Applying to Intern

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Due to capacity, the Cooperative Internship Network is PAUSED this summer 2024. We are taking this time to re-evaluate and rejuvenate our service to members and the cooperative movement. Thank you for your understanding.

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Eligibility

The following individuals are eligible to participate in the Cooperative Internship Network:

Current members of NASCO Active Member cooperatives
Former members of NASCO Active Member cooperatives who were members in the past 3 years
Current, dues-paying Individual Members of NASCO
NASCO Institute 2017-2021 attendees
Graduates or current participants in NASCO's Cooperative Leadership Certification Program
Individuals who are sponsored by a NASCO Associate Member organization
Additionally, interns must possess legal eligibility to work in the country of the internship site. NASCO and our host organizations do not have the means or expertise to assist applicants with visa applications.

Before submitting your application be sure to review each opportunity in detail on our Internship Listing page and decide which opportunities you are interested in. Note that you may apply for more than one.

The following must be received by Friday, April 15, 2022, 11:59 PM CT:

Online application (including)
- Short- and long-form responses to application prompts
- Description of experience
- Statement of internship preferences
- Short statements of interest for individual internships
- Resume (uploaded)
- Contact information for three references

Tips on preparing your internship application

The most important thing to keep in mind when preparing your application for internships is to make it look professional and to include all your information relevant to the particular placement.

Although the application form is quite detailed, it is very impersonal. Your resume and responses to the application prompts are your chance to convince the host organization(s) that you are the right person for their internship.

Formatting your Application Materials

There are many websites that have sample templates for resumes. Stick with simple, "clean" formats that are easy to read. Please save your application materials in one of the following formats: *.pdf, *.doc, or *.rtf.

Evidence of Involvement with a Cooperative

Include your involvement with your co-op as experience on your resume and in your application responses. You should include positions that you have held (i.e. House Manager, Maintenance Coordinator, board member etc.) and include a brief description of your responsibilities.

Examples:

Treasurer: Paid monthly bills. Monitored house's cash flow. Prepared yearly budget. Collected rent from members. Maintained member accounts.

Kitchen manager: Prepared weekly menus for 20-person house. Monitored and maintained food and supply inventory. Prepared shopping and ordering lists. Budgeted for kitchen expenses.

House education officer: Planned social and educational events for house. Served on corporate Education committee to plan co-op wide events, edited monthly newsletter.

Board member: Elected as a director for 500 members, $7 million cooperative organization. Made policy decisions concerning personnel, finances, and maintenance. Served on long range planning committee.

Also include skills that you utilize within your co-op. Some skills that cooperative employers seek:

Financial skills: Basic bookkeeping and accounting skills, ability to read a financial statements, ability to develop and follow budgets, ability to reconcile bank statements, experience as a house or corporate treasurer.

Leadership abilities: Elected positions such as president, treasurer, etc.; supervision of others and ability to delegate responsibilities.

Writing and layout skills: Copy editing, desktop publishing; graphic design, newsletter or newspaper or owner's manual editor.

Member education: Development of member orientations, officer training manuals and events, board of directors training, prospective member promotion, co-op and community relations.

Development experience: An understanding of project financing, real estate feasibility projections, and loan applications.

Collective decision making experience: Experience as a member of a worker collective or other democratically managed organization; participation in house, board, committee, or other meetings; experience using consensus decision making and/or conflict resolution; facilitation skills; team building activities.

Volunteer experience: Experience as a volunteer for organizations such as crises centers, suicide hotlines, runaway shelters, homeless shelters, schools, tutoring programs, day care, hospitals, local food co-ops or buying clubs, etc. show a commitment to your community and a high level of responsibility.

Time management: Experience working under a deadline, developing and executing projects.

Computer experience: computer skills and use, programming skills.

Specific Job Experience and Employment Goals

Be specific about the skills you have and the skill you wish to acquire. If you do not have a lot of experience in an area but would like a job in that area, you must convince the potential employer that you are capable and willing to learn the job. You might want to explain your motivations for gaining experience in this new area and mention skills that you want to gain or further develop. It is also helpful to explain in the application how the internship fits into your immediate and long-term career goals.

Further Resources

There are many resources available to help you prepare a high quality resume. The first place you should check out is your campus career center. Often the center will have books with different samples of resumes, and some will have counselors to offer you suggestions for improvements. Another great place to look is online–a search for "resume writing" will produce many hits.

Application deadline: Friday, April 15th, 2022, 11:59 PM CT