Happy New Year! I’m often reminded during this time of year of the great opportunity and potential that exists for each of us to reframe our approach to life and work and stretch ourselves in new ways, whether it’s fitness goals, pursuits of an organized life or attempting new habits and routines in this new year of 2013.
I’ve had a whole new start to my journey in 2013: one week ago today, I began coordinating the Internship Programmes at World Vision International! As one of the largest NGO’s in the world, World Vision is “dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.” A few years ago, the organization created a new unit, “Professional Development Programmes,” which provides apprenticeships, fellowships, internships and soon to be, externships to undergraduate and graduate students. These different programmes provide meaningful learning opportunities in Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and New York City for students and recent graduates in the hopes of attracting, strengthening and retaining “emerging talent” within World Vision International. In my first week on the job, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting graduates of these programmes who are now fully employed by World Vision. These individuals come with backgrounds like accounting, journalism and law and have joined the organization as full-time staff in specialties like microfinance, climate change and international development.
For those who know my background, this opportunity could not be a better fit for me. I value quality higher education experiences and have developed a career (that seems a little weird to say as a Millennial) within the nonprofit sector. Having the chance to essentially recruit and develop talent for this NGO, while building and expanding these programmes is as cliche as it sounds: a dream come true.
Nearly 8 years ago, when my Baby Boomer father asked me “Son, you’re about to graduate from high school and head off to college. After that, who knows what’s next. What kind of places do you think you’d like to work?”
My #1 answer to that question: “World Vision.”
I’m beyond grateful for this professional opportunity and am excited to invest more time in the worlds of career development, higher education, humanitarian work and many more. As we continue into 2013, I am looking forward to finding more areas of my Millennial journey of life and work with all the things that can be made new.
