U.S. Green Building Council New York

Organization: U.S. Green Building Council New York

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

I interned here in the Spring of 2009 and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in green building or sustainable development. While my tasks are often tedious and consist of lots of data entry, there are also some really fun projects that interns are assigned to. I have worked on putting together educational events that are hosted by teh USGBC as well as picking “sustainable menus” for events. I would say that one of the most satisfying parts of working at the USGBC is working with some really great, fun people who are all interested in working for a great cause. I have met some wonderful people in the office as well as at networking events outside of the office sponsored by the USGBC. Another great perk about this internship is the free access to events and LEED workshops. If you’re looking to get LEED certified, this is a perfect opportunity. With free study classes and potentially free LEED exam registration, this is an incredible opportunity to get a head start in the green building field. Employers really respect the USGBC and it’s contributions to the green industry, so this is a great resume addition.

Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse

Company: Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse

City: Boston, MA

Unpaid

I interned in the summer of 2008 at SBER. The set up was a little strange since the position was a last minute offer from a mutual family friend. So when I arrived there, I had my own desk with my own computer, but didn’t really have a lot to do. Both of my supervisors were based in Baltimore, so I didn’t really have constant contact with them, but it worked out pretty nicely so that I had about one big project per week to work on. I particularly liked this internship because of the perks of working at Fenway Park. If you’re a Red Sox fan, this internship is awesome: free pass to the park whenever you want (yes, even during games!) with the occasional sighting of Red Sox players. Other than that, my work entailed normal intern tasks (filing, making spreadsheets, etc.), but I also got to work on some significant projects, such as LEED certification of Fenway Park as well as putting together press packets and other research documents. This was definitely an office job, but extremely useful if you’re looking to get into the real estate, development field. Struever Bros. is a pretty well known company, so it looks great on a resume. I also really enjoyed the people I worked with– a real variety of pretty cool people, young and old. All in all, I would definitely recommend this internship.

Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos (FOCO)

Organization: Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos (FOCO)

City: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Unpaid

I loved working at FOCO.  Basically, the organization has two parts.  One works on transnational corporations and their human rights abuses and the other part works on gender issues.  This is because the founders are a husband and wife team who specialize in these areas.  I worked for both- mostly translating between English and Spanish for the transnational corporation side and then working coding interviews for the gender side.  I also had the opportunity to develop a sexual education workshop curriculum with my boss and then go with her to teach it to a group of underserved students at a private school in La Matanza.  The people at FOCO were super nice, young, and liberal.  They were EXTREMELY patient with my Spanish, and always invited me to meetings.  They were also really open to helping me with my research project for school, and including me in any way I wanted to participate.  I enjoyed going there twice a week, and my Spanish improved greatly.

IkamvaYouth, Connect123

Organization: IkamvaYouth

City: Capetown, South Africa

Unpaid

I interned through Connect123 at IkamvaYouth and had a very rewarding experience. The important thing to keep in mind when interning/volunteering/working ANYWHERE in a country that does not have the same cultural expectations or customs is that you have to keep an open mind and be willing to be creative. Ikamva is the type of place where if you have the motivation and the leadership drive then you’ll find many different ways to contribute which will be extremely valuable. The students, tutors, and administrators are very dedicated. As an intern there, I definitely realized how important it was to take initiative and get involved. If you sit back and wait for someone to tell you what to do and you’re very passive, then you are not the person for the job. You have to know what your qualities are and use them! If you ask for something to do, or share your ideas, then you will see how well received these efforts are. Ikamva has so many opportunities for those interested in assisting very motivated yet severely disadvantaged youth, and if you step up to the plate, you won’t only see how much you can make a difference, but how important your efforts are to an amazing cause. For those who are creative and passionate, this will be one of the most rewarding and experiences you’ll ever have.

Connect123 is the family you’ll have away from home. You will find friends forever in some of the other interns. Connect123 provides many great opportunities for you to get out into Cape Town and experience different places and people. Any concerns anyone had were taken seriously and they work hard to ensure everyone’s safety and happiness.

The Transgender Project, National Development and Research Institute

Organization: The Transgender Project, National Development and Research Institute

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

This internship was one of the best experiences I’ve had.  This research study followed 600 transgender people for a few years, mainly focusing on HIV and general health.  The surveys were lengthy and both English and Spanish speaking subjects participated.  Working at the study really gave me a good understanding of what it’s like to conduct public health research.  My supervisors, Dr. Larry Nuttbrock and Monica Macri, were both extremely generous and helpful.  They both took a genuine interest in me and tried to explain things along the way.  I did a fair amount of clerical work (checking that each question on surveys was completed, data entry) but I also got to do cooler projects (figuring out coding for one section of the survey, coding it, changing qualitative data to quantitative data).  And the nice part was that when I did have to do clerical work, Monica would be doing it as well, so I never felt like I was a slave.  They were extremely appreciative of my help and they engaged me in intelligent discussion frequently.  Unfortunately, the research study is closing down in the next few months, but if you ever get the chance to work for either of these people, you should!!

