Delanie Ricketts, an intern at Magoosh, is currently attending UC Berkeley where she is pursuing a major in Peace and Conflict Studies and minor in Global Poverty and Practice. After graduating this spring, Delanie hopes to pursue a career in writing and research. While she loves music of all genres, she plays the oboe and English horn for UC Berkeley’s Symphony Orchestra. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

By Delanie Ricketts

Today start-ups are all the rage, known for their innovative products as well as laid-back, foosball-playing office culture. There was even a Bravo reality show about them (Start-ups: Silicon Valley)! I, for one, wanted to get experience in this popular sector.

After researching start-ups in the San Francisco Bay Area, I eventually stumbled upon Magoosh.com, a start-up that prepares students for tests online. At the time I was preparing for the GRE and was instantly interested in their product.

A few days later I decided to purchase Magoosh’s GRE test prep, and found Magoosh’s simple design, lesson videos, and practice questions the perfect fit for my GRE studying style. I got to study where I wanted, when I wanted, and all at a price much more affordable than more traditional GRE classes and textbooks. It was after I experienced Magoosh’s product for myself that I decided I definitely wanted to intern for them and get to know the team behind the scenes.

“You get first-hand experience on how to develop an innovative product from the ground up that you, and everyone else in the office, is excited about.”

That is what I would say one of the best things about interning for a start-up is—you get first-hand experience on how to develop an innovative product from the ground up that you, and everyone else in the office, is excited about. Not to mention the aforementioned office culture. Magoosh does in fact have the quintessential foosball table, as well as the laid-back environment that a student like me appreciates for the flexible hours and ability to wear jeans everyday.

The final, and perhaps most important perk of interning at a start-up is the people. Generally, start-ups have a small number of people working for them. This means that you get to know everyone you’re working with really well. Even the CEO is someone I can talk to whenever I need to—he sits about ten feet away from me! Not only do I get a say in what I do, but I feel my work is valued by everyone on the team. You can’t get much more job satisfaction than that.

Delanie, thanks for taking the time to share this with us! Students, start searching for an internship now!

Ashley Ching attended the University of California, San Diego where she received a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology.  She started as an intern for Delta Project Management, and has now moved up to be part of the team.

By Ashley Ching

I slammed my alarm clock and dragged myself out of bed. It was 10am on yet another Monday, and I still had no reason to get up.
Elementary school, middle school, high school, college. What was it all for? Where were the jobs?

I plopped myself in front of the computer and decided to begin my search. Craigslist was my first stop. With a degree in social science, I customized a handful of resumes. New York City, Seattle, and other metropolitan areas would be bombarded with the five applications I sent daily. I’d make sure the job market would validate my existence.

“Finally, I started seeing results. E-mails flooded my inbox. Voice mails flooded my cell phone. Employers wanted me!”

I refreshed my Facebook again and again, waiting for a response from my dream company. Finally, I started seeing results. E-mails flooded my inbox. Voice mails flooded my cell phone. Employers wanted me!

I had my choice of three promising opportunities, but I knew what I wanted. It was the marketing campaign against childhood obesity, located conveniently in San Francisco. My employee parking spot was practically ready.

The career and location seemed perfect until a knot of doubt began to develop in my mind. How credible was this job, really? I raced to Glassdoor.com and flew my fingers across the keyboard. The website reviewed companies from employees’ perspectives and revealed what I had most feared. This so-called dream job was a scheme. A door-to-door. A scam. I was inconsolable for days.

“Wait, are you actually crying?” my friend asked. “You didn’t lose a boyfriend, you lost a job. It’s just work.” He was right. Forget answering to a boss. I would be my own. I started my own business and offered piano lessons, tutoring and even life coaching. Business was good, but by the end of the school year, it began to slow down. I began to wonder what I would do with my time, when suddenly, a single thought entered my mind. It would completely revolutionize my job search as I knew it. Internships.

“I took the time to explore all the options on Internships.com, and I checked the boxes for Paid and Telecommuting.”

Sure, I had slaved in a thankless, unpaid internship before, but this time would be different. I took the time to explore all the options on Internships.com and I checked the boxes for “Paid” and “Telecommuting.” What could be better than sitting in my pajamas making bank? I responded to at least a dozen opportunities, when one e-mail showed up in my inbox.

