Steps to get the internship: I emailed the director of the museum with my resume and cover letter, and then had a phone interview.
Day-to-day activities: I sorted through old maps (from 10 to 160 years old), old postcards (most were about 100 years old), old print publications about northern Michigan (about 80-50 years old) and created an archival system and catalog for the maps, postcards and publications in the museum collection. I also made a finders' list for researchers to find the material that we had available at the museum.
Most rewarding: Being able to have a hands-on experience with items in a museum collection was very rewarding, especially when I found our copies of the first survey map ever made of Emmett/Charlevoix/Cheboygan county by John Mullett from the 1840s (Mullett Lake is named after him).
Biggest challenge: It was tough to remind myself that the class credit I was getting for the course was worth doing the work, because I wasn't being paid for the 130 hours I put in over the summer.
Most important thing learned: It's very important to communicate with your supervisor if you don't understand what they want before you make a mistake. Also, being able to work autonomously is extremely helpful in a museum environment.
Key advice: Do it! But make sure you know what you want to get out of it. I did my internship because I needed an internship for my Museum Studies minor and because I wanted to see if I really liked museum work. I also knew I'd be able to have a lot of hands-on experience working with real artifacts because it was such a small museum, so make sure you will actually be doing what you want to know, not just some side projects or busywork for interns that the people you're working for want you to do.
Marley K.
Major: Communication and Spanish
Company Name: DBusiness Magazine
City: Royal Oak, MI
Paid/Unpaid/Course Credit: Unpaid
Steps to get the internship: I applied through the company's website.
Day-to-day activities: I posted articles and photo galleries to the website and also wrote articles and obtained images for the DBusiness Daily News.
Most rewarding: I wrote copy for a two-page feature spread in DBusiness' November/December issue, which was a great experience.
Biggest challenge: I had very short deadlines for the daily newsletter.
Most important thing learned: I am not sure yet as I am still interning for them!
Key advice: Don't be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.
Lisa M.
Major: Political Science
Company Name: Food and Water Watch
City: Detroit, MI
Paid/Unpaid/Course Credit: Paid
Steps to get the internship: I got the internship through a program at U of M called Community Based Research Fellowship.
Day-to-day activities: I conducted research on local farmers. It was entirely my project to work on so I didn't interact with the other employees very much.
Most rewarding: The best part was probably getting the opportunity to feel like I was really affecting change in a community. My research will go on to provide greater proof of the inequalities in the food system in order to create a fair farm bill.
Biggest challenge: Working alone almost all day was difficult but also rewarding. I know that the work I completed was entirely my own but it was a scary experience because I had so much independence.
Most important thing learned: The most important thing I learned was self-growth. I know now that there is a greater range of policy that I would be interested in pursuing in the future.
Key advice: I had an unusual experience in that I was not required to do menial work, as many are. I also was paid for my time in Detroit, which was an absolutely amazing experience. I would say you should definitely go out of town, it's absolutely worth the scariness of moving.
Hannah M.
Major: English
Company Name: Covenant Healthcare
City: Saginaw, MI
Paid/Unpaid/Course Credit: For Course Credit
Steps to get the internship: My mother worked for the company in a different department so I had a connection.
Day-to-day activities: I attended meetings, wrote public releases, wrote articles, edited content, and created advertising copy.
Most rewarding: I loved the people that I worked with and the advice and the things I have learned from them.
Biggest challenge: It was hard getting the most out of my internship by putting in a large amount of work, but when I did it was really rewarding.
Most important thing learned: It's important to put in the effort because you will get out more education from an internship this way.
Key advice: Be optimistic. Even if you aren't happy about where you are, this will help you get to where you want to go.
Madeleine C.
Major: International Studies
Company Name: Miles High Productions
City: The company is based in LA but done entirely on the internet.
Paid/Unpaid/Course Credit: Unpaid
Steps to get the internship: I applied online and had a phone interview.
Day to day activities: I updated social media for clients, drafted marketing strategies, and syndicated material.
Most rewarding: I loved getting an inside look into a facet of the music industry.
Biggest challenge: I had a lot of liberty with timing since it was an online internship, but because I was never with my supervisors it was hard to get feedback on my work at times.
Most important thing learned: If you're unsure about the effectiveness of what you're doing always ask.
Key advice: Make sure it's a field you're actually interested in and not something that will just "look good."
Sarah B.
Major: Organizational Studies and Political Science
Company Name: Cisco Systems, Inc.
City: San Jose, CA
Paid/Unpaid/Course Credit: Paid
Steps to get the internship: I sent in a resume and completed two interviews.
Day-to-day activities: I attended meetings, worked on Microsoft Excel projects, created governance maps of the marketing department, and completed basic desk work.
Most rewarding: I loved the people I worked with and the company culture.
Biggest challenge: The biggest challenge was teaching myself how to work with Microsoft Excel.
Most important thing learned: I learned how to ask questions in the workplace and now understand business world etiquette.
Key advice: Ask a lot of questions and take advantage of networking.
Amy H.
Major: Psych and Communications
Company Name: Apple Inc.
City: Cupertino, CA
Paid/Unpaid/Course Credit: Paid
Steps to get the internship: I filled out an application and conducted three phone interviews
Day-to-day activities: I attended meetings, planned recruiting events, and worked on individual and team projects.
Most rewarding: This internship came with a lot of hands on work and responsibility. I actually got to lead teams and plan my own events.
Biggest challenge: The biggest challenge was leading the efforts to plan events - delegating tasks to people that were obviously much more experienced than me was difficult!
Most important thing learned: I learned how to work effectively in a corporate setting.
Key advice: Definitely intern, it is such a helpful experience!