Congratulations on being selected to
participate in the Jaggar Community Fellows Program! It is a very prestigious program and one that
is sure to greatly impact your summer. There
are many incredible employers doing fabulous work who cannot wait to meet you
and see your work within their organizations.
Always remember, as you will be working in a not-for-profit company,
every assignment given is, in some small or large way, helping contribute to a
greater cause. Whether this is your
first internship or you are an intern expert, here are a few things to help you
navigate the 10-week long intern road ahead.
Always remind yourself that you are an intern. While the Center for Career and Professional
Development prides itself on matching JCFP interns with companies that give
their interns real work (not the coffee runs or photocopying), there are times
where you may be doing everyday tasks.
Everyone in every position has to do these things at some point so do
not take it the wrong way. Interns are
there to learn first-hand what it is like to work in a particular
position. You are new, green, and at the
bottom of the totem pole. Let this
experience mold you, even the less exciting tasks to the huge projects that you
might get to work on.
Dress
to impress.
Definitely beating a dead horse with this as it is a mantra of CPD, but
it could not be more true. If you are
dressed appropriately, others will see the seriousness that you bring to the
job and you yourself also feel more confident.
Now, this comes with an asterisk (*) … some positions do not require
suits or business casual every day.
Clearly, this is a tip for those in offices, etc. If you are doing manual labor or spending
many days outside, clearly a suit, for example, might not be the ideal choice. Have common sense and dress appropriately for
the situation at hand.
Be
courteous and cordial to everyone that you come into contact with
throughout the internship, but especially at the beginning. You do not know which departments collaborate
with one another, who is friends with who, and the dynamic of the office as a
whole. Be sure to take note of these
connections quickly. You may be able to
utilize these same relationships when you are working on assignments. Also a side note, everyone loves food, especially baked things, so it never hurts to
bring in something for everyone to enjoy.
Yes, it’s shamelessly convincing people you are great, but as long as the
food is good, it usually works and you typically get to share in the
deliciousness, so a win for everyone!
Always
look for more things to do.
You signed up for JCFP because you wanted an internship experience. Now, you have to work for it, but with each
new task and day comes more experiences and opportunities. Do not let it go by. If your supervisor is out or too busy to
assign you something new, seek something out!
Perhaps you can take the initiative to begin a new project that you know
needs to be done or asking someone else in the office what they need help with. Displaying ambition and interest to your
employer not only reaffirms your desire to be an intern, but it also may lead
to even more meaningful tasks.
Feeding off of the last tip, give the internship some time! Everyone needs to get to know you, especially
your new supervisor. He/she may be a bit
hesitant to give you incredibly large or important assignments on the first
day, or even the first week. As with everything,
you need to show your strengths and worth.
Just put your best foot forward and be patient. Allow your supervisor to build a trusting
relationship with you. While it might be
difficult to wait, it will pay off in the long run and it never hurts for you
to propose things that you could do (see previous tip).
A personal note from a former JCFP
intern to the newest class – The non-profit world is a special place! There are a good number of you who have
probably never been exposed to it before or have even considered that there is
an entire working force in the not-for-profit sector. In the end, you may realize that you do not
like it at all. Thank goodness this is a
no risk situation! What would you have
done had you gone throughout your entire undergraduate career to realize you
dislike the career that you worked so hard to enter into? Now, you can decipher the various aspects of
your major and the numerous jobs that you can acquire with it. And, what happens if you love your job and
even the non-profit world? Well then,
you have found your niche in the workforce and we sincerely hope you not only
take advantage of this experience, but propel yourself forward to even greater
heights as you work toward something you love to do each day!
Go out, be your best selves, and do
great things!! Best of luck!
By Alexandra Wurglics