The biopharmaceutical consulting company, Delta Project Management, had expressed an interest, and I would be their first interviewee on Monday morning. “How was your day?” two principals asked. “Excellent,” I gushed. “Recently I visited my local park and recruited seven new piano students.” I began my shameless tirade of just how I could prove value to their company.

A week later, Delta called with outstanding news. Officially, thankfully, luckily, an employer had called me their own! In four months I would grow from a paid intern to a member of personnel. The job search was a long journey, but finally, I had reached its destination.

Ashley, thanks for taking the time to share this with us! Students, start searching for an internship now!

This is a guest post from SkilledUp.com – the Internet’s leading source of information on online courses, with over 60,000 courses from over 200 providers available in every subject. Find online courses at SkilledUp.com, and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

By Nick Gidwani

The fall semester is winding down and students all over the country are busy burning the midnight oil, finishing final projects and papers or cramming for final exams. The semester had passed by at a frantic pace and once it is all over and the dust has settled you will have the time to think about something else besides schoolwork.

One thing that may be on the forefront of many people’s minds is planning for a summer internship. At this point in the year, very well prepared students who know what they want to do are way ahead of the curve and have locked up their summer internship with a leading investment bank, trending consumer brand, or government agency. Meanwhile, the vast majority of under- and middle-classman may be struggling to chose a major let alone, figure out which industry or job to intern in.

Worry not, an internship is the perfect chance to try out different industries and job roles. The great news is that although the fall semester has almost come and gone, there are plenty of internship positions that have gone unfilled and are waiting for you.

Get a jump on some of your fellow classmates and hone “hard” skills to give you that edge that will make you stand out from the rest. The following 3 skills are currently in high demand:

1. Excel

Excel is Microsoft’s classic spreadsheet application and can be used to store, manipulate, and analyze large amounts of data. It is a great skill set to have and has applications in almost any business setting, from statistics to accounting and finance. If you have advanced Excel skills it can benefit you in most any job where numbers play a role.

2. Content Marketing

When the Internet was in its infancy, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialists were able to game the search engines by using a very formulaic approach to webpage development, tricking Google into letting it rank #1, but the content was often irrelevant. However, in the past year or so all that has changed. Google made some major changes to its search algorithms and now quality content is the new rage in Internet Marketing. What does that mean? It means that web content needs to be written for a specific target audience, and written well so it engaging to that type of reader or buyer. Content marketing is also about creating interactive content like video and making it sharable. If you are interested in Social Media and Marketing, understanding content marketing is crucial.

3. Interaction Design

Interaction design (IxD), also known and User Experience Design (UXD), is all about designing for the digital world. However, rather than focusing on form it focuses on user behavior. Interaction design incorporates graphic design and web design with psychology. It is an emerging field that is scooping up more and more attention by the day, as computers and the Internet are becoming an important part of our lives. The applications that people use need to be created in a way that is easy and intuitive, and in business situations may encourage purchasing. Knowing the fundamentals of Interaction Design, can help you land a job in product design at gaming, technology, and internet companies.

The aforementioned skills are really just the tip of iceberg and there are a ton of “hard” skill areas that are in demand by employers. To find out more valued skills, you will need to get out and do some research on your own. Talk to your professors, university career services and get some first-hand insight. There is also a ton of information online, including free courses at your disposal.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and build that knowledge and expertise in to round out your resume and get that summer internship!

By Nick Gidwani

This is a guest post from SkilledUp.com – the Internet’s leading source of information on online courses, with over 60,000 courses from over 200 providers available in every subject. Find online courses at SkilledUp.com, and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

After a semester of applications and interviews, your hard work has paid off and you scooped up the internship of your dreams! Congratulations! According to Vault.com, you are now part of the 86% of college students who participate in internships. But have you thought of what skills you hope to learn from your internship and how to get the most of it?

If you said no, you are not alone. Most people are just happy to have landed an internship and are just hopeful it will go well. Your internship is a crucial opportunity for you to gain substantive experience in your desired field of expertise, and start building the skill set required for your future career. To get the most of your internship, you need to be proactive and devise a plan to extract as much value from it as you can.

