Last summer was an immense learning experience for me, not just due to what I learnt during my eventual stint at Amnesty International in London, but from the entire process of how I ended up there. A little backstory is necessary. I didn’t have the best time last semester, dealing with some personal issues and seemingly always ending up struggling to keep on top of all my work and commitments. As a result, it wasn’t until very late into the semester that I even started considering what I would be doing during the three months of summer break. While all my peers and friends had sorted out a variety of plans, lined up internships or projects, I was stuck scratching my head about how to even begin the process. By mid-April, I was half convinced that it was too late and there was nowhere still taking interns. A lot of advice I got at this point was to try for the fall semester or winter break instead.
Nonetheless, I set about emailing different organizations and I landed an interview with the Committee for Protection of Journalists (CPJ) in New York. The interview took place in mid-May and I was told informally by the interviewer that I was a great fit and subject to clearance from HR I could start right away. I sighed a huge breath of relief. Unfortunately, a week or two later I received an email that due to complications with my visa, they could not actually offer me the position. (The problem with the visa however was very readily solvable and is outlined in another article about Curricular Practical Training, or CPT). As a result, it was already June and I was nowhere.
1. It’s absolutely never too late – but save yourself the stress.
In mid-June, I was sitting on my computer all day checking at every conceivable organization I was interested in trying to find out if they still had any internship opportunities open for the summer. Most of the time I was faced with disappointment. Whatever I found, I applied to. I couldn’t even think twice. Desperate times called for desperate measures. That being said, however, you would be surprised how many organizations are still accepting summer interns a month into the summer. It’s not impossible by any stretch of the imagination, but then again, it was a very stressful few weeks. Every organization that had already closed applications was yet another demotivating blow, and each and every time I wished I had started this process six months before. That would be around now. You don’t have to do it this instant, but start thinking. It’ll help.
2. Networks matter. Don’t be scared about reaching out.
I had to use every conceivable contact I had – people my family or friends knew, people those people knew, my friends parents, my professors at Clark, Career Services, email addresses on organization websites etc. Even when it was coming out to a dead end however, it was a supremely useful experience as it got me in touch with many people who I would otherwise not be able to contact professionally in the future. Building an intensive network of people is imperative. Don’t be shy about reaching out to people you barely know or for that matter, people you don’t know. Most of the time they’re very friendly and helpful, and if nothing else, you build up a professional network.
3. Do not limit yourself – topically or geographically.
Come the end of June, I actually had to make a decision between a few different internship opportunities. They were very scattered geographically and also topically. As a Political Science major, I’m trained to be a jack of all trades in some regards. In a major like that, one must be adaptable and able to apply the skills of analysis and critical thinking to a variety of different problems. None of the internships I was tabling had much in similar to the academics I had been engaged in my major – they were organizations ranging from public health organizations to human rights organizations. That being said, even if you have nothing to do with these types of work, they are often on the lookout for an increasingly diverse range of employees and interns. Another reason I could table a variety of offers was a willingness to not be tied down geographically. I had to decide between flying out to California, London, or strangely enough, Madison, Wisconsin. At the end of the day, an internship is a learning experience that need not be limited to the daily grind. I was ecstatic with the opportunities to get a change of scenery and explore other places in a way I might not otherwise have been able to.
4. Do not underestimate yourself.
Amnesty International is a massive multinational human rights organization. When I started looking for internships, I didn’t really consider myself qualified in any way for the opportunity that they were offering. In fact, when I got there, the other interns were all significantly older, had all finished their undergraduate studies and were engaged in Masters or PHD programs. I was the baby of the group, yet when I was leaving, literally everyone who I had worked with, no matter how loosely told me (and not only me, but also their boss) that they wished I would be back. Back yourself for the job, and you will end up surprising yourself.
Procrastinating isn’t the best thing to do but it’s also not the end of the world if you have ended up doing it. There are so many resources to utilize to get the internship/job you want. That being said, it’s probably best that you start thinking about the summer soon. It’ll be here before you know it.
Check out pictures from the summer below. All photos taken by the author.
