Land Your Dream Internship in New York City

Sasha Getz: New York City Mayor’s Office

Sasha Getz, a junior studying environmental science, economics, and applied mathematics at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, interned at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice in her second year at NYU. As the policy and planning fellow, she worked on clean construction initiatives that directly impacted the city. These included analyzing annual greenhouse gas emissions and conducting an inventory of electric construction equipment to support clean construction policy work. Additionally, she supported her colleagues with marine emissions modeling.

“There is a lot of exciting work that I got to take part in,” says Sasha. “I was involved at the front lines of memo writing for electric construction equipment and building benchmarking policy proposals. I met directly with the leaders of government agencies in New York, like the Department of Buildings, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.”

You might picture a serious office environment, but Sasha says that wasn’t the case at all. “The office vibe was very chill—not uptight like people may expect for government jobs,” she says. “My experience was incredibly rich in a way I couldn’t have even imagined.”

Sasha applied for her internship through the NYU Gallatin City Government Internship Grant, which pairs NYU students with New York City government organizations and provides funding for students. In addition to gaining valuable experience, she earned two course credits through an accompanying course.

Jake Tran: NBCUniversal

Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Management major Jake Tran was determined to continue working with NBCUniversal after his research internship with the company during his junior year. And he did! As a senior, he returned as a news product and strategy intern. Jake’s minor in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology aligned perfectly with his responsibilities supporting the product and strategy team of NBCU News Group.

“We delivered the tools the newsroom and editorial teams needed to conduct their everyday work,” says Jake. “In my role, I helped create data visualizations and collated data to provide recommendations. I also supported the team with ad hoc tasks.”

Jake’s favorite part about interning with NBCUniversal was learning about new areas of media. “This role placed me in work I was unfamiliar with,” he says. “Because of this, I learned something new every single day.”

Envisioning his future, Jake hopes to keep working in the entertainment industry. And he has helpful advice for students aspiring to a New York City internship like his. “Don’t sell yourself short!” he exclaims. “The applicant pool is competitive, but you need to believe in your potential. Curate a solid résumé tailored for the positions that interest you. Demonstrate why the entertainment industry will serve your career. Finally, be genuine in interviews and emphasize your willingness to learn.”

Olivia Nilsson: GMHC

Seniors at the Silver School of Social Work complete a one-year practicum to build real-world experience, where they apply classroom theories in the field. For hers, Olivia Nilsson, a major in Global Public Health/Social Work, interned as an intake specialist at GMHC, formerly known as Gay Men’s Health Crisis. When GMHC was founded in 1982, it was the first HIV/AIDS community service agency in the United States. It is still one of the leading organizations serving those affected by the AIDS epidemic.

Olivia’s primary responsibility was to conduct agency intakes and assessments to determine which resources would best meet a client’s needs. Then, she’d connect them to a range of support services, from health care to job search resources to housing assistance. “Working with and witnessing the resilience and vibrancy of the population GMHC serves was a huge privilege,” says Olivia. “Working in the intake department was especially meaningful. There, clients can address their needs and receive direct referrals to ameliorate the struggles they are facing. Because of this, the work felt high impact and rewarding.”

Olivia’s goal is to become a clinical psychologist, and her internship was highly valuable for her future career in numerous ways. “This experience taught me a tremendous amount about the populations I hope to serve. Furthermore, I learned about the type of social work that excites me and the type of mental health professional I aspire to be in the future,” she adds.

Help Along The Way

Completing an internship as an undergraduate is a deeply valuable experience. Not only is it a great way to gain professional experience and skills, but it’s also a chance to figure out what career you’d like to pursue and what you’d like to avoid. When the job search begins, nothing stands out on a résumé like real-world experience gained through an internship!

From entertainment to health care to finance to the arts, NYU will assist you in tailoring your internship experience to your future field. Furthermore, resources such as the Wasserman Center for Career Development provide personalized support to help you find, get an offer for, and fund your internship.