If you landed an internship with McKinsey or Goldman Sachs, chances are your internship program will be quite structured in terms of training, skill development, and application of knowledge. However, not all internships are equal in terms of structure and content. Believe it or not, many internships lack any structure at all. If you are unlucky you may end up an errand boy or gal Friday, essentially a glorified albeit temporary admin for odd jobs around the office.

Fear not! With a proactive attitude and a little preparation you can turn a potentially unstructured internship that may or may not give you the skills you need into the “Skillternship” that is guaranteed to give you the exact skills training you need to advance your career.

The following steps can help add structure and content to any internship, even it comes with its own pre-set plan.

1. Research & Strategize. Probably by now you have done some research in the field of your internship. Now its time for a second pass. Do a deep dive and find out what are the important responsibilities, tasks, and skills, of an expert in your field. Come up with a list of 5-10 skills that are crucial to success in this field.
2. Evaluate & Set Goals. Now that you have a list of important skills you hope to build or improve on, give yourself and honest evaluation in each area in the form of a letter grade. In addition, to the grade list some discreet activities you hope to be competent in. For instance, if data analysis one of your desired skills, you may want to list pivot tables and chart generation discreet skills you hope to acquire. Online courses are now widely available, giving you an opportunity to build a base of knowledge in topics ranging from content marketing to blogging.
3. Collaborate & Plan. If you have the means, contact an expert in your field to see if you missed any crucial points. If you can’t that’s okay, because during your first week of work, you are going to meet with your new boss, and tell him or her about your aspirations and plans to develop specific job skills during your internship. Don’t be afraid to speak candidly to your boss. They were once in your shoes and will be impressed by your ambition, and it will set you apart from your fellow interns. Now that you have wowed your boss, the two of you can work together to come up with a concrete plan to develop all the skills you have researched and more. The more detailed your plan is, the better it will serve you. Set up learning tasks, reading assignments, and exercises to apply each skill. Set dates for key tasks and milestones.
4. Assess & Fine Tune. You will be interacting with your boss on a daily basis, but your internship is short and you need to make the most of it. Meet with your boss on a weekly basis to measure performance and improvement. Perhaps, certain skills will require more attention and extra work. While you have set a plan, it is important to be flexible. You may have the opportunity to learn even more than you anticipated.

Sounds kind of like a college curriculum, doesn’t it? Well if you get an A in this class, you will be setting yourself up for a successful career! A National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) study shows that 60% of paid and 37% of unpaid internships convert to jobs offers. Once you have scored an internship, don’t rest on your laurels and passively experience your internship. Get proactive and increase your likelihood of receiving one of those job offers!

Follow these simple and easy steps, and you are guaranteed to get the most out your internship and build the skills that will get you on your way to being an expert in your dream job!

Search through our internships here and start putting these steps to test!

Makie Wangoi is a recent Marketing graduate from Richmond: the American University in London and is currently on a month internship with Hire Space.

By Makie Wangoi

When sitting in a comfortable library, with protective books piled around you, getting a graduate job can seem like quite an easy task. This was the naïve me just a couple of months ago, however getting on a graduate career is much more challenging.

As a recent graduate, the cards were not decked in my favor, so with the low graduate-work transition rate I took the initiative to further understand and establish my footing through internship experiences, before launching myself into the shark tank of the real business world. Not that a lot of the blogs and posts on internships give one much hope for the jobs that are out there. It can be discouraging to read and hear about some of the crazy intern experiences that others have faced; like unpaid 40 hours mail room clerk or a personal profile commentator and picture tagger to your boss’ infinitely ‘interesting life’.

“Finally, in September, either Lady Luck was on my side or the stars were aligned right that day (hopefully a bit of all my hard work paid off too), I got an e-mail for an interview with Hire Space and I landed the job.”

Let’s face it, in this economy no one has it easy, so after several trying months where I just about ate and breathed job sites daily and checked for an opportunity that interested me. Finally, in September, either Lady Luck was on my side or the stars were aligned right that day (hopefully a bit of all my hard work paid off too), I got an e-mail for an interview with Hire Space and I landed the job.

On the first day at Hire Space, an innovative online start-up, like most I was skeptical. I’d heard the stories of young graduates being misled, being lured with excitement and ending up with tea making and making good friends with the photocopying machine. It was not as I expected, this was not one of those jobs.

