A CollegePlus! Student Uses Internships to Land Her Dream Job!

by Melody Dornink

politics

Molly Schweickert, a recently graduated 22-year-old, is one of many internship “success stories.” She has a passion for politics and has been actively fueling that passion for years, first as a volunteer and later as an intern. Her experiences have been rich with diversity and significance, not to mention trials and victories!

Dream Job

This month, Molly is starting a new job in which she will be working with state party officials, candidates, and grassroots organizations. Her internship experience helped her make important connections with other people in the political field, and that has led to a fulltime job. She is looking forward to seeing how God will choose to use her passion and experience for future opportunities as well.

Political Future

Molly’s love of politics has been developing for years, paving the way for her current position. She was introduced to the political realm at an early age, by parents who were very involved at a local level, “…so volunteering on campaigns was a frequent activity growing up,” Molly remembers.

“My interest only deepened as I continued to be exposed to grassroots politics, and so as I began college I decided to major in political science.” She heard about CollegePlus! through students enrolled in the program, and it appealed to her because of – what else? – the flexibility.

Real Life Experience

During her college years, she was able to continue working in the political field, gaining valuable hands-on, professional experience, while simultaneously working toward her college degree.

Volunteer Start

She started out as a volunteer for a local County Supervisor candidate and later become an intern for a State Assembly campaign. On that campaign, she worked with the campaign manager and grassroots coordinator as a general assistant. Some of her duties included preparing materials needed for precinct walks, recruiting people to volunteer on the campaign, working at events and fundraisers, and general office maintenance such as data entry, answering phones, and managing volunteers.

Value of Internships

“I am continually realizing more and more how the internships and jobs I had during college were entirely invaluable experiences as a student, a professional, and as a person,” Molly said.

Juggling the Responsibility

“Obviously, one of the most challenging aspects of interning during school is the pressure of keeping up with both school and job commitments,” Molly reflected. “Adding yet more activities to an already packed school schedule definitely made me feel like I was headed straight for the insane asylum!”

Not Without Challenges

One of the biggest challenges of her internship (aside from juggling school, work, and interning), was being stretched outside her comfort zone.

The first day on the job at a campaign last year, Molly was assigned a project “that I felt might require at least a PhD to understand! … However, there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you have a teachable attitude and are committed to doing your very best.” She finished the project and crossed yet another hurdle in her internship adventure.

Insider Viewpoint

Despite the challenges of balancing a packed schedule and being pulled out of her comfort zone, Molly advised students who are considering internships, “…if you are skeptical about adding another responsibility to your schedule, I encourage you to look at your priorities and consider if you’re trying to simply get through school as fast as possible, or if you are going to embrace some opportunities that have the potential to significantly enrich your experience as a student. It is crucial to set boundaries so as not to over-commit yourself, but one of the greatest things about distance-learning is that you can craft your schedule to include time for extracurricular opportunities that you discern would be a worthwhile use of your time.”

A Word to Potential Interns

She encouraged potential interns to “be confident, be teachable, and put everything into whatever you do. Make the success of the people and the cause for which you are working your highest goal.”

Molly’s final advice to those considering interning is, “Everybody’s story is different – some people may not happen to continue in the field of their initial internships, but as long as you purpose to embrace the opportunity for all that it is, you can be confident that it will be a beneficial experience that will make you better qualified for numerous other opportunities.”

you can Melody is a CollegePlus! English major and lives with her family in Minnesota. She is working on a Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate, hopes to travel overseas soon, and helps in construction and remodeling with her father.