If you’re looking for an opportunity to put your humanitarian passion to work and gain some valuable career experience while you study, have you considered the ADRA Bridge internship program? That’s right, ADRA is looking for interns!
As an intern with ADRA, you can expect to work hard but you’ll also get an experience like no other while making a real difference in the world. And yes, you will get paid!
Internships are offered in programmatic fields such as Agriculture and Economic Growth, as well as in Graphic Design, so you can gain real world experience in an area that supports your specific interests and career path.
Due to current circumstances, we will consider remote internships in addition to onsite opportunities at our headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC.
What does it take?
We are looking for amazing interns, but please be aware of the following qualifications that must be met for you to be eligible for an ADRA Bridge internship:
- Junior or above in undergraduate studies, or enrolled in a graduate degree program
- Eligible to work in the United States
- Strong record of academic achievement
- Desire to learn and grow
- Positive attitude
- Flexibility
Looking For Advice?
To give you a better idea of what it’s like to intern with ADRA, we went straight to two experts! JoDee and Joel both interned with us through the ADRA Bridge program and are now full-time employees at ADRA (it happens!), so we asked them a few questions about their experience.
How did the ADRA Bridge internship program prepare you for your career?
JoDee:
During the ADRA Bridge Internship program, I was able to work with three different departments within ADRA. The ADRA staff were very supportive of my learning goals and interests. I felt like I was doing work that was purposeful, rather than busy work.
Joel:
Internships are always a good way to get your foot in the door and for me, that’s all I needed. I wanted to figure out if working for a non-profit was what I really wanted to do. I thought it was, but I really didn’t have any experience working with an international humanitarian organization.
The ADRA Bridge Internship gave me an opportunity to not only see how a global non-governmental organization (NGO) operates, but I was able to work side-by-side with industry professionals, sit in on large department meetings, and ask questions one-on-one with directors and managers. It gave me the first-hand experience that I needed to affirm my career direction and the connections I needed to then start my career with ADRA.
What advice would you offer future interns about making the most of their time with ADRA?
JoDee:
If you have interests in areas that are outside of your original placement, ask for more learning opportunities. Ask lots of questions, ADRA staff are more than willing to answer anything you may need help with. Take full advantage of the learning potentials.
Joel:
Since internships are usually pretty short, the best advice I could give is to maximize your time by trying to learn as much as you can. Of course, you should be punctual and follow instructions, but take some initiative and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Everyone has a different story and a plethora of experience to learn from. Try to learn about different departments and figure out how it all works together. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Can you share a valuable lesson you learned while interning at ADRA?
JoDee:
I learned interpersonal communications skills between different ages, professional backgrounds, and experience levels, within a workspace environment.
Joel:
I think the most valuable lesson I learned while interning was to take initiative and introduce myself. I never regretted meeting people that I didn’t think I’d cross paths with or work with directly. Everyone had such amazing stories, experiences, and advice. It’s amazing to be in a place where people are so passionate about the work they do.
Want To Know More?
Visit ADRA.org/careers to see what internships are available now!
