Internship Experience

I did a brief internship with a non-profit organization in Rochester over the summer of 2008. I researched internship openings on JobShop, found the place and position, and applied. I also talked to Rob about the opportunity. He knew the lady who would be my supervisor and referred me to her. She brought up his name during the interview, which gave us even more to talk about. I'm not sure if that contact got me the position - my interviewer and I talked for over an hour before his name even came up - but using my network is something I should practice anyway. The internship ended up being very beneficial. I authored articles for, edited and formatted the agency's newsletter each month, which provided me with a nice portfolio in the end. I also had the opportunity to attend a conference in lieu of my supervisor. I met new contacts and learned to speak up for myself.

Another interesting, and unexpected lesson I learned at the conference: Don't be too picky about your food in a professional context. I'm an extremely fickle eater. I won't explain in depth, but at the conference I was forced to either go hungry or pick at the whole wheat wraps oozing with lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. I decided to try the wraps. As the youngest person at the conference, I didn't want to call attention to myself too much, or at least in a non-professional matter. I found out later that SUNY Brockport has an event each year (perhaps even each semester) to teach students how to eat in a professional setting, usually at a dinner or luncheon. Maybe that is something I should look into!