Internships Help Students Put Theory into Practice
Sept. 22, 2016
Everyone knows the importance of doing internships. Some students discover opportunities on their own or with the help of a professor or mentor. The Magner Career Center has helped students secure positions at organizations around the world by conducting workshops and panels where students can interact with prospective employers. The center also has a database in which students can search for internships. And for students who cannot afford to take an unpaid internship, they even have a competitive stipend program.
Here is a sampling of where some Brooklyn College students spent their summer internships.
Reanisha Bartholomew
Senior Reanisha Bartholomew, Television and Radio major
Internship: Discovery Communications, Commercial Operations Department, New York City
Responsibilities: Assisting in the daily input of commercials and helping sales assistants to process last-minute changes to advertisement deals
How she got the internship: "I attended a paid internship panel that was held on campus by the Magner Career Center. An internship program manager for Discovery was a panelist, and she told me about the application process and the skills hiring managers look for. I applied and got accepted into the summer semester after completing two rounds of interviews."
What she learned: "I learned about the amount of work it takes for commercials to air within a television program. I also learned a lot about myself and was able to gain skills that are transferable to many work environments."
The fun part: "There was a speaker series for interns in which employees from various departments spoke to us about their careers and provided valuable advice for success. Those sessions were motivating."
Most challenging part: "Fully understanding the computer programs I used to complete my various projects."
Peter Lee
Senior Peter Lee, Anthropology major, Scholars Program, Coordinated BA-MD program
Internship: The Gender and Social Inclusion team at Millennium Challenge Corporation, Washington, D.C., a bilateral United States foreign aid agency that focuses on global poverty.
Responsibilities: Conducted a review on how various institutions and agencies define and approach social inclusion, worked on anti-sexual harassment guidance, reviewed good practices of gender and social inclusion within technical and vocational education and training organizations, and supported the Indonesia country team on increasing male involvement in maternal and child nutrition and health.
How he got the internship: After presenting a paper at an international conference on human development, which was funded by Brooklyn College's Anthropology Club, he was approached by an audience member who asked if he had ever considered consulting for the World Bank. This lead him to look into various development agencies, and after learning about the Millennium Challenge Corporation, he submitted an application. He was awarded a stipend from the Scholars Program to help compensate him for the internship.
What he learned: "Being part of the development community provided valuable insight into how development is done, how programs are conceptualized, designed, implemented, and monitored."
The fun part: "In addition to networking with development practitioners and attending various events and lectures, my internship provided me with a uniquely rewarding opportunity to put theory into practice and to apply knowledge learned in the classroom toward an end of poverty."
Most challenging part: "Having to reconcile my criticalness was at times challenging. However, as there is a distinct line between criticalness and cynicism, had I been unwilling or unable to do so, I would have been a coward seeking last refuge in cynicism."
Anna Shket
Graduate student Anna Shket, majoring in Political Science and International Affairs
Internship: United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Regional Branch, United Nations Headquarters, New York City
Responsibilities: The branch assists in the coordination of arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation policies. The main responsibilities for the internship included working alongside political affairs officers researching, drafting, and reviewing documents, attending meetings and note-taking, and assisting in drafting contributions to reports.
How she got the internship: Applied through the United Nations online system.
What she learned: "I developed a wide knowledge of disarmament affairs and how to summarize a large amount of the information into a succinct report. I also strengthened my ability to communicate in a professional manner."
The fun part: "It was highly rewarding to be treated as an equal member of the team and to work with people from all over the world."
Most challenging part: "Getting used to the 9-to-5 schedule and working on my thesis at the same time."
Isabella Clark
Senior Isabella Clark, Urban Sustainability major
Internship: Yerba Buena Farms (a small farm and apiary), Strawberry Fields, Jamaica.
Responsibilities: The focus of the internship was sustainable top-bar beekeeping. The primary responsibilities were to ethically manage bees, harvest honey and beeswax, and create products from beeswax such as soaps and lotions. The program also runs several community outreach programs for local beekeepers and teaches kids from a summer camp about the importance of bees.
How she got the internship: Professor Tammy Lewis of the Sociology department and the Urban Sustainability program recommended it.
What she learned: "I found out that I love bees. They are mystical creatures. I formed a relationship with them that deepened my ability to empathize and connect with nature."
The fun part: "Living in Jamaica! I swam in the ocean almost every day, showered underneath a mango tree, went on multiple hikes through the bush, visited waterfalls and a sea cave, and lived with an incredible, warm, smart, and funny family."
Most challenging part: "Not having Internet access the first week was extremely difficult psychologically and made me reassess my relationship with technology."
Ervin Seytgazi
Senior Ervin Seytgazi, Public Accounting and Business Management and Finance major
Internship: Financial Services office, Real Estate Tax practice, KPMG, New York City.
Responsibilities: Mostly, helping to prepare and edit tax returns.
How he got the internship: After some comprehensive interview and networking preparation from Natalia Guarin-Klein, the director of the Magner Center, Seytgazi was connected with an alumnus and executive at KPMG who conducted his first interview for the position. He went on to subsequent interviews and was eventually hired.
What he learned: "One of the major skills that I learned was time management and how to properly communicate with a team and ask for support. Learning how to be a part of a team was another essential skill."
The fun part: "The social outings. Our social committee organized a lot of group activities around New York City. We had a Field Day where the professionals and interns spent the day in Central Park playing competitive and team-building games. It was a perfect opportunity for interns to get to know each other and to build meaningful connections with the professionals."
Most challenging part: "Not having enough knowledge of the work that was assigned and not being familiar with the software we used. Many interns, including me, were compelled to ask numerous questions. This forced me to spend time thinking of solutions myself and to build my communication skills by asking questions."
Daniel Alvarez
Senior Daniel Alvarez, Computer and Information Science major
Internship: Support Operations Team for Global Technology Infrastructure, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Jersey City, New Jersey
Responsibilities: Automating the process of updating the firm-wide asset management platform.
How he got the internship: Applied online after attending a Tech Talk hosted by the Magner Center and JP Morgan Chase last fall
What he learned: "A lot of what I was doing was trial-by-fire. They ask you to learn a new programming language or system and then you were expected to become familiar with it by working on it. It’s a very hands-on approach that I found to be much more efficient. Working with real-world applications puts everything you read and see into much better context."
The fun part: "The networking. JP Morgan Chase is a massive organization that can easily overwhelm you. The people I worked with helped me navigate the sea of information and find my feet pretty quickly."
Most challenging part: "Adapting at the drop of a hat. At times we were forced to completely change our game plan in order to overcome issues as they came up."
