Name: Vanessa Foster

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: U.S. Department of State

Position Title: Human Resources Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Psychology Major, Media Communication Minor

Work Term: Spring 2019 

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

During the course of my internship, I did everything possible to help assist the hard-working people within my department. My day-to-day activities included everything from office organization and updating important files to answering phones. I also created my first social media campaign that brought attention to a special program related to the U.S. Department of State. I was honored to get a firsthand look at how an office environment functions.  

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

With the help of the Career Center, I received help reconstructing my resume. The Career Center taught me the proper way to create a resume that most employers look for. With a new resume in hand, I started to look for internships that best related to my major on the internet. My go-to job site is Indeed.com. I also recommend using careers.state.gov. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

The thing I enjoyed most about my organization was the people. As someone new to the office environment, I had many questions. However, almost every day my supervisors and coworkers took time out of their schedules to answer all of my questions. These actions were extremely beneficial to me because I was able to do my work more efficiently as I learned more about the office. 

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I truly believe that I made an impact through my work. I was able to give a little extra support to an office that had a large workload. For example, I helped to create and send personalized certificates to children of federal employees. These certificates were used as a way to thank children of federal employees for their service while being separated from their parents.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Ask questions. If you’re passionate about your internship, ask as many questions as you can. Your goal is to learn as much as possible. Also, try to talk to people outside of your department and learn about their positions. The more you learn, the more you get out of your experience. Communication is key!

Connect with Vanessa on Instagram: @nessanessa1994

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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!

Every student deserves a champion, and every college graduate can be one with iMentor

iMentor is teaming up with Baltimore City Public Schools to match first-generation high school students with college-educated mentors who help them navigate the journey to and through college and other post-secondary career pathways. iMentor believes that every student deserves a champion and is looking for mentors like you. We make it easy for busy professionals to mentor by providing a guided playbook, time-efficient communication resources, and staff support along the way.  

Mentor Time Commitment:  

Volunteers are matched with one high school student over a three-year period.  

Volunteers send one weekly email to their mentee and attend one monthly, in-person pair event at their mentee’s school during the academic school year. Pair events are hosted in the evening after normal business hours.  

To become a mentor, visit baltimore.imentor.org to start your mentor application, attend an upcoming new and prospective mentor Orientation or email baltimorevolunteer@imentor.org .  

Please note: Mentors must have completed a 2- or 4-year college degree and be 21 years of age and older. 

Name: Kelly Thompson

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Baltimore Museum of Industry

Position Title: Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Art History

Work Term: Spring 2019 

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I worked in the collections department. I really enjoyed my time at the museum because they allowed me to do a bit of everything. I got a broad overview of the "behind the scenes" jobs. I started out doing inventory in their corner store gallery and took photos of every object in the gallery. Then, I uploaded them and updated the PastPerfect system. I worked with about 300 objects and gave a majority of them new object ID numbers. It took about 2 months to fully finish that project, then I started working on unframing works from their cold storage unit. I also got to go to their offsite location in Sparrows Point to help with the collecting of Bethlehem Steel objects.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I am an Art History major and aspire to work in an art museum. I had asked my previous professor Sandra Abbott if she knew of any internships going on in museums, given that she has a few ties in the museum world. She was very helpful and helped me find this internship. I emailed the head of the collections department and told her that I was interested in interning at the museum. Not long after, I had an interview. I came prepared with a cover letter and resume. The interview went very well, I thanked them for their time, and about a week later they had emailed me back saying that I had gotten the internship. Although the Baltimore Museum of Industry isn't an art museum, I have gained so much museum experience.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

Not only have I gained so much experience, but I have made friends with all of the people that I have worked with. Everyone there was very helpful and were quick to lend a helping hand or to explain something if I didn't quite understand it.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe I have made an impact because I put in my full effort everytime I worked. I didn't treat it like an internship, I treated it like an actual job. I was able to finish the main project that they had given me and was also able to start new projects as well. I'm a hard worker and right when I would get to the museum I would just go straight to work. They said that they enjoyed me and the work I did so much that they asked if I would stay even after my internship ended. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

To be open and to not have too many expectations of how hard you think it will be. Go in there confident, wanting to learn, but also letting them know that you'll be an asset to them. Treat it as if it's a real life job and always show up on time and dress accordingly. Always take it seriously and try your best; if you have questions, ask them. Even though you may think that no one notices the intern, I can tell you that it's not true. I was noticed by everyone in the museum, even in other departments. The goal is to make a good impression so that they want to keep you around even after your internship is up. 

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Do you have an interest in Becoming a Nonprofit Leader or Social Entrepreneur?

Do you have an interest in Entrepreneurship?

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Apply via UMBCworks posting:  9307843

Job Responsibilities (On-the-job training provided)

• In a Microsoft Office environment, help billing team with reconciliations of time sheets, accounts received and accounts payable for a company with more than 300 employees
• Perform filing duties
• Interface with SharePoint to carry out billing and contract administration
• Communicate with representatives from CyberCore vendors

Requirements

• Must have strong academic background in finance, accounting or economics
• Must have very strong academic record
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office
• Must have great, team-first attitude and be punctual
• Must possess good listening and communication skills
• Experience using CostPoint or Deltek is a plus, not required.