U.S. House of Representatives- District Office of Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney

Organization: U.S. House of Representatives- District Office of Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

This internship opened my eyes to the world of politics and made me realize that people work too hard and make too little in this field.  I learned a lot throughout my time at the office, particularly about writing congressional correspondence and dealing with constituents.  The various people that worked at the office were mostly friendly, though they were stressed out the majority of the time.  My proudest accomplishment during this internship was writing several pieces to be put in the Congressional Record.  That was pretty cool.  However, they had trouble keeping me busy, and the days often passed very slooooowly.  I think part of that was being at Rep. Maloney’s Disrict Office, where she usually isn’t.  The thing I really didn’t like about the internship though was that Rep. Maloney never once spoke to me.  I was never introduced to her, though I worked there for a whole semester and saw her at the office several times.  I felt underappreciated and that she was kind of rude.  Otherwise, it was a good glimpse into what being a legislative staffer is like.

Shanti

Organization: Shanti

City: San Francisco, CA

Unpaid

I was the HIV Services intern for Shanti during the summer of 2007.  I absolutely loved it there.  The work itself is extremely rewarding.  Shanti provides emotional and practical support to people living with AIDS.  I spent time working with several clients one-on-one, as well as working in the drop-in center with more transient clients. I also helped organize a women’s support group, and learned a TON about social services in San Francisco.  This internship definitely requires you to be adventurous and sometimes fearless as you will see and hear about things that you probably have never been exposed to in the past.  Shanti’s offices are located in the Tenderloin, so even getting to work can be eye-opening.  The people that work at Shanti are some of the coolest folks I’ve ever met- super relaxed, liberal, and eager to help interns learn.  I loved my summer their and continue to fundraise for the organization and stay in touch with people who work there.

CNN- Anderson Cooper 360

Company: CNN – Anderson Cooper 360

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

I can’t comment completely on this experience as I’ve only been here for about a month. That being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed working at CNN. I feel like the company has a very well structured intern program that is focused on incorporating it’s interns into everyday work tasks as well as training them extensively. I have attended training sessions on various news-related software that have not only boosted my resume, but also my work skills. The staff is very friendly, and us interns are utilized by all types of staff members. I find that I am busy the vast majority of the day, and the work day goes by very quickly. If you are interested in hard news and politics, CNN is definitely a great opportunity. I have heard that the internship is very competitive, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. I wish I could elaborate more!

MSNBC- Morning Joe Show

Company: MSNBC – Morning Joe

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

Morning Joe boasts a small staff of very friendly, albeit busy, people. This was my first television experience and I learned a lot about how a show is put together. That being said, Morning Joe is not scripted, so it functions differently from some other strictly news programs. Working at NBC was a rewarding experience, they plan a lot of intern events and also offer a lot of support for interns and are very interested in retaining interns for future internships and full-time positions. However, they are a very large company and there is little attention paid to interns personally – it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. I’ve also heard from other interns that many NBC shows do not appreciate their interns and pages. I did experience a lack of initiative among the staff to interact with the interns at my show, but I chalked it up to how busy they were, and the fact that my show did not appoint an intern coordinator because it was such a small group. If you are interested in a career in TV, I would definitely recommend getting an internship at NBC, and if you like it stay on for as long as possible. NBC hires most people from inside the company, and getting your foot in the door is a good first step. Just be aware that you are viewed as more of an intern than a valuable member of the team.

CosmoGIRL!

Company: CosmoGIRL! Magazine (Hearst Corporation)

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

Unfortunately, CosmoGIRL! Magazine no longer exists, but hopefully this review can give you some insight into working with other publications at Hearst or other teen magazines. I really enjoyed working at CosmoGIRL! because of the structuring of their internship program. Everyone was paired with an editor, so I got a lot of one on one time with both the Executive Editor and her assistant, who was an entry-level editor. All interns also wrote weekly blogs, which I know that some other teen mags do as well. We were also invited to monthly staff meetings, and we had weekly brown bag lunches where various staff members would speak to us about their positions and career paths. I was also involved with some high profile events that CosmoGIRL! put on, such as their Born to Lead Awards event. Overall, I realized that I personally wasn’t interested in writing on the content of the magazine, but I learned an amazing amount about how the magazine industry works, and I value the experience very much.