I get paid to watch K-pop concerts: Diary of an AsiaOne intern

Confetti rained from above and fans around me screamed their hearts out.

As I watched the figures on stage dance in synchronisation, I thought, "If 12-year-old me were here, she would've fainted for sure."

Where was I exactly? I was attending the concert of arguably one of the biggest South Korean girl groups, Twice.

More importantly, it wasn't as a regular ticket-holder, but a reporter covering the event for AsiaOne.

It's not an everyday thing where an intern would be tasked to cover a concert during her first week of work.

Students like me would have heard of internship horror stories where interns were assigned menial tasks like shredding paper.

It was the complete opposite situation for me at AsiaOne. Despite my status as an intern, I was treated like an actual employee of the editorial team.

This meant that my first two weeks were jam-packed with much learning and hands-on experience. I would be lying if I said that I was not overwhelmed.

From uploading to writing my own articles to handling social-media coverage for concerts, I gained more knowledge in the span of two weeks compared to two weeks during my studies.

Thankfully, my supervisors and colleagues made the daunting transition from being a university student to an intern writer a lot smoother by patiently guiding me through the various processes.

Here's how I conquered each level of my internship so far:

LEVEL 1: HANDLING MISTAKES LIKE A PRO

The adage "mistakes are part and parcel of life" should be familiar to many.

Despite knowing this, I still had a mini internal breakdown whenever I made one. I could hear Mushu, the dragon from the animated movie Mulan screaming at me: "Dishonour on your whole family! Dishonour on you! Dishonour on your cow!"

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHfRg9NO-sQ[/embed]

There was this irrational fear inside of me that every time I made an error, the more useless I would seem as an intern.

The thing is, you should not mentally flog yourself. Know that one or two mistakes would not completely change someone's perception of you for the worse, as long as you learn from them.

After all, it is not the end of the world if you accidentally miswrote the news agency South China Morning Post as South China Seas instead. Safe to say it's also a good thing that interns are not the last line of defence in the newsroom.

Skills gained: State of zen + Ability to pick myself up after making a mistake

LEVEL 2: LETTING THE INTERNET SEE MY FIRST-EVER ARTICLE

Usually, my lifelong friend 'procrastination' would be lurking over my shoulder whenever I attempt to do anything remotely productive.

Not this time though. After three cups of coffee, several hours of furious typing and endless revisions, I was ready to publish my first-ever article — the Twice concert review.

My head spun at the thought of having my words laid bare for the world to scrutinise. Or perhaps that was just the coffee rushing through my veins.

Regardless of my physical state, I felt emotionally fulfilled. Finding a confluence in what I love (K-pop and writing) during my internship is an opportunity that I truly treasure.

A day after my article was published, I even received an email from a Twice fan expressing enjoyment in reading my article and how he was looking forward to seeing more of my writing. The fact that my work resonated with someone was truly the cherry on the top for me.

Skills gained: Immunity to coffee + Improved writing skills + Upgraded observation skills

LEVEL 3: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

One commonality that I share with my friends and fellow interns in the media is the difficulty we have in changing our writing styles.

As an intern writer, I realised how poorly equipped I was with regard to writing news and features. University research papers have vastly different requirements and styles from journalism. At AsiaOne, I was definitely kept on my toes with the variety of articles that I had to write — from news and entertainment stories to concert reviews.

Desperate to improve my mediocre writing, I engaged in many questionable acts, such as:

• Having a whiteboard at home a la Criminal Minds to connect the dots in my stories
• Become temporarily addicted to reading articles online on how to improve your writing like 'Crafting Catchy Titles 101'
• Carrying a notebook around with me to randomly jot down flashes of inspiration (and getting busybody Singaporeans peeping over my shoulder)

Of course, you are free to try out these methods, but discretion is advised.

Skills gained: Adaptability + Engagement with audience + Ninja stealthiness

END RESULT?

Wong Xue Min has levelled up and unlocked a new achievement: becoming an AsiaOne intern writer!

Keen to join AsiaOne as an intern writer? Apply here!

wongxuemin@asiaone.com