Grid Alternatives

Solar Desgin intern

August - November 2020 • San Diego, CA

What I liked

Experience with hands on team projects

What I wish was different

I wish it had been more technical

Advice

Work hard and show initiative.

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Grid Alternatives Warehouse Management and Site Installation Intern

May - July 2019 • San Diego, CA

What I liked

After planning to spend my summer in San Diego, I began my search for possible non-profits in the community that I could have the pleasure of interning with. This search thankfully led me to Grid Alternatives, a solar non-profit that empowers less fortunate communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training. They expressed gratitude in welcoming me into their own tightly knit community of dedicated, caring, and selfless workers and volunteers. I was impressed by the degree of organization and care that was shown towards volunteers, it was refreshing to know that I was in good and experienced hands. The community I found myself blessed with was extremely welcoming, generous, and encouraging which really helped me settle well and aided me in finding ways to make an immediate impact, serving to the best of my ability. I was able to complete my internship within the 7 week time frame and still have time afterwards to site see and explore during the remainder of my time in San Diego.

What I wish was different

I wish there was a branch of Grid Alternatives that functioned in Memphis so I could continue my work after leaving San Diego. I wish I could have attended more site installations after my internship was done. I wish I could have attended more site installations than warehouse management duties because I felt I learned more during the hands on work at the sites and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new staff, other volunteers, and families that I worked with on the installation sites.

Advice

Don't be afraid to reach out to employers about jobs/ careers you're interested in, you never know the value and precious opportunities you are missing out on when you fail to inquire about openings/jobs. Always show up to work prepared, on time, and eager to learn. Don't hesitate to take on/try new roles and jobs ,valuable experience and character development often accompany these trails and challenges. Listen/Follow along, Speak up (with respect yet confidence), and be open to meeting and learning from people and supervisors. Treat customers with the same respect as your supervisors. Invest the time to brief yourself with research on the roles and tasks you're hired to perform. Put in 100% effort in your work and take pride in it, the benefits of your labor will be revealed down the road.

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Community Outreach Intern

May - September 2017 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

All the staff were friendly and helpful. They were flexible with work hours.

What I wish was different

I wish it had been a paid internship.

Advice

Since it was an unpaid internship, I feel like there was less competition for the position. The outreach team are all really helpful and y supervisor took time to make sure we were trained up properly for our tasks.

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Workforce and Volunteering intern

June - September 2018 • Riverside, CA

What I liked

This was an amazing experience to expand my academical knowledge to a professional setting.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Solar PV Installer

August - September 2018 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

I greatly appreciated the focus and comfort of working with other women and how patience and thorough the supervisors and coordinators were. I enjoyed learning about diverse aspects of the organization, not just about the installation, but also the networking, fundraising, and alternative jobs connected to GRID.