By Lauren Etter
As I sat at my desk on my last day of my CUES internship, I thought back 12 weeks and wondered what I would have done all summer if I had not been offered the chance to intern with CUES. I thought: I can’t believe that in one week I will be back on campus, spending my days in class instead of at the CUES office.
On my first day, one of the editors talked with me and threw about four different article ideas at me. It seemed like a lot to be given on just the first day, the day that I knew very little about credit unions. My first thought was, “Well, I guess I should learn a little more about credit unions since I am going to be writing about them.” I was able to learn by searching credit union websites and talking with people who work in the industry.
After the editor talked me through a few details about listing information about credit unions, I got started on the assignments. On my last day, 12 weeks later, I found myself writing better, understanding credit union lingo, and feeling as though the editors here at CUES had a perfect balance of hand holding and giving me the opportunity to learn on my own.
For credit unions looking to hire interns, I would suggest a few tips:
- On the first day give them assignments, real things to do so they feel as though they are making their time and yours worthwhile.
- For the first three to four weeks, check in with them; make sure they are surviving and don’t have any unanswered questions.
- Be open; let them know you are available for questions or just to chat.
- Understand that they are interns, not experienced employees; they are excited and there to learn.
After my 12-week internship, I am thankful to have had such a wonderful opportunity and I know other students would feel the same. In the end, four assignments was the perfect start to a great summer internship and the editors at CUES did as great job prepping me for the job!
Lauren Etter is a CUES editorial intern who studies communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.
