I graduated from university three years ago and have since accrued two post-grad degrees. I have had four (count ‘em – FOUR) internships – including Parliament, US Congress, and a couple nonprofits – and I am still unemployed. The biggest problem I have with most internship programs is they don’t necessarily offer advancement into the same organization – an intern should be able to move into an entry-level position in the same company (without being rejected for not having enough experience) – or the intern coordinators ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
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4 internships and no job? Grim.
I’d be interested to know – when you did the Parliamentary internship, should you have been paid? Did you do set hours and were you given work that you were expected to do?
(And if you ever did want to get paid for that work, I’d be more than happy to help you get it!)
Initially i have to agree interning with an MP is like a dog’s food in the desert, you have to eat it but it does give you energy to get through the tough times onto greener pastures.
I looked for work for four months before approaching an MP, from there i worked for four weeks, though my confidence was crumbling and i was unsure at times of what i am doing. I showed enough energy and enthusiasm about the job, kept abreast of my mps portfolio and i managed to get a contract as an assitant
Though the job itself became boring after i secured my contract, the point is that the right attitude can get you onto higher steps in the ladder