From the beginning my manager (who happens to be the co-founder), took the time to help me get well acquainted with how the company databases and online accounts function, he then provided me with some coaching tips to sharpen my sales pitch and guidance with the best tools for marketing and SEO, which allowed me to make a real contribution that impacted the company. As an intern, I did not expect this high level responsibility, nevertheless, I was happy at the opportunity to further my experience of the ‘real’ working world.

“I am so grateful that I walked into such a dynamic work environment that was supportive, the team has been amazing and always open to my endless questions, and that has helped me develop skills in my areas of interest, from sales to marketing.”

With my time at Hire Space coming to an end, I can honestly say I have enjoyed the work I have been doing. I am so grateful that I walked into such a dynamic work environment that was supportive, the team has been amazing and always open to my endless questions, and that has helped me develop skills in my areas of interest, from sales to marketing. From day one, I assisted registered clients with their inquiries, made direct sales calls to new and prospective clients and marketed the company through social media networking.

I would seriously recommend investing time in an internship as a great learning opportunity to experience and pave your career path, however I think it is equally important to ensure that when choosing your internship you choose it with the right company, set out what you want to achieve and find the company and role that will let you do so. For me this was a start-up company, being in the position to incorporate a massive breadth of knowledge and contribute to the makings of a grass roots organization is far beyond the realms of what mega-corporations or gelato business could offer, and what’s more it is a vote of confidence for the aspiring passionate entrepreneur to take on the real world.

Class of 2013 – Get a head start and search for Internships that can open the doors to an amazing opportunity after graduation! Start searching.

Cassie Glenn (@cassieinmiami) is a Broadcast Journalism student who graduated from the University of Miami. Connect with her on LinkedIn // Blog.

By Cassie Glenn

Not long after beginning college, you start hearing the importance of finding an internship. Not only did I complete one, but upon graduation I had four internships under my belt. After travelling to Spain to teach English for a year, I came back to yet another internship. You can call me: The Serial Intern.

As a Broadcast Journalism major, I dreamt of becoming the next Ann Curry. Through an internship in my hometown newsroom, I eagerly applied what I was learning in school. However, news was never my only passion. I love running, travel and, most notably, food. I jumped at the chance to intern for the website Yelp.com. A semester internship turned into over a year helping with everything from writing the weekly newsletter to hosting events.

With my sights forever set on The Big Apple, I knew a summer in NYC would be a perfect opportunity to test my will to live there. I landed a position as intern to the Bookings Producer at CBS’ The Early Show. The program also gave me a chance to learn about different positions at a national network.

“I became skilled at telling stories through video and graduated feeling ready to work.”

My senior year, I served as a production intern for a niche lifestyle network, Plum TV. I became skilled at telling stories through video and graduated feeling ready to work. A year in Europe settled my travel bug and I am now serving as a social media intern for the largest independently owned daily deal site, 1SaleADay.com in Miami, FL.

Employers today want to know how their businesses can use social media to market their brand and want visible results. I am learning how to do that through this internship. Every day I create content for multiple accounts across Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest. I interact with the community, coordinate promotions and analyze growth and engagement. On the side, I am constantly reading industry articles to learn as much as I can.

Five different internships, three cities and a variety of roles later, here is my advice for you:

1. Keep a portfolio

After working all those unpaid hours, you want something to present. Whether it is a video reel, online website or magazine clips, be able to show what you learned.

2. Talk to everyone

One of the best parts about interning is everyone knows you are there to learn. Do not take any conversation for granted- make connections and pick brains. You might even ignite an interest in a different position.

3. Take risks

You will hear it over again- internships are what you make of it. Stay extra hours, craft your own projects and be a leader.

4. Check-in

Internship supervisors have become my greatest mentors. Always check-in and let them know what you are up to, especially if you have an interest in working with the company after graduation.

5. Overachieve

Take notes, ask questions, arrive early, show initiative and dress for success. All clichés but qualities that will be noticed and work in your favor.

While stressing the importance of interning can be monotonous, there is no denying that the benefits come not in the money earned, but in all that you learn.

Thanks Cassie, your experiences are inspiring! Readers, have you ever had more then one internship? How many and what is one lesson you’d share? Let us know in the comments below.

Cassie Glenn (@cassieinmiami) is a Broadcast Journalism student who graduated from the University of Miami. Connect with her on LinkedIn // Blog.

