Organization Title: Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
About: The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), builds public-private partnerships to support bold science. Our research, co-created with the agriculture community, fills critical research gaps. We support pioneering science to provide everyone access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms.
Internship Title: Partnerships and Development Strategy Intern
About my internship process and experience:
The initial stages of the application process for this internship were fairly extensive compared to other internships I had been applying to at the time. For example, I had to create a slide deck outlining my approach to various tasks related to strategy development during the first application stage. I had actually seen the same posting for this internship 2 months before, but didn’t feel qualified to apply, because there was a lot of terminology and language used in the job description that was unfamiliar to me, and the slide deck task was extremely daunting. I didn’t know where to start!
When the opportunity popped up again on my LinkedIn feed a couple months later, I had progressed significantly in my classes, including working on several projects that seemed relevant to the required slide deck task. I decided to apply and asked for guidance from one of the professors I had taken a class with that semester. She encouraged me to apply, assuring me I was more than qualified, and helped me develop the application. I prepared for my interview with the career center (a must-do before any interview), practicing mock questions and answers.
I think that because the application process was so thorough, I felt extremely prepared for the interview, because I had already done a lot of research on the organization already. Since securing the internship, I have been working on developing a high-level strategic plan for the partnerships and development team, whose job is to secure matching private funds for every federal dollar, and ideally more! This work requires me to be comfortable progressing research, data analysis, and insights and recommendations while working with many unknowns. I’ve learned to be more comfortable working in a “gray space,” and how it is sometimes necessary to make significant progress.
Key Takeaways and Advice:
For internship search/application process:
- Apply to opportunities even if the JD is intimidating or unfamiliar to you. Definitely ask for guidance/mentorship with your application whether it be from a professor, career advisor, etc. Preparing thoroughly definitely pays off.
For my experience in the internship so far (it is 6 months, so I am still working for FFAR through December)
- I have learned how to operate confidently in ambiguity. In the past, I felt uneasy when tasks were not clearly defined, but through my internship experience I’ve realized that progress often happens by working through the unknown. I’ve learned how to move forward when the path isn’t obvious, which is a huge growth moment for me!
