How to Land an Internship at The Washington Post, with a former TWP Intern 😱

Getting you the fast track 🏎️💨 to the finish line 🏁 of landing your dream internship and new grad role

Author

Morgan Young
November 25, 2024

Hey, hey [in]siders! Welcome to the 1st edition of my newsletter where you get “the [in]side track” on all things internships, college, early careers, and personal branding!

Disclaimer: this newsletter contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission.

This week, The Washington Post dropped SIX internships this last week across engineering, product, and PR/Advertising. Here are the links to apply to these internships:

But let’s get to what you’re REALLY here for 🤩 — this edition of the [in]side track contains “the [in]side scoop 🍨” on landing internships at The Washington Post from a former Product Management Intern at The Washington Post, Jahnavi Shah. She broke down the entire process she went through to land her internship and spilled her insider tips on how she stood apart from the crowd.

Ready? Set? Go! 🏁 

The [in]side Scoop 🍨 with Jahnavi Shah

How did you find out about the Washington post?

The Washington Post releases two sets of internships: one under The Washington Post brand and the other under Arc XP (subsidiary of TWP), which focuses more on B2B SaaS. When I came across the [job] post, it was already two weeks old, and I didn’t immediately realize it was connected to The Washington Post—it was listed on LinkedIn under Arc XP’s page. The role seemed like a mix of product management and someone with experience in content creation and blogging.

I figured that asking for referrals might not be the best approach, given the post was already a couple of weeks old. Instead, I decided to take initiative and reached out to as many product managers at The Washington Post as I could, pitching myself in my messages. One of the group product managers, who happened to be hiring for these internships, responded to me. She liked my background and connected me with the recruiter. That led to a phone screen, followed by two more rounds of interviews.

What did your application/interview process look like?

I applied and networked by having a conversation with the hiring manager, but I didn’t go through the referral process. Instead, I completed a recruiter screen followed by two more rounds of interviews. I received the offer the day after my final interview.

Normally, I would have reached out for a referral, but since the post was already two weeks old, I chose a different approach. During my conversation with the hiring manager, they mentioned that they already had candidates in the final round. They said the recruiter would reach out to me if it didn’t work out with those candidates.

The entire interview process took about a week.

What do you think made your application stand out?

First and foremost, I did a lot of research before meeting the hiring manager. I made sure I understood what Arc XP was, what their products were, and how my background could fulfill the responsibilities of the internship while bringing value to their team. During the interview, I highlighted this alignment and built a strong connection with my interviewers. For example, the hiring manager and I bonded over being internationals from India, and in the second round, my interviewer, Jenny, really liked me—partially because we shared the same name/nickname (my nickname is Jenny)! Building a good relationship with your interviewers is essential.

The final round was a case study, and I felt genuinely lucky because the prompt was to design an application for bloggers, something I was already familiar with. I knew in advance it would be a product case interview, so I came prepared with a pitch and presentation template. When given an hour to prep, I used it to fill in that template, addressing every step of the product management lifecycle. The presentation went well, and afterward, the hiring manager gave me glowing feedback.

The case interview process was structured. I had a 15-minute call with the principal product manager, who gave me the prompt and answered my discovery questions. Then I had 1 hour to brainstorm and prepare, followed by 30 minutes to present and 30 minutes of behavioral questions with a panel of product managers. I stayed calm, provided solid answers, and used known PM concepts in response to their questions about my presentation.

When I attended the big in-person intern day, we all talked about our application/interview journeys and came to the group realization that most of us had either been referrals or had some kind of connection to someone who worked at The Post.

In the end, the key was preparation, showing how my background aligned perfectly with the role, and building amazing relationships with my interviewers. I also approached the process with confidence, believing I had the skills to succeed. Honestly, I felt like this role was made for me.

Were there any skills or experiences you highlighted that seemed particularly important?

I’ve had multiple internships where I gained experience in program management, social media, growth marketing, and product management. I prioritized highlighting my work in the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program, where I focused on creating content and tracking metrics to measure its performance.

I also worked with a study abroad agency, where I created, recorded, and edited Instagram content, developed strategies, and conducted metrics analysis. In addition, I had a product analyst internship where I focused on reviewing product metrics.

For my program management internship, I highlighted it in a way that emphasized product-related experiences, such as cross-collaboration and measurable results. Overall, I showcased a mix of product and content-focused experiences to align with the roles I was pursuing.

Are there any resources you recommend to prepare?

  • Study resources

  • Develop your framework: After going through several examples, create your own structured framework for tackling product strategy and product estimation problems.

  • Practice mock interviews: Do lots of mock interviews with friends to simulate real interview scenarios and refine your responses.

  • Focus on key areas: Prioritize practicing product strategy and product estimation, as mastering these is essential to acing PM interviews.

  • Iterate and improve: Watch others solve problems, practice solving them yourself, and then analyze your performance to identify areas for improvement.

What is your advice to students who have aspirations to get into The Washington Post’s intern program; what steps can they take to prepare?

I’ve noticed there’s a specific timeline for when they release their internships each year—usually either at the end of the year (November/December) or early the following year (January/February). Set alerts to stay updated and reach out to previous interns. Many of them have converted to full-time roles and are often willing to talk to you. They can refer you or even connect you to the right person at The Washington Post.

Most interns either return after a previous internship or get in through a referral or connection with someone at the Post. If someone likes you, make sure they pass your information along to the recruitment team. It also helps to have a background in writing, blogging, or other creative work.

What stands out at The Post is their unique perspective: journalists are expected to think like product managers, and product managers are expected to think like journalists. To succeed, you need to understand a journalist’s day-to-day work because you’ll be building products to make their lives easier and selling those tools to other journalists.

Finally, make sure you gain product fluency specific to the company. Understand their products, users, and use cases so you can speak to them with confidence.

Thank you so much to Jahnavi for sitting down for this interview 🤩 — make sure to follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram!

Have you landed an internship or new grad role at a big Fortune 500, FAANG, YC-backed startup, or similar in tech, finance, or consulting? I’d LOVE to interview you and feature you to my audience of 63k+ on LinkedIn and 13k+ on Instagram! Email me with your LinkedIn link and a quick TL;DR of your internship or new grad story at [email protected] 💌