I recently started an internship with Keystone Alliance, an administrative services organization that supports Search, Inc.  I was excited to get this internship with the help of the No Boundaries – Train for Work, Train for Life program. As my first internship, I’ve learned a lot, I’ve gained workplace skills and started working on being independent by taking public transportation.

I went through an interview process and practiced interviewing with the No Boundaries team prior to the interview at Keystone Alliance. When I got the call that I got the internship position, I was excited and changed my schedule to prepare for the internship.  On my first day, I was introduced to the Keystone Alliance team as well as, Nick Larson, my supervisor.  My first task was to assist with cleaning up a shelving unit so they could use the space for something else.

At Keystone Alliance I perform various tasks like alphabetizing, data entry and filing. I also prepare documents to be mailed;  this includes stuffing envelopes, adding stamps and return address labels.  Also, I sometimes shred documents and dispose of certain documents that can not be shredded.  My internship at Keystone Alliance has been rewarding and I feel as though my skills are a great match for the job.  Some of the skills I’ve improved on are my communication, organizational and personal responsibility skills. I have improved upon most of these skills because I have previous experience in an office setting.

I recently started learning the transportation system within the Chicago area.  The buses, the Metra and the Chicago Transit Authority system are the different transportation types I have been learning.  However, the CTA is the one I use to get to and from Keystone Alliance.  Although I can travel to and from Keystone Alliance using the CTA without problems, I am still learning to use it. I enjoy taking the Brown Line to get to my internship and getting my tasks completed during my internship.

I would encourage anyone looking for a position in an office environment to gain this type of experience. Have completed an internship in the past or are doing one now? How was it? Have you gained or improved on your workplace skills?

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About The Author

This blog was written by Adrian, one of our No Boundaries participants. NO BOUNDARIES – Train for Work, Train for Life, a Search, Inc. enterprise, is a “first-of-its-kind” experiential on-land and on-line workplace training center for individuals with disabilities.