My Summer at The Globe and Mail
A reflection on a time of growth and opportunity
By Khushy Vashisht
When I first applied to The Globe and Mail's summer jobs program, I had no idea it would lead to a season of great learning curves and finding my place in the industry. Leading up to my first day on the job, I was absolutely terrified about what to expect. I landed the position of a content editor in the programming team – a team I didn't know existed until I was a part of it.
As I entered The Globe and Mail Centre for the first time, taking in the sights, the views and more, I got to talking to other "summer staffers" and was immediately self-conscious of my abilities.
Everyone around me had worked at notable media companies such as the Toronto Star and CBC and meanwhile I only finished my third-year of university never having worked at a major publication like this.
To say I felt out of place would be an understatement.
I had felt imposter syndrome most of my time at J-School, but never like this. Now, it had elevated to another level where I felt I had taken someone more deserving's place.
Within my first week there, I was still undergoing training with the rest of the summer staffers but by the second week on the job, I jumped right into the newsroom's routine working alongside highly experienced reporters, editors and more. From attending and taking notes on the 10 a.m. newsroom meeting to waking up at 4 a.m. to prepare for the early morning shift, I was completely immersed in The Globe's fast-paced environment.
I got the opportunity to shadow various editors for many shifts such as the early morning's 4:30 a.m., the standard 9-to-5, the evening shift till midnight and others scattered throughout the day. Each shift had its own set of responsibilities and roles which made each day different from the one before – a trait I found myself liking.
At work, I acted as a sponge, absorbing any little piece of information I possibly could. To see the way a newsroom conducted itself when debriefing local, national and international stories with varying angles, sensitivity and more was enthralling. I was suddenly a part of the other side of the news and the weight of this responsibility struck me almost instantly.
Do not be fooled. The job definitely came with its challenges – but ones that shaped me for the better.
On Saturday, July 14, 2024, I worked my first solo evening shift without a mentor to shadow. That night, I was expected to receive files from reporters on a key Donald Trump campaign rally taking place in Pennsylvania. The biggest news everyone thought was going to come out of the night was Trump announcing his vice-presidential pick.
We could not be any more incorrect.
That night, there was an attempted assassination attempt on Trump. Suddenly the quiet Saturday night became louder than ever and the newsroom lit up brighter than I'd ever seen it so far. It was moments like these, working together through groundbreaking stories, where I realized that even in a small way, I was part of a historical moment.
Over the summer, I also was one of two Olympic editors for the Paris 2024 Summer Games, helped publish breaking news about medal wins, Soccer Canada scandals, Joe Biden stepping down from re-election and so many other monumental stories that I could not even dream of.
The biggest lesson I learned from this experience is to never shut the door on myself. If I had continued to stay in the mindset of feeling unqualified for this job, I would have never applied and ultimately would miss out on a summer of a lifetime. I always dreamed of applying my passion for storytelling in a professional setting, The Globe and Mail showed me I am capable of it.