Zachary Jarjoura



Intern, American Association of Geographers (AAG)

Major: Geographical Science

Minor: Sustainability Studies

Class Year: 2022

LinkedIn Profile

 

 

 

 

What was a typical week like in your internship position?

At AAG, I work just under 20 hours a week during the semester on both independent and collaborative projects with other interns. Currently, I have been conducting outreach to geography clubs at other universities to spread the word for Geography Awareness Week. For this, I use social media platforms, Microsoft Office, and work with correspondence. I'm also the lead on a project using ArcGIS StoryMap to promote Geography Awareness Week. In this project, I maintain a map of global events that are planned and do some web design. Throughout the week, I also attend organizational meetings and occasional seminars, so I am able to learn about of AAG's internal operations and events. There is always something to keep me engaged.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

I like the variety in projects that I've been assigned to. I usually work on two or three different projects each day, so there is a lot. I like the flexibility of the position as well. This semester, because of the COVID, my internship is virtual, so I’m able to work anywhere as long as I have my laptop and internet!

 

 

How did you locate your internship position?

On UMD's Geographical Sciences department website, there is an Internship and Career Exploration webpage that has a great list of previous employers and internships. I saw that AAG was listed, so I found out more information about the organization on their website and submitted an application.

 

 

Advice for students:

One piece of advice I would give is to make use of the internship resources on the UMD department sites! Especially for geographical sciences, there is a lot of material that covers searching for internships, prepping for an interview, and the internship program that lets you earn credit for your internship. These resources were helpful for me.

A second piece of advice I would give is to manage time wisely. Interning takes up a fair amount of time, so I would recommend taking one during the summer or only taking a few classes during the semester.

A third piece of advice I would give is to meet the staff at the organization where you are interning! It is important to stay on top of all of your work, but it's also important to network so that you can learn more about the staff and the organization.

 

 

Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?

An internship can be a great experience, and it can show you what career path you want to pursue! I know that through my experience being at AAG, I have a better idea of what career I want to pursue.
Also, despite the impact that COVID has had on normal operations, virtual internships can still be beneficial. I wouldn't have been able to intern this semester had the position been in person.