This division of NHDES is extremely welcoming and friendly! They truly do act like family and seek out the most applicable/beneficial experiences for their interns.
What I wish was different
I wish I was able to start a bit earlier, but can't control that with COVID... I am still able to get plenty of hours despite that.
Advice
NHDES usually hosts several summer internship positions that can be found on their website, but they almost always need help so if you're like me and are looking for internships during a fall/spring semester just ask! They might just have something :)
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Environmental Health Intern
June - August 2020 • Concord, NH
What I liked
DES has yearly summer internships and has done a great job at streamlining students into their internship program. My supervisor was very helpful and approachable. I loved being able to gain experience in a field I am passionate about and furthering my knowledge of environmental public health outside of a classroom and in a professional setting. My supervisor provided several opportunities for networking with other professionals in this field and went above and beyond to give me the best experience possible.
What I wish was different
Unfortunately this was a remote internship, so I wish I had been able to be In the office and get to know my supervisors and other people in the office better. However, we had weekly check-in calls and I definitely felt like I was part of the team
Advice
Share what your interests are with your supervisor and see if they'll allow your work to center around a certain topic. Ultimately, this is your internship and try to get the most out of it while you can!
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Public Relations & Environmental Communications Intern
May - August 2019 • Concord, NH
What I liked
I liked the experience of writing articles for their newsletter, which included learning about other departments within DES and allowed me to gain some journalism skills. My boss was nice to work with as well as other people in the unit. I also had plenty of other assignments, like creating a short animated video about an open burning PSA, writing weekly Facebook posts, creating two mini social media post series, and collaborating with other employees to design and film a video about homemade furniture polish. These experiences allowed me to gain an understanding of what it's like to work in public relations for an environmental agency.
What I wish was different
Advice
I found it was helpful to think about the skills I was developing with the different assignments rather than the tasks themselves.
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Wetland Inspection Intern
May - August 2019 • Concord, NH
What I liked
The experience gave me hard skills and a wholistic perspective of land and water management. My supervisor was very interested in getting to know me and ensuring that I actually learned from my experience. Hours and pay were very reasonable for a government internship.
What I wish was different
Advice
Don’t be afraid to ask questions as the new, young intern at the table. Government positions can be a way to serve the people, and also learn how things in your own government actually work!
