tom Wade remains an integral part of TeamIntern from afar.
So genuinely, if you’re passionate about youth work, about communication, and about working as part of a team, why not consider applying to intern here? Your year won’t look the same as mine, we’ll shape it to your strengths, welcome you in, and won’t even demand you make all the coffee. (And hey, I got a job out of it…)
We’re currently looking for Jamie’s replacement. If you are a keen American football fan, know lots of puns and have sporadic facial hair – then #TeamIntern needs you. Or – perhaps – you are passionate about Youth work and Youthwork mag. You can get in touch too.
Email us at jobs@premier.org.uk.
