By Cherie Conley, Curamericas Global Summer Intern

When I first started looking for global health internships in my International Studies graduate program, I was focused on the obvious choices – the State Department, United Nations, USAID, WHO. It seemed like a great opportunity, and a way to get my foot in the door of well-known organizations that do interesting work and seem to provide pretty secure careers for their employees.

When the United Nations called to offer me a position, I was awash with excitement at the prospect of spending ten weeks at such a prestigious institution. The interviewer mentioned that the last round of interns met the Secretary of State when she came to speak, and were at times invited to other high profile events which the President attended. Yes, glamorous indeed! He went on to mention the division I would be working in but couldn’t say exactly what I would be doing aside from administrative duties that all interns were assigned.

 Finding the Right Fit 

I decided against New York in the winter, mostly because I was unable to secure housing for that time, and continued looking for an internship not so far from home. Many people know of North Carolina as being a hub for science, engineering, and technology research. However, fewer people know that The Triangle is a hotbed of global and international health research and development as well.

At a career fair sponsored by my university, representatives from some of these companies were present and spoke about their organizations. Out of all of them, however, it was the volunteer coordinator of Curamericas Global, whose words resonated with me months later. He said that what employers want is not just a degree and list of places where you’ve interned, but actual project and management experience, and skills or tools that you can bring to their organization – beyond the traditional administrative intern duties. Having done numerous job searches and looked at “preferred” and “required” skills, I knew what he was saying was true.

While some internships seem cool and are great opportunities, they may not be the best building block for you to reach your next goal.  Almost like deciding where to go to college, with internships you have to find the right fit for you. It’s important to connect with one that will allow you to gain the experience you need/want and, if possible, give you marketable skills that you’ll be able to take with you and build on in the future. Therefore, it’s helpful if you have a general idea of what you want to do while during school and after. Of course, that is not always possible so internships can also be used to explore possible career paths and clarify goals.

What to consider when looking for a place to intern:

• Do you prefer a bigger or smaller organization?
• Will you be mentored by someone you can get to know and who may be able to offer a reference for you later?
• Is this an organization that might be offer the possibility of future employment?
• Can the office tell you with some specificity what you will be doing during your stay?
• Can the office provide examples of past intern projects?
• Does the office have experience working with interns?
• Is the organization well established in the sector in which you are interested?

Get an Idea of What Projects You Might be Doing

By no means would an internship at USAID or a similar institution be a bad choice, but just know there are other options that provide great work experiences, often are not as costly, and may even offer additional opportunities that might not be available at larger organizations or more popular internship sites. For example, here at Curamericas, the small staff and large number of projects makes it easy for interns to talk to managers and supervisors about research interests and design projects that meet those interests. What’s also nice to know is that, in this organization specifically, the work being done not only helps interns achieve their goals but will actually make a difference and be used by the organization to fulfill its mission and goals as well.

Some of the sample summer intern projects:

• Developing health education training materials to be used in Guatemala and Liberia to train healthcare professionals. 
• Performing qualitative data collection and analysis through key informant interviews and focus groups
• Monitoring and evaluation of existing family planning programs
• Working on a Water and Sanitation project by monitoring the progress of Community Water Committees, construction of hand washing stations, and hygiene education activities
• Pursuing grant research and writing opportunities

When You Start Working

Once you are offered an internship, you can breathe a sigh of relief, but realize that the hard work has just begun. As an intern you want find ways to give as much to the organization as you hoped to get – no matter what your skill level. What you have to offer can be as simple as making sure to greet and converse with your colleagues to let them know you are grateful for the experience and want to learn as much as possible. Furthermore, most people enjoy sharing their story and lending assistance to those who ask.

Understand the goals of the organization, and look for ways to support them within the scope of your abilities. For instance, if the organization is trying to build regional partnerships and you happen to be a member of a regional organization that may be a potential partner, bring it to the attention of your supervisor. Though the idea might not come to fruition, your supervisor may appreciate your creativity and demonstrated desire to support the organization.

Internships are wonderful ways to explore or begin to build the foundation for a career. Making the most of an internship starts with identifying your goals, finding a place that will help you meet those goals and develop specific skills that you can use in the future, and finally, once hired, working hard to be an engaged, enthusiastic, focused and hard working employee. 

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