Beyond Legal Aid

Fundraising Intern

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Interacting with a large intern cohort and interacting with a wide variety of facets of legal aid/nonprofit operations was a definite positive point of this internship. I enjoyed participating in rallies and other forms of activism while also assisting in raising money for a cause that I enjoyed. In addition, I enjoyed expanding my skillset and working outside of my comfort zone on more creative projects including graphic design and marketing.

What I wish was different

I wish that there would have been a little more structure to the internship: a lot of projects were a bit sporadic and not necessarily tailored to my personal skills. In addition, I think it would have been more advantageous to have a smaller, more intimate cohort, as I felt that there was not always enough work for all of the interns.

Advice

I would say that communication with higher-ups is essential. Even if it can be uncomfortable at times, voicing ones opinion honestly can make the experience much better and allow for more personal growth. In addition, employers/internship coordinators are far more likely to think highly of interns who are vocal in what they are confused about/what they would like to be doing throughout the course of their time with the company/organization.

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