Graduate Intern, Career Success

Position: Graduate Intern, Career Success

Reports to: Senior Manager of Internships and Career Success

Status: Part-Time (temporary)

Dates: January 16 – August 31, 2024

The Organization

Since 2003, OppNet has ignited the drive, curiosity, and agency of historically and systematically underrepresented students on their paths to and through college and into thriving careers, powered by our commitment to access and community. This year, OppNet will reach more than 10,000 students of color across the nation to support them in achieving their college and career goals.

• OppNet’s founding Fellows program works with 1,000+ students over the course of six years, from 11th grade through to college graduation, to provide college guidance, five summers of paid internships, career exposure and skills-training, and support in growing personal and professional networks.

• OppNet’s Career Fluency® Partnerships Program works with 35+ schools, youth-serving nonprofits, and corporations across 20+ cities to build their capacity to amplify college and career outcomes for their own students.

• Through Opportunity Ignited, we provide advisory services to corporations seeking to embed values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their businesses.

All of the work OppNet leads is in service of realizing our vision of a nation connected through vibrant communities and networks actively in pursuit of social justice and educational equity – a nation where all young people can freely create their own path to enduring success that honors their passions, ambitions, and full identities.

Our Core Values

• Galvanize Community While Celebrating The Individual

• Maximize The Power of Storytelling

• Center Social and Racial Equity Relentlessly

• Activate Solutions Through Assets, Not Deficits

• Pursue Impact that Lasts

The Job

We are looking to hire an exceptional Graduate Intern to assist the OppNet Fellows Program in preparing and coordinating our summer of in-house programming. This is an exciting opportunity for someone interested in engaging in an innovative, six-year early college readiness and career development program supporting students in New York City. The position will require a commitment of 15-20 hours per to start and build to 20-29 hours per week by June. The position will be hybrid, with one day/week in-person at our Manhattan office required during January-May and 2-4 days/week in-person June-August.

The Graduate Intern will support the Internships & Career Success team with best-fit placement of high school Fellows into summer opportunities, communicating with colleagues and Fellows on a regular basis. This role will support overall high school programming throughout the spring semester in preparation for leading operations for in-house programs come summer. Each summer, we offer learning experiences in a variety of career fields to cohorts of 10-25 students. The Graduate Intern will help to coordinate the logistics of the in-house programs, including our Summer Science Research Program (SSRP), United Planet Virtual Internships, WeThrive Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, V School Coding Program, and Data, Activated. Each program has a facilitator or program host, and the Graduate Intern will support the program leads to ensure the successful implementation of each program. Some of the in-house programs will be conducted virtually, while others will take on a hybrid format with some in-person days.

About You

The ideal candidate will personally connect to the important work we do and value diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) across the organization. The candidate will demonstrate DE&I values by actively participating in all organizational-wide learning sessions and self-reflection as well as working with others to enact changes that contribute to meeting the organization’s DE&I goals. The candidate should possess outstanding professionalism and discretion, organization and attention to detail, energy and initiative, the ability to prioritize and complete a variety of tasks on time, and a willingness to work on a wide range of assignments.

What You Will Be Doing

The primary responsibilities of the Graduate Intern will be:

Fellow Engagement & Support

• Support OppNet Fellows (11th grade through college seniors) with in-house summer program applications and general summer opportunity/internship readiness;

• Manage participant communications via email to clearly and effectively share important program information and upcoming deadlines;

• Manage additional individual outreach to participants as needed to ensure benchmarks are being met based on each program timeline and to assess any additional support needed;

• Propose creative ways to engage students with virtual learning, supporting them with special initiatives as needed;

• Monitor and support student learning and take any necessary action to ensure standards of high engagement;

Program Management

• Plan and facilitate virtual and in-person programming alongside Internships & Career Success team members, including student workshops, volunteer events, field trips, community building days, etc.;

• Provide logistics lead support during high school weekly Career Fluency workshops throughout the spring semester in preparation for leading team logistics in collaboration with the Operations team during summer programming;

• Liaise with host partners to oversee day-to-day operations and logistics of in-house summer programs;

• Support the in-house program instructors and underGraduate Interns to ensure the successful preparation and operation of the program;

• Maintain effective and efficient record keeping on student attendance, assignments, and participation;

• Lead preparation for and execution of pre and post-evaluations for in-house summer programs to effectively measure skill gain;

• Generate dashboards and reports to show progress and demonstrate outcomes;

• Coordinate the distribution of additional tech support needed for participants, including the delivery of loaner laptops and WiFi hotspots;

Overall Program Assistance

• Become proficient in existing outcomes measurement tools, including surveys, rubrics, and OppNet’s proprietary Career Fluency® Competency Model;

• Assist OppNet staff members with other duties/special projects as needed related to effective program implementation, including data tracking, student communications, or other admin responsibilities;

• Support other teams in programming as needed.

Organizational Learning, Development, and Program Reflection (15%):

• Participate in organization-wide DEI learning sessions, equity working groups, and optional identity-based affinity groups

• Attend weekly team meetings, All Hands meetings, All Staff meetings, team retreats, and annual institution-wide retreat

• Develop professional and personal intentions related to OppNet’s DEI commitment, incorporated into annual performance reviews.

Who we are looking for

The position requires an average of 15-20 hours per week from January 16 – May 31, 2024, and then 20-29 hours per week from June 3 – August 30, 2024. The Graduate Intern will report directly to the Senior Manager of Internships and Career Success.

• Bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university, current graduate students are encouraged to apply;

• Experience working with young adults, preferably at a youth non-profit or school;

• Must be able to work independently and collaboratively, as well as able to manage multiple projects;

• Superb written communication skills and an ability to interact effectively with various constituents;

• Able to be both nurturing and hold students to high expectations;

• Resourceful and able to solve problems;

• Responsive to program correspondence in preparation for workshops;

• Strong organizational talents and the ability to meet deadlines;

• Understands the importance of program evaluation and will comply with policies to measure the effectiveness of the programs;

• Self-starter with strong entrepreneurial drive: takes initiative; comfortable operating in growth mode and wearing many hats; can operate self-sufficiently but also collaboratively as part of a team;

• Detail-oriented; can be counted on to produce high-quality work;

• Demonstrated belief in The Opportunity Network’s mission and

• High degree of effectiveness and efficiency - gets things done!

Requirements to Work for OppNet

• Hybrid In-Person: Candidates for this position must be available for regularly scheduled and ad hoc meetings that require a physical presence with NYC-based OppNet stakeholders regularly (periodic in-person workshops/team meetings)

Salary and Benefits
This is an hourly-paid, part-time contractual position, with benefits not included. The hourly rate is $21/hour.

Application Instructions

• Please use this link https://tinyurl.com/4pe24ey5 to apply

• Applications will be accepted until November 1, 2023.

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Do you meet some but not all of our qualifications? OppNet is an equal-opportunity employer. Even if you may not meet every qualification listed, we strongly encourage you to apply without hesitation. If you believe in our organization's mission and feel confident in your potential to excel at OppNet, we warmly welcome your application. Our commitment lies in considering a wide range of candidates, and valuing diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to the non-profit sector, returning to work after a break, considering a career change, or taking the next step in your professional journey, we are excited to hear from you! We recognize that diverse teams make the strongest teams, and we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.