Human Rights Campaign

Executive & Board Relations Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

The team at HRC is wonderfully inclusive and I made firm friendships while there. Even those people who I didn't work closely with were inspiring and seemed interested in my thoughts on issues.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been more work, overall. I would sometimes finish tasks well in advance and have nothing left to do.

Advice

Make sure to take the initiative and ask for tasks, informational meetings with staff members, and other opportunities HRC can provide you.

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Political Intern

May - August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

It's a really welcoming environment with staff and people who genuinely want to see you succeed in both the job that you are tasked with doing and in your life generally.

What I wish was different

For the work that's being done, interns should be paid.

Advice

Connect with people in the office on your own. There is supposed to be a mentorship matching program, but it didn't get started until late in the summer. However, people in the office are really willing to grab a coffee and connect with you outside of that and are generally super helpful and welcoming.

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Canvasser

June - August 2018 • Milwaukee, WI

What I liked

People were all friendly, and I got to dabble in excellent experience that will help me in my major. (Sociology) It was also work for a good cause.

What I wish was different

Everybody had to go their separate ways at the end of the summer which always sucks when you make new friends.

Advice

Get out of your comfort zone to do something if you think you might enjoy it. If you're 50/50 on something, take a chance.

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Field Manager & Street Canvasser

April - August 2018 • Atlanta, GA

What I liked

I enjoyed meeting the wide variety of people that I did -When you are a street Canvasser you speak to at least 20 people on average daily basis, it was a very fun experience especially for a young person who is not from Atlanta. I also enjoyed the easy-going atmosphere in the office, all of my coworkers were very loving and open and I was happy to be there especially because we were fighting for LGBT equality on a daily basis.

What I wish was different

A few things I personally wish were different, were the locations that our “crews” were sent to. A lot of places were “wealthy”, ignoring a large handful of non-gentrified Atlanta, but I also assume it was for safety measures, and for maximum donations. I wish I spoke to more people and networked more.

Advice

You can learn a lot about other people by listening to what they have to say in a short matter of minutes. Everybody wants to be heard. If you really want people to listen to you, you have to be able to listen to the, as well.

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Workplace Equality Intern

May - August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

It was a really cool and inspiring workplace environment, I got to work on some cool projects and go to some cool protests

What I wish was different

I wish they had paid us with money or supplemented our housing rather than pay us in connections, free food, and merch.

Advice

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Major Gifts Intern

May - August 2017 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Brown bag lunches -- the HRC would provide us with breakfast/lunch and we would also get the chance to learn about a range of relevant topics, anything from resume help to the corporate equality index. Being involved in a very politically driven organization such as the HRC while also being located in DC also gave us really cool opportunities for rallies, marches, or protests. The networking opportunities are super valuable - everybody at the organization is really driven and they all have some kind of advice to offer in different kinds of ways.

What I wish was different

This was an unpaid internship, but on top of that I had to pay for transportation fare to be able to get back and forth from the DC area. We were provided with a very modest travel stipend, but this really was not sufficient enough to cover three months worth of transportation via the Metro. That being said, I believe the experiences were very valuable in and of themselves.

Advice

Really get to know the people around you, take the time to research some of the full time employees and feel free to shoot them an email to meet for coffee. Everyone is super friendly and they all have a lot of wisdom to share!

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Marketing and Communications Intern

June - July 2017 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I loved everything about it. My job description was explained so well that I knew what to do every morning when I went into work. The interns worked together in the same area, so we all became very close. I also had opportunities around DC to connect and network with many people.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have gotten paid during my time.

Advice

Make the most out of your experience. This is a once in a lifetime job that will change you, professionally and personally.

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Field Manager

May - July 2018 • Milwaukee, WI

What I liked

The people! I worked with some of the kindest and dedicated people I know.

What I wish was different

The pay

Advice

If you're thinking about doing this I would say go for it! I made great memories with the people I worked with and had some great experiences out on the job.

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Field Manager/Canvasser

June - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

What I wish was different

I wish I would have applied for additional funding, given the expense of the city I was living in.

Advice

Make sure you have a place to stay, especially before you get there. I can be really overwhelming to try and find a place to stay while working full time. Also, make sure you do research for travel time

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