Washington DC Internships | Intern Group

Pros:

-GREAT STAFF: The 3 program directors had great personalities and were very helpful in all aspects of the program. Whether the issue involved the internship or personal life, they were often available.

-Exciting and new environment: By selecting the Dream Careers program I was able to live independently in a bustling and lively environment. The experience helped me learn how to properly adjust to living in a place I'm not familiar with, which is a skill I am confident that I will use for the rest of my life.

- Hard work ethic of the directors: During my time as an intern the head director/coordinator worked diligently to find an internship tailored for me. I wanted to work in Tourism (specifically tour guiding), which was something the director had not encountered before. However, because of his hard work I ended up WORKING (yes, I got paid) for a company that I truly LOVED

- Weekly sessions: One day each week all the interns gathered for an hour-long (sometimes more) meeting where we listened to the stories and advice from current professionals. Many of the speakers were very transparent and honest, which helped us find ourselves in them. In simple words, we were able to see that although we were potentially misguided at the time (as the speakers were during our age), we would find our way eventually.

-Personal concierge: EVERY WEEK we had the opportunity to discover a new event and/or restaurant in the city because of the Dream Careers staff. This made it easier to transition to living in the city.

Con

- You're taking a risk: This con deals primarily with the individual rather than the program. As with ANY internship experience interns are going out on a limb to find their career path; thus, you may NOT learn what job is right for you within the 2-3 months of the program.

I had a truly incredible summer in DC thanks to the Dream Careers program. My internship with DC Public Education Fund was one of the most valuable experiences of my life and really prepared me for my future work in education and the nonprofit sector. I met so many talented and inspiring people through this program, both personally and professionally, and had one of the most fun summers of my life. The staff that led the program helped me to explore and grow to love the city and helped to connect me to resources that would help me grow professionally. My summer with Dream Careers was life changing and I will be moving to DC to work in the education field in the future because of my experience in this program.

Having spent my 2014 summer with Dream Careers for a business internship, I speak highly of the program they have put together. Everything is well planned out from check in to departure. The location they have for accommodation is prime in the heart of NW DC. The seminar speakers are well connected, successful professionals from who there's much to learn from, especially with regards to enhancing networking capabilities. More so, the program presents incredible professional networking opportunities. The internship itself was applicable to my major and productive from a career and investment perspective. It goes without saying that great friendships were created and there was plenty of time to explore and enjoy the city.

As a 2012 dreamer I had the best summer of my life. The DC program provided several opportunities for my personal and professional growth. The DC staff was more than accommodating; anytime I needed to talk whether it be about my career or personal goals they were open and respectful and truly cared about all of the students. The weekly sponsored activities allowed me to see DC in a way I never imagined; I truly enjoyed my summer in DC and I have Dream Careers to thank for that.

I am so thankful for my time with DC. I recommend it to anyone who wants a new experience! If you want to go to a new place and try new things this is the program for you! They really help you see what its REALLY like to live in the city you are in. They help encourage you to be innovative and passionate. The weekly lectures are life changing. This is the greatest thing i have ever done.

I enjoyed my internship with Metropolitan Police Department . I was able to choose my own 8 hour work shift. It was an incredible experience working with Criminal Investigations Division. I was able to work and get a feel of the field I received my degree in, Criminal Justice. I essentially shadowed them and assisted them with whatever they needed help with their cases- calling victims/suspects, typing emails, going to court, creating bolos, and going to calls. It was a blast and I would do it all over again.

I never heard about Dream Careers until one day I googled summer internships and found this program. After applying for the program, improving my resume, learning interview techniques, applying and accepting an internship offer, would I have thought this summer program would have been anything like what I experienced. Not only did they help me prepare for everything before flying out to D.C. but once I got there the staff never stops helping.

The Internship:
I interned with the Washington D.C. Metro Police Department. The first week at this department was rough. When you apply for their internship you pick your top 3 choices for what division in the department you want to intern in. I was lucky enough to get my first choice; however, I ended up being moved around a couple times my first week because of staffing concerns. I did not know what I should do and was really frustrated. Luckily the dream careers staff helped me through it and encouraged me to speak to the department about my concerns and thankfully they understood and worked with me. I was able to move to a division that was in charge of monitoring the city and getting officers the right information which I thought was awesome and very rewarding. The officers I worked with were great and gave me some good advice and as I left I was told I am allowed to come back as an intern if I want to. Overall I was satisfied with my internship experience.

Events:
Besides going to work, we had program events to keep us occupied and to explore what D.C. had to offer. We went to a new restaurant every week which was awesome and of course because I love food. Then on the weekends there were some great events as well. We explored the monuments, toured museums, went to a baseball game, and even had a perfect spot to watch July 4th fireworks. Some of the best events came at the end of summer when we spent the weekend at Virginia Beach and going to Kings Dominion amusement park as well as ending it all at our dinner dance cruise on the Potomac river. The events this program has to offer were amazing and you do not want to miss out on them.

Seminars:
We had career-development seminars every week. Usually there was a theme for each weeks seminar so that we had something to focus on. The guest speakers were unbelievable and really were able to connect their professional and personal experiences with ours and did a great job helping us to grow personally and help find our passion.

Housing/Location:
Being housed at George Washington University meant we were blocks away from all the monuments, nightlife, and of course the metro system so that we can have an easy time getting to work.

I would recommend this program to anyone interested in interning in Washington D.C.

This past summer I did the Dream Careers program in Washington, D.C. My internship was at Carpenter's Shelter, a homeless shelter in Alexandria, Virginia and I was the administrative intern to the volunteer coordinator. As an administrative intern, I completed various tasks including contacting volunteers either via phone or email, updating the online volunteer database, creating online meal calendars for volunteers to sign up to volunteer to serve a meal at the shelter and I created a volunteer satisfaction survey using Survey Monkey. I had a great experience both at my internship and participating in program events such as a twilight tour of the White House and the monuments, a tour of the capitol building and congress, visits to the Smithsonian museums and a dinner and dance cruise on the Potomac River, just to name a few. It was great getting to be a tourist around D.C. and live in a city I had never been to before while also gaining valuable workforce skills. I also met so many people I otherwise would not have met from all across the United States and internationally. I'm grateful to have had this opportunity and I encourage other students to do it as well. Doing this program will be the best summer of your life and allow you to put everything else on pause and focus solely on your internship and all the fun opportunities Dream Careers programs have to offer. Because of my positive experience, I am now a part of the Dream Careers family and am working for them on campus as a campus ambassador. If anyone is interested in this program, contact me and I can help you get started!