Internship Experiences by Hana Peljto
I spent the summer of 2006 at
CommCorp helping improve their recruiting strategy. I ended up there through the New Sector Alliance Fellows program, a program that matches students with Boston-area nonprofits and has them
complete a summer-long strategic consulting project. I looked at a number of organizations in deciding which one I wanted to be matched up with. For various reasons, I kept coming back to
CommCorp. It stood out to me for the importance of its work and its unique approach to solving workforce challenges. Given that the organization is so multi-faceted, I knew that I would be
exposed to a broad range of experiences. Furthermore, in speaking with CommCorp’s staff, the organization seemed committed to providing me with the support and guidance I would
need to complete my project. They wanted to make this the best possible experience for me, as well as for them. Looking back, I was right in choosing CommCorp my experience exceeded
my expectations!
One of the greatest benefits of working for a small organization such as CommCorp was the large amount of responsibility I was given.
What I was doing developing a recruiting strategy had great consequences for the future of CommCorp. I worked closely with the management team to understand the organization’s
strategic goals. I went on site to many of CommCorp’s programs and service centers, attended conferences, and participated in staff meetings. I then presented my research directly to the
management team. You can only imagine the leadership and analytical skills I developed through these experiences! This internship was certainly the most involved and high-level one that
I had had up to that point.
To enable me to accomplish the internship’s goals, CommCorp put a great support system in place. I worked closely with two supervisors.
We spent hours putting together my workplan and refining it throughout the summer. They always seemed to have time to meet with me and answer my questions, which is astonishing
considering how busy they were! I also had additional formal and informal mentoring. For example, I developed relationships with two other students that were interning at CommCorp that
summer and doing their own creative projects. It was great for us to have a peer group, go to lunch together, share work ideas, talk about any challenges we faced in our work - and even
borrow dresses every now and then!
I also enjoyed and benefited from the flexibility and independence the supervisors allowed me in my work. As long as I produced the
work they expected of me, I was free to manage my time how I wanted. For instance, I had to train that summer for my professional basketball season in France that was coming up in September.
Some days I would leave early to train, and then I could make up the work next day or later that week. Although they gave me guidance, they did not micromanage me. I was encouraged to think
creatively about structuring my time and work assignments, and developed a great sense of self-management through the experience.
Overall, CommCorp provided me with an incredibly challenging but supportive experience. I was exposed to a broad range of experiences
and worked closely with high-level people. I developed a number of important and transferable skills. Most importantly, I helped affect social change. What more could I have asked out of
an internship?
