Every day is a new day for Junior Ashley Kankam at her internship with the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. As a legislative intern Ashley tells us, "it depends on the tasks. I check in with my boss to see what needs to be done, whether that’s opening the mail or completing an assignment from the previous day." We asked Ashley to tell us more.
-
Where did you find your internship? I found my internship while scrolling on LinkedIn. A state senator who is part of the NJLBCF had posted about the application deadline for the internship being extended and I saw that as my opportunity to apply.
-
How many did you apply for before you got that "yes!"? I applied to 57 internships before I got that one yes! Start looking for different opportunities now for next summer’s internships. It's never too early to start and never give up on pursuing your future career. There may be many rejections along the way but don't let them discourage you. All you need is one yes!
-
What’s one recurring task you do that you didn’t expect going into the internship? One recurring task that I didn’t expect is how many lists of contact information of various elected officials in the district. I didn't anticipate how frequent this task would be, and it gives me a better understanding of how community outreach works.
-
What habits help you stay on track when things get tough? One habit that helps me stay on track being I'm organized by writing everything down and prioritizing certain tasks. This allows me to ensure that I don't feel too overwhelmed and can work efficiently.
Rapid Fire - One tool or app you can’t live without during your internship? One tool I can’t live without in my internship is definitely Google Workspace. I love using it to complete my tasks as I believe it’s very efficient and easy to use.