This past summer I completed an internship with the Monroe County Democratic Committee (MCDC). Over the 8 weeks, I fell in love with the position and have started to volunteer with them in order to keep the work flow going. I never thought that I would end up being someone who would volunteer so that I could do more work, but here I am, loving every second of it. I am one of the communication interns and I primarily work on social media content and strategy. I get to make posts for all sorts of holidays and celebrations and it is so cool to learn about all of them from the perspective of the Democratic Party.
However, instead of getting into social media strategy (which I could talk your ear off about if you are interested), I would like to tell you about three things I learned about and did that kept my internship fun, educational, and made it an overall great experience.
1. Job crafting
In the 3-credit class that I took while doing my internship (Nazareth’s professional internship course), I learned about job-crafting and how to make a position your own. This can be difficult, as it requires you to advocate for your ideas and to possibly add to your workload. However, it is totally worth it. When I started my internship, I was on the field work team and was assisting with phonebaking and other activities to get people out to vote. This was great, and it is an incredibly important part of how our democracy works, but I knew that I wanted to do more. So, I asked to help with any communications work and sold my qualifications to persuade my supervisor into transferring me over. This was a bit nerve-wracking, as I had just started working in the position and was already asking for something, but I saw the opportunity and I pushed myself to take it.
A few days later, I got a call from the communications director and I was given the opportunity to be the head communications intern! This shift in position gave me a new workload that I was able to do a lot more with based on my skills and career goals. I am so thankful that I asked. I urge you to do the same. If you have an idea or see an opportunity, go for it. Try to make the position your own and demonstrate the initiative to go after something you want. There are so many ways to job-craft, this is just one of them — do some research and put yourself out there!
2. Radical hospitality
This is something that I learned about during my work with MCDC. It is creating an office environment that is energetic and engaging to keep our volunteers and staff coming back each year, each campaign cycle, and each election. By having a “hub” that is comfortable and fun for volunteers to go to, it will instill better group morale, which will make interactions with voters better, which will then create a better turnout in voting. It sounds like a no-brainer to do, but can often be overlooked. MCDC had great hospitality when I was there (hence me continuing to volunteer with them), and it is something that I have made as an expectation for my future employers. Having an enjoyable office environment is crucial, and now that I have a better understanding of what it means to be radically welcoming and hospitable, I will carry that with me to every position I am in going forward. You always remember when you got a free water bottle or t-shirt. Bring that energy to your workplace. If you are having fun, then your volunteers will have fun.
3. Speak up
Whether you are talking about an idea, making a suggestion, or advocating for yourself/another person, this is essential wherever you are working. For me, this was important when coming up with ideas and presenting them to my supervisors. As this was my first professional experience with political communication, I felt nervous to bring up my ideas since I did not have as much prior experience as anyone else. Garnering the courage to bring up my ideas and suggestions was tough but overall so worth it. Make sure that you foster a good working relationship with your supervisor(s) so that when you want to talk to them about something, you have the space to do so. As I mentioned before, I asked to be on the communications team multiple times as that is something that I really wanted to do. Along with that, I also emphasized that the work I was doing with MCDC is the work that I would like to do for my career, so they gave me extra opportunities to learn in the field. Example: I was able to help MCDC prepare for and get through the Monroe County primary election on June 22. On this whirlwind day, I got to meet local officials, candidates, and so many important and incredible people involved in local politics. I also made posts for election results and assisted in last-minute field work to get people out to vote. I never would have had that opportunity if I did not speak up and share my goals and what I wanted to accomplish in the internship.
I would add: Make sure that you are having fun and doing something that you enjoy. To me, working is not worth it if you do not like the work you’re doing.
All of the things I mentioned have helped me develop a clear idea of what I would like my future career to look like. I hope that you are able to apply these things to what you are doing now, if you haven’t already. This information has helped me grow immensely as a professional, and I am so excited to see how I am able to implement them into my career beyond Nazareth.