intern – DePaul University Career Center Blog

Apply Now: 10 Internship Openings in Chicago

1. Marketing Intern – The Magnificent Mile Association

Sample projects will include managing daily event and marketing program logistics, including website and social media inquiries, developing and maintaining consumer website, social media outlets and e-newsletters, assisting in recruiting member participation through various consumer seasonal campaigns.

2. Public Relations Intern – The Door Online

The Door is a creative relations firm with offices in New York City, Chicago and LA. The Chicago office is currently looking for interns who are interested in furthering their public relations experience at a hands-on agency. Individuals with an interest in culinary, hospitality and entertainment PR will be considered for their part-time (2-3 days per week) internship program.

3. Special Events Intern – Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Assist the Chicago chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of assigned events and other chapter programs while developing relationships with key volunteers, donors, and sponsors.

4. Weekend Enrichment Teaching Assistant – Center for Talent Development

Teaching Assistants work closely with lead instructors to provide safe, challenging and differentiated experiences in the classroom. They also supervise students during breaks and all transition times.

5. Spring Internship: Freshwater Conservation Research – Shedd Aquarium

The Freshwater Conservation Research Intern will assist research in conservation genetics of freshwater mussels in the Great Lakes region. The data will be used to estimate genetic diversity and structure of natural populations and understand evolutionary history of mussel species in the region.

6. Accounting Intern – BBJ Group LLC

BBJ Group (BBJ) a growing environmental consulting and engineering firm is seeking a dynamic part-time Accounting Intern. The Accounting Intern, will be working directly with accounting personnel to collaborate on projects that directly affect the business. A strong candidate for this internship possesses an understanding of accounting and financial principals and a positive attitude. Candidates should be collaborative, trustworthy, receptive to feedback and eager to learn.

7. Spring 2020 Curatorial Intern – Design Museum of Chicago

Each intern will also propose and complete a special project over the course of the internship. Although the initial project idea will be generated by the intern, museum staff will help hone the project to be both related to the intern’s field of study or professional aspirations as well as serve the museum’s mission and goals. Duties will also include assisting with special events, and participating in exhibition development and grant-writing efforts.

8. Game Programming Internship – Dark Catt Studios

Ideal candidates would be innovative individuals who enjoy brainstorming and working on a variety of projects. This is a hands-on internship program rooted in building your fundamental skills and understanding what game production in the workplace looks like. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to not only further their skills, but also gain the opportunity to collaborate in other roles within the company to obtain a more well rounded knowledge of production as a whole.

9. Video & Photography Internship – Dim Events

If you are the type of person who has a lot of ideas on visually storytelling and needs help finding guidance on how to utilize your ideas in the creative field, this internship may be for you! Dim Events is a boutique company that loves innovation and new ideas, they require their interns to experiment with new trends and concepts. You will meet at a minimum of 2-3 times a week with the owners and event teams to go over tasks and duties, with an option to work from home based on your schedule.

10. Multiple Internships – Chicago Ideas

Chicago Ideas is interviewing candidates to fill internship positions for the Winter term, working until mid March. We are looking for interns with a self-starter attitude who have a wide array of interests and skills. This internship will provide a stipend and is highly valuable in exposure and experience with a nonprofit start-up organization that is growing and thriving.

A Day in the Life of a U.S. Cellular Intern

By Katie Tychynska, Summer 2019 Pricing and Promotions Intern at U.S. Cellular

This summer, I got the opportunity to intern at U.S. Cellular in Chicago. I was a part of the Pricing & Promotions team within the marketing department of USCC. In addition to this, I just finished my last class online at DePaul and recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Finance. This summer has been busy, but so rewarding!

You have most likely heard of U.S. Cellular, as they are the 5^th largest wireless carrier in the nation! As an intern on the Pricing & Promotions team, I play a crucial role in helping USCC create pricing and phone plan strategies to meet their business objectives (no coffee runs or filing here). A day in the life of a USCC intern is different every day but generally, it usually goes like this…

7:30AM

Rise and shine! I wake up and get ready for work. I walk and feed my puppy before grabbing a coffee and walking to the train. USCC has no shortage of coffee in the office but, since I’m not a morning person, I definitely need my dose right after I wake up.

8:00AM

I live in the South Loop of Chicago, so I typically take the blue line to work every day. It’s super convenient because the train drops me off right into the USCC parking lot!

9:00AM

I get to the office and take the elevator up to the 9^th floor. My desk is at the south end of the building, with an amazing view of the Chicago skyline! The first thing I do in the morning is check my emails and schedule for the day. Something super cool about the cubes at USCC is that the barriers are actually dry erase boards, which are helpful for jotting down quick notes.

