A reflection on the time I spent at Chicago’s foremost international affairs think tank.
It’s been some time since my last post. My apologies for that – I promise to post more frequently. I don’t want you to think that I’ve been wasting my time away these past few months, though. Quite the contrary.
I returned to Northwestern for my junior year in September. However, I didn’t return to the traditional arrangement of classes, midterms, and exams. For a quarter, I participated in the Chicago Field Studies program. CFS is an academic internship program that combines a special seminar-style course with a real internship. The combination synergizes well. The internship provides a space to apply the lessons learned from the course, and the course offers a outlet for ongoing reflection on the experience and regrouping with peers in the same situation. It was a great idea and I highly recommend it.
I spent this past quarter interning at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The Council is a nonpartisan think tank that seeks to “influence the public discourse” on global issues. Specifically, I worked with the Major Gifts team, which specializes in individual fundraising. I had such a valuable experience at the Council that I knew I had to brag about it here.
I worked on a variety of projects during my internship. These ranged from tracking interactions between the Council’s staff and its constituents and generating research for solicitation meetings to facilitating the operation of its public programs. I knew that every day would be filled with new surprises. I won’t forget hearing the inspiring words of Paul Farmer, Ma Jun, and Joe Biden.
I learned a lot, too. I had minimal experience in Salesforce prior to the internship, but I was called to work extensively in it. Through natural curiosity and stubborn determination, I quickly gained mastery over it. I also became more adept at multitasking, adapting quickly to changing circumstances, and collaborating with coworkers to problem-solve on a deadline. The single most important thing I learned? The value of a strong initiative. Wherever I go, I’m confident that a willingness to reach out and assist others will serve me well.
As I reflect on my experience as a whole, I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. From start to finish, it seemed as if everyone I met went out of their way to make sure my time was enjoyable at the Council. I always got to sit in on team meetings to hear and provide feedback on the company’s broader fundraising strategy. Eileen, one of my supervisors, kept checking in with me to make sure my workload wasn’t too strenuous. She even looked over my resume and gave me great feedback for my future professional aspirations.
Specifically, though, I’m reminded of my first day. I entered the office feeling both anxious and eager for what was to come. I arrived at my work station and saw that the name on my name plate was misspelled Joseph Matthew. This was nothing new to me, but I was nevertheless deflated. I wanted to make a good first impression, so I debated whether I should bring up something as trivial as this. When I tentatively pointed out the error to Victoria, my other supervisor, she immediately apologized and promised that it would be promptly fixed. And it was.
It’s funny how as soon I saw my actual name at my workstation, my pride and sense of loyalty to the organization ballooned. It’s easy for me to see now that when any company wants to increase the morale of its workers, the “little things” can help out in a big way.
Overall, I had a fantastic time here and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone.
I know that many of you have already obtained or are working to obtain a summer internship. I asked my direct supervisors if they had any advice for students who want to make the most of their internship. These are their responses:
Victoria:
“Get to know the people you work with, both on the intern and staff level. Take the time to ask your boss about the route they took to their current position, or see if they can connect you with someone else on staff whose background is of interest for you. Your internship can be a critical point in building your professional network. The students you intern with will also be the people you may be working with someday, foster those relationships. Also, always take notes. When you don’t have to ask a boss to remind you of what they said – that’s a plus and makes you look good. And never stop learning.”
Eileen:
“Don’t be dumb.”
Wise words, indeed.
