As part of a school project, I had to work a three-day internship somewhere where I could see a potential career for myself. With publishing being a major interest of mine, I reached out to The Portugal News, and they were kind enough to host me for three days.

On day one, I came into The Portugal News without knowing what to expect. I imagined it to be a huge office with hundreds of people, all doing their small part in the business. But when I arrived, I realised that there were only a handful of people, all playing a huge part in the business.

During my internship, I observed different employees working to get an idea of what each job entails. It provided me with an understanding of how the publishing industry works and helped me to know more about what I’d want to do in the future. I learnt the basics on how to gain your audience’s attention, how newspapers use advertising to make money and finally what makes The Portugal News recognisable from other news sources.

On day two, I came into the office more confident and asked the team better, more detailed questions. I also had the opportunity to watch the video editor and one of the photographers to see the various aspects of The Portugal News’ media design. I was then tasked with creating a 30-second video on 3 Things I Learnt in One Day using my own clips and editing. After I sent it in to the editor, he gave me useful feedback on how to improve my video.

Credits: TPN; Author: Lia Pinto Da Cunha;

On day three, I went to work feeling comfortable and much more settled, so I was disappointed that it was my last day, but The Portugal News team gave me an amazing opportunity to publish some of my work on their website. So, I spent the day using all the tips and tricks I’d learnt about layout, colours, and short-form storytelling to write my own piece.

My experience here has given me valuable skills and opportunities that will help me in university and in my future career. I’m extremely grateful for the chance to have completed my internship at The Portugal News and wish I could have spent more time working here.

About me...

My name is Lia Pinto Da Cunha, I’m 15 years old, and I go to school at CIV. I grew up in Zimbabwe but I moved to Portugal about 2 years ago.