Paid internships available for Mountaineer Idol this fall

A paid internship is now available to students through the West Virginia University Mountainlair Programs and Special Events Department focused on program planning, promoting and advertising Mountaineer Idol.

The paid position, which is open for the fall of 2012 from August to December, will be awarded to one student by WVU Mountainlair programs.

Julie Holeczy, graduate assistant for Mountainlair Programming and Special Events, said the position will require the student to work a maximum of 20 hours a week and work every elimination round throughout the Mountaineer Idol competition, which occurs over the course of seven Fridays in the fall semester.

The intern will also be required to help with Mountaineer Week and serve on the committee because Mountaineer Idol coincides with it, she said.

The intern will create weekly flyers, posters, scripts or

advertisements for the event; film the competitions and other videos of contestants; and manage the Mountaineer Week website, including the Mountaineer Idol section, Holeczy said.

"We're looking for a person who has experience in video, graphic design and Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Publisher to complete all the required tasks. Typically, we would like a journalism, marketing, or graphic design major, but we're looking for creativity and experience more than the major," she said.

Holeczy said the intern will be key in promoting the Mountaineer Idol competition.

"The year before last, we had an excellent relationship with The DA. We had a lot of coverage, such as video of every performance posted on The DA site and the YouTube channel, and that really helps because a lot of people performing in Mountaineer Idol have families that may not be in the area, so it was neat for them to be able to see their performance," Holeczy said.

"The intern can also work closely with others, such as The DA, to share information and publicize the competition, which will inevitably help the competition grow more than it already has in recent years."

Holeczy said the paid internship will be valuable job experience for any student interested in public relations or promotions.

"It's definitely valuable experience. You're working hands on; you're not going to just work in an office and do chores such as making coffee," she said.

"You'll create ads and flyers, work with contestants and make many contacts along the way, both locally and regionally as well as many across campus."

The application for the position is due Feb. 17 and can be picked up at the Mountainlair information desk or in the administrative offices on the second floor of the Mountainlair.

The application can also be found online at http://mountainlair.wvu.edu/information/employment.