Summer. I just love that word and all that comes with it: barbecues, swimming and … internships.
At HOPE, we have a remarkable group of interns this summer. We take the selection of interns as seriously as we take hiring employees. After receiving over 100 applications, we chose the top 25 applicants – and it could just be our most talented group of interns ever.
This summer our interns are single-handedly running our Pathways Out of Poverty exhibit, launching the HOPE Rising advocacy program, doing analysis of products and services, and even helping with this blog. Our goal is that they participate in meaningful projects and also leave with a greater knowledge of microfinance, missions, and economic development.
A few weeks ago, I gave a “welcome talk” to the interns and offered 5 suggestions of how to maximize the impact of their internship. This included:
- Don’t wait. Summer flies by. Jump in with two feet. Figure out what you want to learn from your internship, and take the initiative to make it happen.
- Realize you represent the organization. Live out our mission. Please don’t do anything that could possibly bring embarrassment to us or our mission (Where I once worked, an intern destroyed the reputation of the local office through their moral decisions. It’s risky having others represent you—which is why some organizations have decided to stop taking interns.)
- Invest relationally. It’s not just what you do that matters – but whom you do it with. Realize that the value of your internship comes from the people you’re around. Take staff to coffee and learn everything you can about their story as you deepen relationships.
- Use this time to create patterns. Many of the interns are graduating or about to graduate. The patterns and spiritual disciples they are currently practicing become lifelong habits. Now is a great time to get serious about daily finding time with God and developing the habit of being a lifelong learner.
- Be excellent. Whatever you do, do it well. See this as a summer-long interview. For example, 35 percent of HOPE’s full-time staff in PA started as interns. Also, it is a joy for supervisors to recommend interns for employment at other organizations.
Although internships are unpaid, we look for and find ways to invest in the lives of our interns—personally, professionally, and spiritually. If you’re interested in joining us next year, please visit http://www.hopeinternational.org/get-involved/internship/.
What am I missing? What else contributes to the most meaningful summer internship experience?
Tweetables:
New blog about our amazing @HOPETweets interns. @peterkgreer – Click to tweet
Five tips to the very best internship experience. @peterkgreer – Click to tweet
