An upgraded internship

As the summer approaches, many college students begin their search for internships. While usually an enriching experience, many interns can feel isolated as they work and sometimes live away from their peers.

The Union County Development Association works to counter that with their Intern It UP program, started in 2018. According to UDCA’s website, the program is “designed to help summer interns network with peers and experience more of what Union County has to offer.” Interns involved in the program could work at any local company.

UCDA Marketing Coordinator Olivia Cheers explained what the program involves for each student.

“In May, we kind of meet together and have a social hour and do appetizers and Union County Young Professionals get together with the interns,” Cheers said. “Our next session is just a headshots-to-hired session, so the interns will get their headshots taken by Chloe Thompson. Then the next session paired up with that is LinkedIn and a resume-building workshop with lunch. The last one is just another social hour, scavenger hunt throughout Union County.”

The meetings last throughout the summer, the first in May, two in June and the final one in July.

Not only do involved interns get to network and learn professional skills, the program shows them what living in Union County is like. Taher Poonawala, a 2018 intern for Bunn-O-Matic, said the program was enlightening.

“I got to meet people that I would have never gotten to meet by being involved in Intern It UP,” Poonawala said. “I met people that are so well integrated into Creston and now that I have spent three months here, I would consider staying in the area.”

In order to qualify for Intern It UP, the intern must fill out the application form, be in a post-secondary learning institution and have an employer willing to commit to the program as well. For companies that are investors in UCDA, the program cost is $125 per intern. Non-UCDA investors have a fee of $200 per intern.

Though the program is meant for students who already have internships lined up, those still searching are welcome to fill out the application as well.

“Even if they don’t have an internship, we do send out to the industries,” Cheers said. “If they’re interested in health care, we offer that to Greater Regional and say, hey, we’ve had some interested interns. If you’re looking for them, here are some possibilities.”

Local companies that have participated in past years include Wellman Dynamics, Bunn-O-Matic, KSIB Radio, Creston Automotive and Greater Regional Health.

Students can find the application form at unioncountyiowa.com/internitup. Employers can contact the UCDA at 641-782-2003 for more information.