Getting to Know my Colleagues

The people at my internship have been very welcoming from day one. This week, especially, I started to realize how much I could learn from their experiences in the nonprofit sector. Yesterday, an executive staff member of the organization came to tour our center and we connected immediately when I mentioned my interests for the future. I later found out just how successful and well-liked this individual is and now I have a direct connection to discussing my interests with her! I have also started asking my colleagues a bit about their background and how they got started in the non profit sector. Being in this internship, I have realized that my dream of starting a nonprofit is very feasible but that I also must start thinking about how I will get started in the profession. Many people, I have found, got their masters in Social Work after graduating college. They encouraged me to look into getting an MSW but also explained that the best way to get started is by getting any job in an organization and working your way up. One person who is now very successful in nonprofit management started as an intern and still works for the same company thirty years later! I have also talked to a colleague who is currently participating in the Americorp program, meaning that he works for the nonprofit but gets paid by the government. He explained the benefits of this program and how he feels like it is a great way to start in the career of your choice, especially as a gap year before grad school. While all aspects of my internship have not been exactly what I expected, I have definitely learned immensely form those I am working with. I have started thinking about my future plans and researching more options after talking to my colleagues. I know that even after the summer concludes, many of the people I have met at the office will be great resources in the near future.