NYCDEP

Last summer, I was lucky enough to intern for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. I went through two rounds of interview processes on Microsoft Teams in the spring and I found out shortly after that I had received the position. It was a completely virtual position and I was required to help my supervisor with any tasks she needed assistance with. This ranged from creating and organizing excel sheets, creating surveys for the employees’ satisfaction, and researching about different events for the department to host for informational purposes. 

My internship was only supposed to last until August, but I decided to extend my position and continue working throughout the school year. The tasks were not as intensive as they were in the summer, as my boss was aware that I was enrolled in school, but I was still able to help her with what she needed at the time. I kept in contact with her, even when I was not actively working, in hopes of maintaining a connection at a prestigious work environment. I discussed any school assignments that I was working on that I felt were related to any DEP topics, such as my senior capstone or my final papers in some of my other classes. My boss actually sent me some informative sources that I ended up using in my capstone when I was outlining the damages done to New York City during Hurricane Sandy. 

In January, I set up a formal meeting with my boss to discuss potential job opportunities at the DEP, and create space for any advice she was able to give me as someone entering the environmental job market. We spoke for almost two hours about the history of the DEP, how she was able to rise up the ranks, and she provided me with specifics on how to apply for a job and what certain departments are looking for in their applicants. I felt more prepared than ever, and her perspective encouraged me to continue working for the DEP and apply to their full time jobs in hopes of a position for the fall.