If other interns are like Jackie Witkowski, they are going back to college with stories to tell – beyond their expectations. Jackie is completing a twelve-weeks’ stint at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and will be heading back to DePaul University in Chicago.
What did Jackie, a twenty-one year old from St. Louis, actually expect? Well, she expected that she would do whatever she was asked, that maybe she would get involved in a special project, and generally enjoy her first visit to the nation’s capital.
True, she enjoyed herself. But her 40-hour work week quickly progressed from all-around helper in the Education Department of the museum to, well, running a few things on her own. Here’s the short version of how her responsibilities rocketed upward: the already-small department was depleted by job changers, including the Intern Coordinator and the Volunteer Coordinator.
- Suddenly, instead of assisting the intern coordinator, she was organizing other interns in all the departments for training, sharing, and socializing.
- Instead of assisting the volunteer coordinator in continuing education training, she was herself coordinating a special tour at the National Gallery of Art for the museum docents.
- Instead of reporting to coordinators, she suddenly reported directly to the Director of Education.
As one of the weekly volunteer docents at this museum. I noticed Jackie early in the summer. She introduced herself to one and all, asked to sit at the information desk and began to learn the answers to questions posted by visitors. She remembered names from week to week. She kept on smiling as her workload shifted in responsibility.
Jackie’s performance did not go unnoticed. The chairperson of the Department of Education, Deborah Gaston, describes Jackie as a rock star. Ms. Gaston, who has seen many interns, says you can tell early in the summer who will be capable of increasing responsibility and ownership of projects. She cites evidence of the high quality of Jackie’s work:
- She wrote enthusiastically, prolifically, and professionally for the new blog on the museum’s website (http://womeninthearts.wordpress.com).
- She displayed an excellent work ethic.
- She had a fine grasp of the basics of art history, as shown in her blog postings.
- She asked for help when she needed it.
- She continually showed a fine sense of humor, something needed in an art museum in these tight times.
As Jackie returns to her senior year in college, she reflects on the lessons learned during her internship:
- You need to immerse yourself in your work as soon as you arrive – there is no time to lose.
- You need to meet every single person you can and learn as much as you can about the work of the whole organization.
- You can leave your internship with vastly increased confidence in your own ability.
- There are many career paths that lead to your goal, not just the ones that professors tell you about in the classroom.
- You can stay in touch with your new friends and associates, because you’ll be looking for a job very soon.
- You can plan a return visit as soon as possible because it will keep your network alive.
Ms. Witkowski has set a high standard for interns at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She is to be congratulated for recognizing opportunities and for creating solid accomplishments to carry back to college. Other interns, please take note!