By Cassie Glenn

Not long after beginning college, you start hearing the importance of finding an internship. Not only did I complete one, but upon graduation I had four internships under my belt. After travelling to Spain to teach English for a year, I came back to yet another internship. You can call me: The Serial Intern.

As a Broadcast Journalism major, I dreamt of becoming the next Ann Curry. Through an internship in my hometown newsroom, I eagerly applied what I was learning in school. However, news was never my only passion. I love running, travel and, most notably, food. I jumped at the chance to intern for the website Yelp.com. A semester internship turned into over a year helping with everything from writing the weekly newsletter to hosting events.

With my sights forever set on The Big Apple, I knew a summer in NYC would be a perfect opportunity to test my will to live there. I landed a position as intern to the Bookings Producer at CBS’ The Early Show. The program also gave me a chance to learn about different positions at a national network.

“I became skilled at telling stories through video and graduated feeling ready to work.”

My senior year, I served as a production intern for a niche lifestyle network, Plum TV. I became skilled at telling stories through video and graduated feeling ready to work. A year in Europe settled my travel bug and I am now serving as a social media intern for the largest independently owned daily deal site, 1SaleADay.com in Miami, FL.

Employers today want to know how their businesses can use social media to market their brand and want visible results. I am learning how to do that through this internship. Every day I create content for multiple accounts across Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest. I interact with the community, coordinate promotions and analyze growth and engagement. On the side, I am constantly reading industry articles to learn as much as I can.

Five different internships, three cities and a variety of roles later, here is my advice for you:

1. Keep a portfolio

After working all those unpaid hours, you want something to present. Whether it is a video reel, online website or magazine clips, be able to show what you learned.

2. Talk to everyone

One of the best parts about interning is everyone knows you are there to learn. Do not take any conversation for granted- make connections and pick brains. You might even ignite an interest in a different position.

3. Take risks

You will hear it over again- internships are what you make of it. Stay extra hours, craft your own projects and be a leader.

4. Check-in

Internship supervisors have become my greatest mentors. Always check-in and let them know what you are up to, especially if you have an interest in working with the company after graduation.

5. Overachieve

Take notes, ask questions, arrive early, show initiative and dress for success. All clichés but qualities that will be noticed and work in your favor.

While stressing the importance of interning can be monotonous, there is no denying that the benefits come not in the money earned, but in all that you learn.

Thanks Cassie, your experiences are inspiring! Readers, have you ever had more then one internship? How many and what is one lesson you’d share? Let us know in the comments below.

Cassie Glenn (@cassieinmiami) is a Broadcast Journalism student who graduated from the University of Miami. Connect with her on LinkedIn // Blog.

By Cassie Glenn

Not long after beginning college, you start hearing the importance of finding an internship. Not only did I complete one, but upon graduation I had four internships under my belt. After travelling to Spain to teach English for a year, I came back to yet another internship. You can call me: The Serial Intern.

As a Broadcast Journalism major, I dreamt of becoming the next Ann Curry. Through an internship in my hometown newsroom, I eagerly applied what I was learning in school. However, news was never my only passion. I love running, travel and, most notably, food. I jumped at the chance to intern for the website Yelp.com. A semester internship turned into over a year helping with everything from writing the weekly newsletter to hosting events.

With my sights forever set on The Big Apple, I knew a summer in NYC would be a perfect opportunity to test my will to live there. I landed a position as intern to the Bookings Producer at CBS’ The Early Show. The program also gave me a chance to learn about different positions at a national network.

“I became skilled at telling stories through video and graduated feeling ready to work.”

My senior year, I served as a production intern for a niche lifestyle network, Plum TV. I became skilled at telling stories through video and graduated feeling ready to work. A year in Europe settled my travel bug and I am now serving as a social media intern for the largest independently owned daily deal site, 1SaleADay.com in Miami, FL.

Employers today want to know how their businesses can use social media to market their brand and want visible results. I am learning how to do that through this internship. Every day I create content for multiple accounts across Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest. I interact with the community, coordinate promotions and analyze growth and engagement. On the side, I am constantly reading industry articles to learn as much as I can.

