On a daily basis, I enjoyed working with the five other interns. We all came in with various interests and prior skill which made it fun to learn from each other and take on different tasks. Having this sort of community encouraged professional growth: we talked about career paths and other academic opportunities while tapping into each other’s networks. I also liked being busy from 9-5. My internship last summer lacked content and tasks for me to do. Friends working on the hill or in other offices this summer have a similar experience. I feel that the hands-on approach here makes it easier to learn quickly and grow professionally.
What I wish was different
Since interns were responsible for doing such a variety of work, it would have been helpful to have had an overview on the first day of the different types of tasks we would be doing (ex. membership tasks
including managing/updating the rosters and backend, administrative tasks including processing
mail + authorize.net, etc.). In the beginning, I remember getting emails in events and having no
idea on how to take care of them. We were trained on so many things on the first day that we then
knew how to do, but having the bigger picture of how all these tasks fit together would have been
helpful.
Advice
Future interns should take advantage of the professional development and networking opportunities. Make a list of people to meet for coffee and start doing this throughout the internship (maybe after one month here). Connecting early on allow for greater chanc to meet people and the opportunity to follow up/meet with them again.
