
What was a typical week like in your internship position?
Since my internship was online, there was a lot of leeway in terms of when certain parts of projects were due. While we did have certain mini deadlines to meet, we got to choose how many hours per day to work on our project. We would have weekly meetings with our mentor on zoom, as well as weekly company meetings where representatives from the company would come to talk to us as well. Sometimes weekly or company meetings would interfere with class time, but our mentor was very understanding and posted recordings so that we could catch up if needed. So for me, I would work on my externship in between classes, while trying to keep the weekend free so that I would have free time for other obligations. Overall, scheduling a typical week of this externship was up to us.
What do you enjoy most about your current position?
The thing that I enjoyed most about this position was the flexibility. I am the type of person who does not like to be micromanaged so I feel like having the time and opportunity to figure out a schedule that worked for me yet still met the protocols and deadlines of the company was very helpful. I also liked how even though the internship was done online, there was still guiding support. For example, externs could ask questions during both the weekly meetings and there was also a discord where externs could ask other externs for questions and advice. I also liked how before moving on to different parts of a project, there would always be check-ins with our mentor as well as examples of work that was done by previous externs. Therefore, no one felt rushed or completely in the dark when it came to different parts of a project.
How did your coursework help you in your internship?
My coursework in research methods, communications, and statistics definitely helped me throughout the internship. I am on a team in the Gemstone Honors College where a lot of research is involved. Through this I learned how to find scholarly sources as well as perform annotated bibliographies. I also took a course in statistics that helped me with analysis of certain graphs and statistical measures when it came to measuring the scope of a country's economy, population, and cultural situation (stuff that was relevant to my extern position). My communications coursework also helped me portray all the information that I gathered into a cohesive slideshow. Many of these courses were not even major-related courses, yet were still a big help to me.
How did you locate your internship position?
I actually heard about this position from my friend. She was also looking for something that she could do online since everyone’s schedule during the school year can get a little bit hectic. While I applied for the position that she did, and unfortunately did not get in, I got a follow-up interview for a different position that I did get into and accepted. The website that I found these externships on is called Paragon One. It is a great opportunity to find an externship as it will pair you with a company that has open externship positions.
Advice for students:
UMD has so many great resources for finding internships such as Careers4Terps and the Feller Center. However, do not be afraid to reach out to professors and other friends. For example, my professor this year notified our class about the Do Good Institute and how they were accepting intern applications for multiple positions. Creating a LinkedIn profile is also a good idea because you can curate what you are interested in and looking at and LinkedIn will give specific suggestions for certain internships and positions that you may be interested in. Lastly, another app that I have used is Ripplematch. It is a career-matching platform that matches you with certain internships that you may be interested in based on the profile you make.
Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?
While I think that my experience may be different from those who have an in person internship, I feel as though there are some similarities in terms of getting the most out of it. It is important to know that everyone is nervous, and that should not prevent you from asking questions or clarifying things. Time management is also key because internships can take up a lot of time, and trying to cram things last minute will often not work. Also do not be afraid to reach out to other interns! It is always nice to talk to someone in the same position as you in terms of getting advice.