By Jessica Meckler
Internships. Lauded as vital work experience for students struggling to ensure post-graduation employability, the months of unpaid work are seen as an investment. And don’t get me wrong – internships can certainly have an indelible impact on students. However, these positions are usually short-term, which leaves little room for error, and supervisors are oftentimes extremely busy. How then can both interns and BRAC supervisors make the most of an internship?
To begin (and establish my, quite frankly, limited authority on the matter), a quick self-introduction: for those who don’t know me, my name is Jessica, and I interned with BRAC’s Social Innovation Lab this summer. There is no need for me to expound upon the numerous reasons why any student interested in international development would want to intern at BRAC – every BRAC employee I spoke with can quickly list the reasons underlying BRAC’s success and fame within the development community. It was an honor to spend my summer with the Social Innovation Lab, and I learned a great deal during my internship. After reflecting upon my summer, I have a few tips – both for interns and supervisors – to keep in mind in order to ensure a productive and valuable internship experience.
I’ll let the biggest secret out now, before we go any further: internship success centers on expectations and communication. Entering an internship with a clear idea of what you wish to gain from the experience helps you focus yourself during your time at an organization. It also informs your supervisor as to the type of work you wish to complete, thus enabling him or her to give you interesting and challenging assignments. Keep in mind: this does not mean you must approach your internship with a detailed plan and timeline. Rather, you should know your overall goals for the experience and be able to explain them. For example, during my first day at BRAC, I told my supervisor about my interest in monitoring and evaluation. This conversation enabled her to match my skills and interests with the needs of the Social Innovation Lab, and I got to further develop my abilities in a professional setting.
Another factor that was critical to making my internship a success was flexibility. Being willing to tackle new, unexpected projects and adapt my work plan with the needs of my department opened up many doors for me. I worked on three separate projects within the Social Innovation Lab, and a different team member led each project. Juggling multiple projects expanded my knowledge of BRAC and enabled me to learn much more about development. Additionally, interacting closely with different members of the Social Innovation Lab enhanced my network of contacts within BRAC. If I ever had a free moment, I had multiple people to turn to for extra assignments.
And on that note, always ask for more assignments if you have free time. There will always be more work than people available, so it boils down to communication. If you let your supervisor know that you are free to do more work, more work will appear. You’ll be happier for the additional responsibilities and learning experiences that this brings!
Lastly, there are a few things I wish I had known before departing for Bangladesh and embarking upon my summer internship. This sounds blazingly obvious (and having worked in foreign countries before, I am a bit embarrassed to admit this mistake), but make sure you research potential cultural differences before beginning an internship. I did not realize that the work week in Bangladesh runs from Sunday through Thursday. As such, my flights were booked in accordance to American customs. Not a huge issue, but surprising to say the least! Secondly, I did not realize that the Eid vacation would fall during my internship. This meant that my time at BRAC was a week shorter than I had anticipated. Again, not a huge issue, but it would have been nice to know these facts while planning my internship dates.
Having a successful internship is very simple, but it is also quite hard to achieve at times. It is easy to get bogged down in the daily events, but with clear communication and shared expectations regarding projects, internships can be valuable learning experiences. I truly enjoyed my time at BRAC, and I cannot list the number of things I learned over the summer. In the end, my internship seemed too short. I was just feeling comfortable and pilot projects were just rolling out when I left. So make sure to use your time wisely – it will go faster than you think!
Jessica Meckler was an intern with the BRAC Social Innovation Lab during the summer of 2014. She is a graduate student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University focusing on economic development and NGO management. For the 2014-2015 academic year, she is working with the Akanksha Foundation in Pune, India as an AIF William J. Clinton Fellow.
Did you enjoy this post? Then you might also enjoy “Making the most out of BRAC internships” by Rakib Avi.
