Competition for top talent has pushed offers for media internships earlier. The 2008-2009 slowdown in media hiring has made internships more competitive.

Essays for job applications can be very difficult to write. These strategies will get you off to a good start.

Because internships are 10- to 12-week positions, few media companies go to the expense of bringing in candidates for interviews. If the newsroom is interested in a distant candidate, it may ask for a telephone or video interview on Skype or iChat.

On-site interviews are rare in the internship hunt, but if you get one, here’s how to handle it.

Take advantage of interview days arranged by your journalism department or career services office. In some law and business schools, students have to bid for interviews, “spending” points just to get in to see top recruiters. J-schools make things easier than that, so take advantage of these chances.