My most important piece of advice for FGLI students, and really all students, is not to work for free. Your labor is too valuable for you to freely give it away on an unpaid internship. I would look to see what community-based organizations are doing work in fields that you’re interested in, and apply to opportunities there. If they can’t afford to pay you, then the DSA is a phenomenal opportunity. You don’t know what’s available if you don’t ask around, so cold-emailing organizations can also help you create new connections. Sometimes if you live in a big city, like New York, the municipal government has programs that can connect you to paid internships for the summer. Look everywhere, even places you wouldn’t think would have an internship program, and make sure that you’re getting paid!

If possible, get a feel for the culture of the workplace. For example, if you love interacting with people, office work might not be for you. During the interview, it’s important to get a sense of what your daily routine will be like, and how you would fit into the workplace dynamic. Make sure that you’re choosing a place where you feel like you’d be an appreciated part of the team, and where you’d be happy to work with the people around you.

Jason Contino ’21
Co-President of A Leg Even (ALE)