Morning Run Crew

As a Morning Run intern, I had to come in at 6 am every morning. As expected, I started working the moment I entered the office, as the presenters and research team were rushing to get the news stories and research angles out before the 7.30 am BizTalk session. The one-and-a-half hours everyday became the most intense part of the internship. Apart from preliminary rearrangement of the news stories, research needs to be conducted quickly and accurately. We were constantly reminded on how much the audiences depended on diverse angles of a story and the correctness of the information.

At 8 am every morning, the flagship program - The Breakfast Grille - would air. Interns would be assigned their Grilles a week before. During my tenure, I was lucky to do high-profile Grilles like Felda Global Ventures CEO, Minister Nancy Shukri, Levi's Director, Sakae Sushi CEO, iFlix CEO and many others. This was my favourite part of the work because I was given great autonomy and independence here.

There were 2 interviews. Both of them were done via Skype as I was abroad at that time.

The first interview was conducted by BFM's Human Resource Manager to assess my preferences and suitability. Prior to the interview, I was asked to listen to a few recent BFM programs which became a part of the questions asked.

The second interview was more in-depth. Questions range from my interests, personality and work experiences. This was conducted by BFM's Head of Research, Michael.

Coming from a law background, the learning curve was steep as Morning Run demands knowledge in business and finance. I had to digest materials in a shortest time and be able to recognise the key components of a story.

As for the Breakfast Grille research, I exercised my discretion on what would be most useful for the interviews and participated fully in the meetings.

Aside from that, I am now able to read companies' financials and conduct quantitative assessments of its performances. Occasional uses of Bloomberg Terminal became very useful.

The less exciting part of the internship consists of editing podcasts using Adobe Audition and MODX Web Content Management System. These were highly technical skills.

As for the work environment at BFM, I have never been in a friendlier place in my life. There was not a day which I did not enjoy. Part of the reason for this might be the absence of personal offices or cubicles. Everyone was seated together, everyone was friendly.

Michael, Head of Research, constantly checked on us and ensured we were doing fine. If we had any challenges in the work that we do, he would help us out on the spot. He was only a few steps away. Moreover, he held mini seminars on topics like the Foreign Exchange and Journalism techniques. It was clear that he wanted us to make the most of the internship.

I also grew close to the rest of the Morning Run Crew. They were always open to teach you more, and we always went for lunch together. I was treated like a full-time employee as they respected and appreciated my work and opinions, and I was treated like an intern when I needed leeway for errors. This was the best of both worlds.

Everyone I worked with was knowledgeable, generous and kind. I have a curious mind and was unafraid to ask questions, but they were never annoyed. It is really nothing more that I could ask for.

The office also provided breakfast. To be greeted with the smell of pastry and nasi lemak, it was heaven.

BFM's Morning Run internship far exceeded the standard of Malaysian internships, since most internships do not have good reputations. Thus, any critique here would not be to 'fix' a broken program, but merely acts as a advice for betterment.

There could more mini seminars. I found the mini seminars incredibly enlightening, as I got to learn more than what I get from the research I have done. Finance is filled with terminologies, concepts and history, and the more you know, the better.

Even when I worked from 6 am - 3 pm everyday, it certainly felt too short. There could be clearer allocation of workload for each day. But this is tricky, I recognise, because an imposition too strict would deprive the autonomy you get to prioritise which work for how long. It is a balancing act.

BFM holds regular meetings which were honestly conducted. They are open to criticisms of their own, and that means most flaws will be self-correcting over time. I don't worry.

In a radio station, there are no tolerance for missing deadlines. If something needs to be done at 8.45 am, even a minute late would spell chaos. That means you have to be at top of your game when you commit to it. I enjoy the thrill, and I reckon you must enjoy it too.

Talk to everyone you see, and do not be afraid. The only reason I got the high-profile Grilles was because I wanted to do them. Ask, and they shall be given to you. I was given the Nancy Shukri Grille when I had 2 other Grilles to be done. If you are willing to commit, they will count on your word. Be an adult, and expect to be treated as one.

Love your job. I brought work home almost any other day not because I was obliged to, but because I genuinely enjoyed doing them. Knowing that the work will be used on air and praises and criticisms will be drawn at you is an exhilarating thing. You can track your own progress and mentors at BFM will not be afraid to be honest with you. Use that to the best of you.