How to Make the Most of Your Nonprofit Internship

Jill Doub

Manager of Volunteers and Interns

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Demonstrate that you’re interested in the mission.

Nonprofits are all about their missions. They exist to serve some public good. Everything works better when we’re all invested in the change we want to see in the world.

Act like a grown up

Do our generation justice. Know when to get off your phone. Know how to dress. Speak intelligently and professionally.

Ask for both short and long term projects.

If you finish one project and feel like you have some down time, work on something long term. Do not default to facebook when you have free time.

Use it as an opportunity to learn about your field.

You might find out you don’t want to do this kind of work after all.

Meet as many people as you can.

Schedule informational interviews with someone in every department. Eat lunch with people. Keep in touch with them after your internship ends.

Show you can be trusted with small tasks.

Don’t get annoyed when they don’t immediately recognize your sparkling intellect and above-average capabilities.

Be careful with social media.

Don’t use it during work. Watch what you post about your internship. Check with coworkers before you friend or follow them. LinkedIn is specifically designed for work-related connections.

Listen and observe more than you talk.

Be friendly, but don’t be too chatty. To learn from your coworkers, you need to give them a chance to talk. Sitting back and observing allows you to immerse yourself in the office culture and pick up valuable jargon.

Keep a record of everything you do.

Be as detailed as possible. Keep physical copies of anything that looks impressive. You can take this stuff to job interviews.

Realize that it’s not all about you.

Nonprofits need this work to be done. If you let them down, it impedes their mission and ultimately the community they serve.

End on a good note.

Don’t let a stellar start be an excuse for trailing off toward the end of your internship.

Know that you may not get a job at this organization.

Even if you were the best intern ever. Most nonprofits are small. They don’t hire a huge number of people each year. The trick is to stay on their radar so when they do hire, your application goes to the top of the pile.

Be able to tell people what you did.

Professors. Hiring managers. Grad school applications. You’ll need a succinct but inspiring way to tell folks what you accomplished.

Keep volunteering at the organization after your internship ends.

It’s a great way to keep in touch. You’ll also continue to build your skills. If they like you, they’ll tell you about job openings as soon as they become available and make sure your resume gets read.