Internship Ideas: Jamey at "Wikimedia Foundation"

Today’s “Internship Ideas” features junior Communication Studies major Jamey Padojino and her internship at Wikimedia Foundation.  Here we go…

Q: Where do you intern and what do they do?

Jamey: “I intern for the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Wikipedia and its sister projects.”

Q: How did you find your internship?

Jamey: “I found the internship through a search on idealist.org, which lead me to the internship posting for this position.”

Q: Why did you choose to intern there?

Jamey: “I chose to intern at the Wikimedia Foundation because I felt that the internship posting had skills that I possessed and wanted to build upon.  The Wikimedia Foundation’s mission is to ‘provide free access to the sum of all human knowledge’ and this statement really resonated with me.  Not everyone can say they interned with an organization that supports Wikipedia and I also felt that this internship was a privilege in itself.”

Q: What do you do on a regular basis at your internship?

Jamey: “On a regular basis I check my e-mail every morning which is set-up to Google Alerts.  The search terms for my alerts are related to projects or people affiliated with the foundation.  I read through my e-mails and compile media reports filled with news articles, blogs and press releases that are about the Foundation or its projects (for example, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, etc.).  To keep a permanent record of the news coverage, I convert these files into pdfs and upload them to a folder.  I also keep track of journalists who write about the foundation.  In particular, I keep a spreadsheet of Indian journalists because a new Wikimedia office recently opened in India last January.  From time to time I also have projects which mostly consists of research and copy editing.”

Q: What have you learned from this internship?

Jamey: “I have learned that there is far more to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation than just the widespread of information that is available.  In January Wikipedia celebrated its tenth birthday where I was able to observe and interact with Wikipedians.  There are real people out there who do contribute and are dedicated to making the Wikimedia Foundation what it is today.  I have also learned that transparency is a key characteristic to have out in the work world, along with a sense of humor. :)”

Q: What advice do you have for other students looking for an internship?

Jamey: “My advice for students who are looking for an internship is to never give up.  I know it is repeated advice, but if you have the determination and confidence to look you are already one step closer to getting that internship. Find out what really sparks your interest and research away.  Also, make sure that the responsibilities/duties fit well with your skill set.  This is my first internship and I’m glad I took my own advice.  There are so many opportunities in San Francisco that are waiting for your reply and there’s no harm in taking a chance.”

Jamey at Wikimedia's 10th birthday party!

Congratulations, Jamey, on your internship and thanks for the advice!  I know many of you students out there are looking for internships for the summer.  Take a read through our “Internship Ideas” to get ideas about internships (see how well the name works?).  All of the students featured on the blog have shared good advice and different ideas about how to find a great internship.

Do you have an internship that you really enjoy?  Contact me at edoohan@usfca.edu to be featured in a future “Internship Ideas” post.