Staying with WISH has many benefits for college interns, from the prime location to guaranteed intern-only neighbors. One benefit that students might not consider is having access to a network of WISH alumni who now have thriving careers, and the knowledge they have from their own job search. Recently, four successful WISH alumni met with current residents to discuss entering the workforce and making the most out of their internships.
Steven Lucas is the Director of Portfolio Monitoring at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and interned at the same agency in 2011. While he eventually worked his way to the business side, his internship was in the HR department. While he could have been discouraged by this situation, he used it to his advantage.
“During my internship I just tried to be a sponge, learning as much as I could. I wasn’t in the department I wanted to be in, but I could learn as much as possible.” Lucas said.
Abby Vesoulis is a staff writer at TIME and interned at NBC in 2017. She had a lot of people offer her help as an intern and believes in passing it forward. However, she shared that if you set up a networking meeting, make sure to arrive prepared with questions and be aware of the other person’s schedule.
“If you ask for someone’s time, do the hard work for them. Provide concrete windows because scheduling can be difficult. Try to make the meeting place convenient to them” said Vesoulis.
José Hernandez is currently a Business Development Specialist at Sidley Austin LLP and interned at the United States Department of Justice while in college. In his 8 years post-college, he has found that there are a few tricks to having a great job interview. First, he puts a lot of research into the company’s practices and mission. Secondly, he always asks for feedback on his own candidacy.
“Folks tend to think this is an excellent question because it shows self-awareness. It can highlight a blind spot and give you the opportunity to respond,” Hernandez said.
Victoria Rametta is the Director of Operations at More Perfect Union and interned at the National Federation of Independent Business. She recommended using the resources available at your internship to further yourself. At her internship she asked her coordinator for permission to spend time in other departments, so she could be exposed to other roles.
“I met with the heads of different departments at my internship, so I learned about the digital marketing department and the public affairs department which is how I found I was passionate about digital marking. When you’re an intern you have this label that makes people automatically want to help you,” said Rametta.
If you are a WISH alum who would like to connect with interns in the future, please contact hdashiell@internsdc.com!
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