I recently attended the CALS Career Expo where I spoke with a recruiter from the N. C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Division of Environmental Health about the internship opportunities available through the NCDENR. He informed me of the many internships available with the N. C. Museum of Natural Sciences. He advised me that with my interests and experiences an Administration internship would most likely be my best choice.

This type of internship was not exactly the direction I was looking towards. I was looking more towards research dealing with the development of biofuels. This internship with the NCDERN would be working with day-to-day operations such as visitor building maintenance, helping with visitor services, and assisting with the day to day operations of the Museum.

This conversation allowed me to gain experience by talking to a potential employer. I have learned that my first impression on a person has the greatest impact as to what they think of you, and in this case can often be the difference between obtaining a job or internship or not. I don’t believe this conversation aided me in my progress towards my career goals other than gaining communication skills because it was not in my desired field of study.

 When I first walked into the Career Expo I was feeling a little nervous because I knew I would be talking to potential employers. I was thinking about what to say to make the best first impression possible. I remembered back to some knowledge I learned in FFA about public speaking skills. Self-confidence is one of the most important traits of “selling yourself” to a company.

The NCDERN has several requirements to be applicable for an internship. I met most of the requirements such as being a student in an undergraduate program, having experience and work-knowledge of the field, and a satisfactory GPA. The one requirement I did not meet was having completed four semesters of coursework. They also require strong public communication skills and enthusiasm and interests in leaning about science education.

The recruiter gave me the contact information for J. D. Potts and advised me to contact him if I was interested in obtaining more information on internships with the NCDERN.