Regional Chamber Internship Program

The Regional Chamber is a non-profit membership organization that serves over 2,700 member businesses and promotes the business and economic health of the Mahoning Valley. The Chamber Mission Statement is "To provide leadership and business services that promote the growth of our members and enhance the essential partnership between economic development and education to improve our quality of life."

Through our internship program, college students have the opportunity to learn about the community, meet and network with hundreds of different business people in the Valley and hopefully learn how to take control of their future by increasing their global knowledge. We encourage them to learn more about Chamber member businesses for potential employment opportunities and to explore future career options. We also provide the intern with a well-rounded office setting where they can nurture and grow their practical employment skills.

Type of Experience

The Chamber recognizes its responsibility to offer students its unique Chamber experience.  At the same time, students are expected to perform at their best in order to gain the most from their Chamber experience and to satisfy the academic policies of their school.  In the Chamber environment, many projects are routine, but projects can also arise unexpectedly.  There is no syllabus in the real world!

Interns work directly with the staff  to promote Chamber services, prepare marketing materials, and performing statistical analyses of member activity and customer service assessment.

Interns can also start a portfolio by taking advantage of the opportunity to learn how to use various media to generate a variety of marketing materials.  Computer programs used include but are not limited to Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Pagemaker, Microsoft Word, Excel, & Powerpoint.

Internships:

Member Services & Business Services

Business Services / HR

Economic Development / Marketing

Economic Development / Research

Office Administration

Public Policy & Legislative Research

Nonprofit Leadership

Workforce Development

Qualifications

1. Complete at least two years of college.
2. A humanities, social science, public administration or business major with at least a 3.0 grade point average.
3. The ability to follow instructions and to complete assigned tasks without direct supervision.
4. The initiative and creativity to participate in his/her learning experience.

Compensation & Perks

1. Internships can be either for credit or no-credit, depending on each individual circumstance and their college's academic policies.
2. Interns should be prepared to work from 16-20 hours per week in at least 4-hour blocks of time. We are open to flexible scheduling within normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. Interns receive a parking pass and are paid mileage to any assigned event, including, but not limited to: business seminars, breakfasts/luncheons and Business After Hours mixers.
4. A complimentary seat at selected Chamber programs during their internship period.
5. Internships are expected to last through the student's semester, or until the mutually agreed upon service period has been fulfilled. Interns who leave prior to that time forfeit their eligibility to any stipend.
6. Chamber Internships are unpaid, but stipends are paid at the end of their service period. Supervisors will be asked to complete Chamber evaluations (in addition to any other evaluation they must complete for the intern's academic authorities). The amount of the stipend will be based on the evaluation.

The Goals of the Program

• To provide students with the opportunity to gain practical experience under the supervision of qualified, more seasoned professionals.
• To invigorate the seasoned professionals' understanding of their value within the organization by offering the opportunity for renewed enthusiasm through sharing their experiences.
• To enhance employee recruitment, retention, promotion and cost effectiveness.
  

Interns can boost their employability by taking advantage of opportunities to:

• develop leadership and technical skills more quickly
• build confidence
• learn about new resources
• make friends
• increase their global knowledge of organizational operations, and the Mahoning Valley.

During the course of their internship, participants will have opportunities to gain valuable experience in some, or all, of the following technical skills:

• Microsoft Excel spreadsheet development
• Microsoft document development
• Ability to follow directions
• Ability to complete assigned tasks without direct supervision
• Research & writing
• Development of marketing materials on various software
• Development of statistical, financial or marketing reports
• Knowledge of office standards and procedures

… And the Opportunity to Develop Leadership Skills

During the course of their internship, participants will have opportunities to gain valuable experience in some, or all, of the following leadership skills:

• goal setting, action planning and follow-through
• time management
• public speaking
• active listening
• effective feedback
• conflict resolution and mediation
• critical thinking
• networking
• attendance & punctuality
  

To apply for a Chamber Internship, please submit your resume, by mail, fax or e-mail to:

Chamber Intern Program

Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber

11 Federal Plaza Central, Suite 1600

Youngstown, OH 44503

Fax number: 330-746-0330

e-mail: Dorothy@regionalchamber.com.