Why having a Co-Intern might be the best thing to ever happen to you…

I came into WAIP set on interning with Battelle. I had heard incredible things about the organization as well as the internship in the Federal Relations Office. After an autonomous internship over the course of my junior year, I knew I wanted to find somewhere I could do meaningful work and be trusted with responsibilities outside the regular intern purview. After talking with Katy and past interns, Battelle was the only option that satisfied all of those criteria.

These expectations were challenged when I was first informed I would be paired with a co-intern for the summer, Adam. Admittedly, I was nervous for selfish reasons; I wanted to be the super-intern every boss wants to hire and in my head another intern simply complicated things. It was not until meeting Adam that I realized that could not be further from the truth.

I will qualify the title of this article with the typical Public Affairs line “it depends” because it honestly does depend on the person, but the tips below apply regardless of how well you hit it off with your co-intern. Lucky for me, Adam is not only incredibly intelligent and talented, but also open and understanding. We found out early on that we complement each other, which only makes our work that much valuable to our office. We worked as a team to make sure we both got what we wanted out of this summer, whether it was dividing work based on policy interests or picking up each other’s slack when the other wanted to go on an informational interview.

His experience in technical engineering classes complemented my public policy background and experience from previous internships. His passion for energy and climate change complemented my interest in education policy and budding interest in defense. As a team we were able to network and make a lasting impression in our respective policy and professional communities.

Tips for Co-Interns:

1)      Set expectations with each other, figure out what you are both looking to get out of your internship experience and what goals you have for the future. After setting those expectations, discuss these expectations with your boss and make sure they are aligned. In our case, it could not have worked more perfectly. Dividing our work based on our policy interests helped our office stay organized and effective, always knowing which intern was handling what.

2)      Keep each other accountable and organized. We were lucky to have a giant whiteboard that we made into a color-coded calendar. We added our daily projects, ongoing projects, and external opportunities at the start of every week, which doubled as a goal setting/accountability tool. This helped us gain the trust of our full-time staff and made us effective interns.

3)      Remember your success and your co-intern’s success are not mutually exclusive outcomes—when you find something they would be interested in forward it on. Paying it forward will not only help develop your working relationship, but almost certainly result in them doing the same for you.

4)      Be each other’s number one fan and critic. This summer I have developed new skills and passions, but also realized where I have room for improvement. Adam is the person I can trust to give me honest feedback and help me succeed. Be that person for your co-intern, it will only make you more successful in your position.

5)      Take time to understand them as a person. Adam and I share an office so obviously we were able to talk daily and get to know each other better. Ask about their family, how they are adjusting to DC, what they miss about home, and what they are doing on the weekends. This program is intense and it is nice to have a network of support.

All in all, finding a friend like Adam has been not only one of the best parts of my WAIP experience, but also my collegiate career on the whole. I encourage anyone working with other interns at their placement to take advantage of the opportunity to grow and succeed together, rather than immediately jumping to competition. No, you don't have to be best friends, but using some of these tips you can be a better, more supportive team player.

-McKinzie Harper