Stay organized and express interest in projects that relate to your career path!
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Girls Engagement Lead
January - April 2023 • Dallas, TX
What I liked
Everyone who works in the Youth and Mentorship department is so motivated and compassionate. It was amazing being surrounded by such inspiring people. I also liked how I was able to form string relationships with both my clients and organizations I got to work with.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more resources in supporting my clients.
Advice
If it gets too much, you can always talk to your program director! Working on such serious issues can take a toll on some people, and it is completely normal!
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Intern
May - August 2022 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
I gained a lot of information about the inner workings of non-governmental organizations in general and the IRC specifically, and I was able to get an idea of what each branch did while specifically working with the Employment and Economic Empowerment Team
What I wish was different
I would have liked to physically be in the office doing work, that is a personal preference
Advice
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Income Tax Preparer
January 2023 • New York City, NY
What I liked
professional company, the intructor is very friendly and kind
What I wish was different
Know this job sooner
Advice
Not much cause I'm on going with this position but I'm still satisfy with this job.
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Behavioral Health and Survivors of Torture Case Management Intern
June 2020 • Tucson, AZ
What I liked
The in-depth training interns receive on immigration issues and how to work with people who have experienced trauma, the staff community, networking and learning about the current issues in healthcare
What I wish was different
It would have been nice if in-person interactions had been possible, but the department really made the best of the circumstances and found creative ways to continue their work.
Advice
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Administrative Assistant Intern
June - November 2018 • Sacramento, CA
What I liked
Helping new immigrants to settle their life.
What I wish was different
more proactive.
Advice
Keep work hard and help others the reward will come back to you.
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Immigration Intern
May 2021 • Elizabeth, NJ
What I liked
What I enjoyed most from my experience is seeing and hearing the gratitude of clients who we provided legal services to. The endless times we heard 'thank you' or were met with appreciation and gratitude was extremely fulfilling. Especially since a vast majority of the clients we worked with were low-income individuals or individuals in need of social and government services, knowing I was a part of their journey in attaining their initial footing in the United States really showed I was very privileged to embark on the work I was doing.
What I wish was different
My favorite days of the work week were office days but because the pandemic still had recently forced many operation to go remote, most days I worked from home. That was the only aspect I wish was different. Had it all been office days, I think the experience would have been more enjoyable. Obviously remote work was crucial in keeping IRC members and clients safe and healthy, but I loved the fast-paced, hands-on environment of a law office and working personally with an immigration lawyer and a DOJ accredited legal representative.
Advice
Do not be afraid or nervous to communicate and interact with people from places of the world you may have never come across before. Whether it be Arabic speakers or Swahili speakers, you will be exposed to languages and cultures you may not be used to. But no matter where people are from, they will always be cooperative and thankful for your services as long as you give them the time and assistance they deserve as a client.
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Volunteer
January - May 2021 • Elizabeth, NJ
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
Use everything as a learning lesson! You can learn how to work across language and cultural barriers from any interaction. And patience is always in practice!
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Research Intern
September - December 2020 • New York City, NY
What I liked
I absolutely loved everything about this internship. The office I worked for was very welcoming, adaptable, helpful and made sure I was comfortable in my internship - especially given that it was remote.
What I wish was different
The only thing I wish would have been different is that if it was in person as opposed to it being virtual. Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Advice
Being adaptable, open to change and to learning more about the inner workings of public policy and humanitarian aid.
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Teacher Assistant
July - August 2021 • Elizabeth, NJ
What I liked
Was able to create a relationship with incoming students to assist in teaching ASL.
What I wish was different
Bad communication with the staff.
Advice
Show up on time, be excitable, the kids will love you.
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Immigration Intern
June - August 2021 • Oakland, CA
What I liked
It was amazing to get hands on experience working on a field I’m interesting in pursuing. The best part was knowing that every day we were making a difference in someone’s life.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Financial intern
May - September 2021 • Turlock, CA
What I liked
I liked working directly with the clients and closely with the supervisors. I loved giving financial literacy classes because it felt like I was making a difference.
What I wish was different
Advice
One advice I would share about this experience is to go for it even if it is out of your comfort zone.
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Peer mentor
July - August 2018 • New York City, NY
What I liked
Working with the students
What I wish was different
Advice
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housing intern
May - August 2020 • Elizabeth, NJ
What I liked
I got to make a difference and help refugees find and apply to housing! Was very rewarding to talk to these people.
What I wish was different
Lack of communication, was sort of on my own- this is likely mostly because I was remote.
Advice
Do this in person if you want to connect with workers! Hard to do from home.
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Digital access and literacy intern
July - December 2020 • Sacramento, CA
What I liked
Enjoyed having one on one interactions with clients. Also had incredible supervisors.
What I wish was different
Most of my work was done independently, which was productive, though I wish I had been able to work on a team.
Advice
Learned about how refugee resettlement works in the US and how to work within the scope of a grant.
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Adult Education Intern
May - August 2020 • Atlanta, GA
What I liked
My experience teaching English to adult immigrant and refugee clients at IRC was incredibly fulfilling. I not only developed great relationships with the students and staff, but I also had the opportunity to develop teaching materials, become familiar with leading Zoom calls over the summer, learn more about culturally-sensitive language teaching, and distribute information to IRC clients in over 10 languages. This internship only required about 7-10 hours of work every week, so it was very manageable while still making me feel valuable and important to the organization.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Resource Development Intern
May - August 2020 • Charlottesville, VA
What I liked
I liked the opportunities to work with refugees and the volunteers of the IRC, and to see in the inner-workings of how a non-profit operates
What I wish was different
I wish I had the opportunity to work at the location itself, as we were restricted to remote because of COVID-19
Advice
I would say keep an open mind and display immense amounts of cultural sensitivity. It also puts you into perspective about the journey of a refugee. and the hardships they occur to reach this country.
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Intern
June - August 2020 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
My supervisor was very understanding and kind; the work was very fulfilling
What I wish was different
It was great!
Advice
It is a great internship that allows you to work directly with refugees.
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Case Management Intern
June - August 2020 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
Working at the IRC was an awesome experience. I learned so much, got to work first-hand with refugees, and had a great time too.
What I wish was different
I wish I could have had an in-person experience.
Advice
Stay open-minded!
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Aquaponics Intern
September - December 2019 • Phoenix, AZ
What I liked
The most interesting aspect of this internship was learning how aquaponics emulates the nitrogen cycle found in nature and utilizes it to create a nearly closed feedback loop that produces vegetables and fish protein in an urban setting. Learning about this system has inspired me to work with urban food resilience.
What I wish was different
I would have liked to work more directly with the refugee farmer community to get a better understanding of displaced stakeholders in the Phoenix metro area.
Advice
Self directed internships are what you make of them. Having effective lines of communication with your supervisors allows flexibility in determining what roles you play or what projects you could make yourself apart of.
