It's time to set the record straight about interns. I can't vouch for every intern. I can tell you in the eight years since I started my professional career I can count more outstanding interns then years of work experience on my resume.
If this were facebook I would @ tag each of them at this point in the post. It isn't and there is no need to perpetuate that facebook mania of "friending" everyone you have every heard mentioned.
The point I want to make is about the quality of work done by these young people, their tenacity and accountability, all in the name of tasting a profession of interest.
Two interns I worked with most recently created the event, Caution: Gingerbread Construction from scratch to raise money for On Belay.
Right now I am working with a women who is professionally accomplished and eager to pursue a career as a professional climbing guide. She is kicking butt and taking names to put on an ice climbing festival for over 200 people.
These women impacted their internships in profound ways at no direct cost to the organization's hosting them and in exchange they gained meaningful professional experience.
This is what internships are meant to be.
In the interest of "the feedback sandwich", I put the best stories first.
I have also been witness to interns who are brought into organizations with the promise of a quality educational experience, read internship and what they got was all together different.
Upon arrival the fresh intern is ask to perform all sorts of tasks which have nothing to do with their internships. The intern becomes the catch all for the crap other people don't have time or interest in doing. This is not an internship.
To illustrate my point I'll share a moment of my professional career that I am not proud, don't worry it ends well.
It was the summer of 2007, the week before I put on a Kayak Regatta for 35 donors to a small nonprofit. This Regatta was a-typical. Think traveling drummers, massage therapists, lobster bakes and island with no running water or electricity.
Logistically intense? Yeah you could say that.
I was at least a few Americano's into my day. My summer intern
(who later played violin at my wedding processional) and our organization's second summer intern popped their heads into my office to ask if they could help.
My brain was working overtime...donations logged, special dietary needs to report, where are those face paints...all swirling the moment the girls offered to help.
"Uhhhh. Ummm. Just take my dog for a walk ok!" And I shut my office door.
Click for unbearably cute dog photo
A few moments later there was a knock on my door, it was my intern.
"Can we talk?" she said.
I could tell from the look on her face I was out of line. She walked in and I asked her directly,
"OK, how bad was that? Honestly."
She smiled sweetly, paused.
"You know Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada...
"THAT BAD!" I exclaimed and started laughing, so did she.
"Yup." She said between giggles "And, just so you know Catherine is afraid of dogs."
I pulled $20 from my wallet, apologized for being a jerk and sent the girls to grab themselves a coffee and something sweet while I collected myself and thought of an appropriate way for them to support the event planning efforts.
I won't argue, there are unflattering, unappealing tasks in every job and they need to get done. My suggestion, lay that out ahead of time and tackle those tasks as a team.
Don't take interns for granted. Love them , appreciate them, treat them well.
To all the under appreciated interns out there, may the light within me honor the light with in you.
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