This week, our "Meet a Gawker.TV Intern" series focuses on Erica Hyman—another one of our fantastic team of summer interns.

How did you learn about the Gawker.TV internship program?
I'm been a fan of Gawker for a long time, and I'm a huge TV buff. So this winter and spring, I contacted the Editor Richard Blakeley about an internship and here I am!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I'd like to write about TV. Or write for TV. Or be a computer programmer. Or be a doctor. Or be on Glee.

What is your all time favorite TV Show?
Tough question. I'd have to go with the first show I ever fell in love with, Alias. It only had two amazing seasons, but I owe my small screen dedication to that little program.


What is your favorite post on Gawker.TV?
I spent the winter in London, so I wasn't able to keep up with the Late Night War, so I relied on Gawker.TV for clips of the greatest jabs.

What experiences did you hope to gain from this internship?
I hope to get some experience in a new media environment. I do some writing for the University of Rochester "Campus Times", but that's nothing like what goes on here. I'm still in school, and my university isn't big on journalism and communications, so this is valuable experience I can't get at school.

Did your Gawker.TV internship live up to your expectations? How so?
It's definitely lived up to my expectations. In addition to coming to work to watch television, I also get to go to meetups and events I'd never have heard about otherwise. I think I might even be networking!

Was there something in particular that you learned from this internship that you didn't know before you started?
I didn't know much about how to promote my articles and blog posts effectively, but now I know where to pimp my things.


What has been your favorite part about your internship?
I love coming into work and watching Wipeout. I'm a major TV elitist, so prior to this I scoffed at the stupid concept. But having to watch the show made me appreciate how insanely funny it is. No matter how sophisticated you may be, watching people fall into mud will always be hilarious.


What skills do you feel you've gained as a result of this internship?
I've learned how to adjust my writing styles for different audiences and different requirements. In the past, I've merely voiced my opinions and didn't think much of who'd be reading it. Now I have a whole new appreciation for the audience.


What was the biggest surprise you encountered interning at Gawker.TV?
This is a really easy-going internship. It's nice to be able to talk to the editors and staff writers as peers and not as stuck up superiors. I've hung out with these people outside of work, something I haven't heard from my other friends at internships.

How does this internship differ from any other previous internships you might have had in the past?
Everyone is so young! I mean, I'm young, but my other friends have internships and they're working for people in their 40's or 50's. Everyone here is really casual and young, which creates a whole different dynamic.


If you could, would you intern here all over again?
Heck yes! I'm a junior in college, and I haven't counted out applying for a Gizmodo internship next summer.

Would you recommend interning for Gawker.TV to others?
Would I? I've already been telling everyone who will listen about it. Not only is it great experience in the blogging world, it's also an incredible opportunity to get a real job in this industry.


Do you have any tips or advice you would give future Gawker.TV interns?
Show up on time and jump at any posting opportunities you get. It's a good way to prove yourself to your superiors and the get your name out there.

Do you have any ideas on how we can improve the internship program?
More writing. I felt like the primary objective here was to get us interns familiar with capturing and uploading videos. I get that's important, but I feel like the site could benefit from more in-depth written posts in addition to the 40 word ledes in dailies. I understand you reserve those things for the editors and writers, but it would be nice to get thrown an opportunity like that once in a while. Just to get the experience and feedback.

What do you hope to do once you finish your internship?
I'm returning to college after the summer break. May 2012 I'll graduate from the University of Rochester with a B.S. in Computer Science.

Any regrets?
I regret doing the internship while still in college. There are so many potential career opportunities that pop up, and I'm not looking for that. I hope I can maintain these connections until I'm ready for a full time job.

Follow Erica on Twitter @bigratsgoboom, on tumblr, and email her here.

If you or someone you know is interested in interning at Gawker.TV send an email to internships@gawker.tv for more information.