Five different internships, three cities and a variety of roles later, here is my advice for you:

1. Keep a portfolio

After working all those unpaid hours, you want something to present. Whether it is a video reel, online website or magazine clips, be able to show what you learned.

2. Talk to everyone

One of the best parts about interning is everyone knows you are there to learn. Do not take any conversation for granted- make connections and pick brains. You might even ignite an interest in a different position.

3. Take risks

You will hear it over again- internships are what you make of it. Stay extra hours, craft your own projects and be a leader.

4. Check-in

Internship supervisors have become my greatest mentors. Always check-in and let them know what you are up to, especially if you have an interest in working with the company after graduation.

5. Overachieve

Take notes, ask questions, arrive early, show initiative and dress for success. All clichés but qualities that will be noticed and work in your favor.

While stressing the importance of interning can be monotonous, there is no denying that the benefits come not in the money earned, but in all that you learn.

Thanks Cassie, your experiences are inspiring! Readers, have you ever had more then one internship? How many and what is one lesson you’d share? Let us know in the comments below.

Natalie Dance (@natcdance) is a marketing student at Brigham Young University and a summer associate with Ashoka USA. After graduation, Natalie plans to pursue a career in tech marketing. Her interests include running, salsa dancing, painting, hiking, biking, and reading. She is also a social entrepreneurship enthusiast, an animal-lover, and an ice cream addict. Connect on LinkedIn // G+ // Blog.

By Natalie Dance

I spent my summer interning for Ashoka in Washington, DC. Ashoka is a network of social entrepreneurs (known as Ashoka Fellows) who are out to fix some of the world’s toughest problems—people like Wendy Kopp of Teach for America or Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia. Ashoka finds and supports these entrepreneurs to help them spread their ideas across the globe.

I had a great experience at Ashoka, and I know the things I learned there will be applicable in my future whether I decide to stay in the nonprofit sector or try my hand and the corporate world.  In case any of you are on the fence about a nonprofit internship, here are five lessons I learned.

1. Nonprofits are looking for hard skills

“It’s not enough that you want to ‘help people’… you must obtain the specific skills that will help propel that change forward.”

After interning with Ashoka this summer, I learned that nonprofits have a desperate need for hard skills—skills like finance, accounting, photography, writing, web programming, and videography.  It’s not enough that you want to “help people” and you “hope to change the world;” you must obtain the specific skills that will help propel that change forward. Hard skills are just as crucial in the nonprofit sector as in the corporate or for-profit world.

2. Nonprofits are the best place for career exploration

The dearth of nonprofit employees with hard skills can sometimes work to your advantage as an intern, however; you will have the chance to try a range of projects simply because there aren’t enough people with the both the skills and the time to complete them.

I got to explore a variety of career paths as an Ashoka communications intern. Designing posters gave me insights about what it would be like to work as a graphic designer. Writing and editing Forbes.com blog posts opened my eyes to the possibilities of a career in journalism. Drafting Tweets and Facebook posts let me see what it would be like to pursue internet marketing. I even got to try my hand at storyboarding a video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. Who you work with is just as important as what you do

Although I loved the work I did with Ashoka, my team members made my internship so much more enjoyable. I was surrounded by some of the kindest, smartest, and most talented people I have ever met. From my Danish supervisor with an impressive background in political campaigns, to the Chilean former magazine editor who served as our director, to the Ashoka-writer-by-day, lead-guitarist-by-night Stanford grad, each member of the Ashoka USA team helped me grow by sharing new perspectives, knowledge, and friendship. I learned that great teammates are an essential component to finding satisfaction in your work.

4. Ambiguity is a blessing and a curse

Ashoka is a network of social entrepreneurs, so entrepreneurialism is highly valued and assignments are not always spelled out for you. It can be a great learning opportunity when your supervisor comes to you and says, “We should try doing a crowdfunding campaign—can you look into that?”

With few specific guidelines, you have the opportunity to add your own ideas and perspectives to the project. However, loose project guidelines can also leave you feeling a little lost, confused, or stuck. In a workplace that thrives on ambiguity, you must be willing to hit the ground running and ask for more direction when you need it.

5.Don’t lose sight of the “why”

In the day-to-day grind of meetings and project deadlines, it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture—the “why” of all your work. Taking the time to regain some perspective about why you do what you do can serve as powerful motivation. For me that perspective came every time I attended a “brown bag luncheon” with an Ashoka Fellow. Hearing the fellows explain how their ideas are solving social problems and and how Ashoka has helped them to get those ideas off the ground served as a reminder and a strong motivator for me.