I prepare my to-do list for the day and get started with any projects I am working on. One of the projects I worked on this summer was creating a plan for a specific customer segment we want to target. The best thing about working at U.S. Cellular is that I get to be independent and a self-starter in working on my projects. I analyze data, do competitive research, and present my findings and strategy to the team.

11:00AM

I typically sit in on a few meetings in the morning and throughout the day. My leader is very receptive to letting me sit in on meetings I am interested in.

For example: I was interested in learning more about market research so my leader invited me to sit in on recurring meetings regarding a market research initiative she is working on. The wireless industry is very exciting and fast-paced and there is always more to learn!

12:00PM

For lunch, I typically will pack my own. Sometimes, I grab lunch from the cafeteria (which has so many great options) or Farmer’s Fridge (my favorite), which is a fresh vending machine full of delicious salads. I might catch up with some of the other interns or even take a walk around the campus to get some steps in.

3:00PM

I usually have some meetings to attend in the afternoon. I’ve also been able to attend a few workshops during my time here. One workshop I attended was about positioning within marketing and we got to go through different case studies and also brainstorm positioning ideas for U.S. Cellular.

5:00PM

I wrap up any emails or meeting invitations I have to send out and head out to catch my train.

The skills I have learned at U.S. Cellular are invaluable as I have interacted with so many experienced people from all different departments and learned from them. I encourage everyone to try to have at least one internship during their time at DePaul. It will really set you apart from others and lead you to a successful post-grad career.

So You Scored Your First Internship? 10 Tips for Success

By: Chloe Leuthaeuser, DePaul University Communications and Media Major ‘17

Are you feeling a little uncertain about starting a new internship? Heed these 10 student and supervisor-approved tips to get the most out of your internship and wow your coworkers.

1. Go in open-minded and be willing to do something new. Internships can turn into some of the most formative and worthwhile experiences. They allow you to dive into tasks, roles or projects you never expected to attempt; but, if you keep an open mind, you can learn something from these new or unfamiliar experiences. Supervisors will appreciate your willing attitude! Internships can also lead you to new cities or industries. Embrace every aspect and don’t be afraid to welcome the unknown.

2. Even if you initially don’t love an industry, give it a second chance. There is so much to learn from every industry—from technology, consumer goods, healthcare or fashion—and it’s extremely advantageous for you to have a diverse list of experiences under your belt, especially as you continue to explore career avenues.

3. Set specific goals for yourself and communicate them with your supervisor early on. Although this may just seem like a class assignment, do it! If you set measurable goals for yourself, you can track progress and better understand the importance of target dates and staying on track. Creating goals and measuring your success will come in handy during future job interviews as well; you will be able to communicate to employers exactly what you achieved and how you got there. Plus, creating your own goals is also a great way to make sure you’re getting what you want out of the internship.

4. Say yes to everything you can. Doing an extra research project? Lending a hand to a new team? Helping plan a new event? Getting drinks with coworkers? Yes, yes, yes and yes. The connections and experiences that form during your internship may come when you least expect it, so get in the habit of saying yes—but make sure you can follow through, of course!

5. Ask, “How can I help?” Offer a helping hand before coworkers even ask. Even if they don’t need help at that moment, they will surely remember your eagerness to get your hands dirty and help out. This shows you are willing to take initiative and are proactively seeking projects.

6. Timing really is everything. Internships are designed to teach you how to deal with managers, stress, multiple projects, and deadlines. Get in the habit of asking your supervisor when a deadline is and approximately how long that project will take. Then, check your list of other projects and deadlines, and appropriately respond. It’s OK to say no if you have too much on your plate! Quality is better than quantity in these situations.

7. Take time to talk to your coworkers and supervisors. Sometimes the most rewarding parts of an internship are the lasting connections you make. Consider this:

Ask supervisors and higher-ups for informational interviews over lunch or coffee
Sit and chat with coworkers close to your age
Pick everyone’s brain about everything—from their career path, insights on the industry or company, or tips for someone in your shoes

8. Put in the extra effort. Put your best effort into every assignment. Your hard work will not go unnoticed. Even if you don’t see the point of an assignment, it was assigned for a reason. If you demonstrate your capabilities early on with easy tasks it is almost guaranteed that you will be given more substantial projects later on.

9. Have a good attitude. Millennials sometimes get a bad rap for acting entitled and having a bad attitude, but prove that image wrong! Plus, a little positivity will significantly improve your experience (even if you’re not doing something you love).

10. Make some time for yourself. Take advantage of your situation! Don’t burn yourself out within the first few weeks by working on weekends and nights if you don’t have to. You can still put in hard work and get noticed without working overtime. You’re allowed to have a little fun, too!

Now, go out there and wow your new coworkers!