My experience at Ashoka this summer has been invaluable and will serve me for years to come. I learned so much, and I would recommend a nonprofit internship to anyone.

Thanks Natalie, your experience is inspiring! Readers, did this inspire you to intern with a nonprofit? Search nonprofit internships.

Natalie Dance (@natcdance) is a marketing student at Brigham Young University and a summer associate with Ashoka USA. After graduation, Natalie plans to pursue a career in tech marketing. Her interests include running, salsa dancing, painting, hiking, biking, and reading. She is also a social entrepreneurship enthusiast, an animal-lover, and an ice cream addict. Connect on LinkedIn // G+ // Blog.

By Natalie Dance

I spent my summer interning for Ashoka in Washington, DC. Ashoka is a network of social entrepreneurs (known as Ashoka Fellows) who are out to fix some of the world’s toughest problems—people like Wendy Kopp of Teach for America or Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia. Ashoka finds and supports these entrepreneurs to help them spread their ideas across the globe.

I had a great experience at Ashoka, and I know the things I learned there will be applicable in my future whether I decide to stay in the nonprofit sector or try my hand and the corporate world.  In case any of you are on the fence about a nonprofit internship, here are five lessons I learned.

1. Nonprofits are looking for hard skills

“It’s not enough that you want to ‘help people’… you must obtain the specific skills that will help propel that change forward.”

After interning with Ashoka this summer, I learned that nonprofits have a desperate need for hard skills—skills like finance, accounting, photography, writing, web programming, and videography.  It’s not enough that you want to “help people” and you “hope to change the world;” you must obtain the specific skills that will help propel that change forward. Hard skills are just as crucial in the nonprofit sector as in the corporate or for-profit world.

2. Nonprofits are the best place for career exploration

The dearth of nonprofit employees with hard skills can sometimes work to your advantage as an intern, however; you will have the chance to try a range of projects simply because there aren’t enough people with the both the skills and the time to complete them.

I got to explore a variety of career paths as an Ashoka communications intern. Designing posters gave me insights about what it would be like to work as a graphic designer. Writing and editing Forbes.com blog posts opened my eyes to the possibilities of a career in journalism. Drafting Tweets and Facebook posts let me see what it would be like to pursue internet marketing. I even got to try my hand at storyboarding a video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. Who you work with is just as important as what you do

Although I loved the work I did with Ashoka, my team members made my internship so much more enjoyable. I was surrounded by some of the kindest, smartest, and most talented people I have ever met. From my Danish supervisor with an impressive background in political campaigns, to the Chilean former magazine editor who served as our director, to the Ashoka-writer-by-day, lead-guitarist-by-night Stanford grad, each member of the Ashoka USA team helped me grow by sharing new perspectives, knowledge, and friendship. I learned that great teammates are an essential component to finding satisfaction in your work.

4. Ambiguity is a blessing and a curse

Ashoka is a network of social entrepreneurs, so entrepreneurialism is highly valued and assignments are not always spelled out for you. It can be a great learning opportunity when your supervisor comes to you and says, “We should try doing a crowdfunding campaign—can you look into that?”

With few specific guidelines, you have the opportunity to add your own ideas and perspectives to the project. However, loose project guidelines can also leave you feeling a little lost, confused, or stuck. In a workplace that thrives on ambiguity, you must be willing to hit the ground running and ask for more direction when you need it.

5.Don’t lose sight of the “why”

In the day-to-day grind of meetings and project deadlines, it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture—the “why” of all your work. Taking the time to regain some perspective about why you do what you do can serve as powerful motivation. For me that perspective came every time I attended a “brown bag luncheon” with an Ashoka Fellow. Hearing the fellows explain how their ideas are solving social problems and and how Ashoka has helped them to get those ideas off the ground served as a reminder and a strong motivator for me.

My experience at Ashoka this summer has been invaluable and will serve me for years to come. I learned so much, and I would recommend a nonprofit internship to anyone.

Thanks Natalie, your experience is inspiring! Readers, did this inspire you to intern with a nonprofit? Search nonprofit internships.