How to apply:

To apply for an INHF internship, please mail, e-mail or fax the following items to our office, using the addresses below. If you have questions, feel free to contact us. Note: All INHF interns must be college students (no graduates, though a graduate student is ok) who are attending an Iowa college and/or who graduated from an Iowa high school.

1. Cover letter which includes the following information:

 a. Why you want this internship and what qualifies you for the job. Note that we don't expect you have experience in all the job duties, but previous experience (whether through courses, school publications, jobs, internships or volunteerism) is a big plus.

• Example 1: "As a senior graphic design major at XXX College, I’ve taken many design classes that would be useful for this position, including Graphic Design I and II. I received honorable mention at a juried exhibit in the YYY category.   As a classroom project for my web design class, my team developed a new look for the Happy Camp website, and our design was later chosen and implemented by the camp director. Meanwhile, I have worked two semesters as the design editor for our campus magazine—which involved designing box ads and laying out pages. I’ve also done some freelancing with wedding invitations, T-shirts and other projects for friends and local organizations. I am extremely proficient in InDesign and Photoshop and somewhat proficient in Illustrator and Dreamweaver.
• Example 2: "I am applying for the land stewardship position because I like being outdoors and getting my hands dirty. Growing up on my family's farm, I spent many hours working in all weather--driving farm equipment, caring for livestock and assisting with harvesting and planting. I was part of my high school IoWater team, which conducted water monitoring tests on a local stream throughout our senior year--even in icy conditions. I attended a one-week backpacking experience as part of a spring break adventure offered by my college, so I'm comfortable with camping, outdoor cooking and related skills. Though I haven't worked directly on prairies, I learned a lot about prairie ecology in my XX class and I'm eager to hone my plant identification skills. "
• Example 3: "I have always been a strong researcher and writer and am especially interested in researching and writing grant proposals. Though I don't have much grant-writing experience, I wrote a sample grant proposal in XX class last year (enclosed as writing sample). These same skills should help me with policy research and reports/correspondence for easement monitoring."
• Example 4: "Because I’m specializing in magazine writing within my journalism major, I’ve already gathered significant academic and real-world experience that prepares me to work on INHF’s magazine. I was a reporter for the Campus X Magazine for two semesters and wrote at least one by-lined article for each edition (sample attached). This past semester, I had an unpaid internship with the Animal Rescue League, where I wrote short briefs and took photos for their newsletter. As for news writing, I’ve completed the advanced reporting classes and had one of my assigned articles printed in the Campus X Newspaper (sample attached).”

b. Your estimated hours and availability

• Example 1: "I can work 12-14 hours per week during Fall semeser (including all day on Fridays)."
• Example 2: "I can work 12-14 hours per week during Fall semeser (including all day on Fridays). I am also interested in working during spring semester. Though I don’t yet know my spring schedule, I suspect my hours would be similar. I am unavailable for summer term.
  
• Example 2: "I can work fulltime during the summer semester and 12-16 hours per week during Fall semester."
• Example 3: "I can work full-time from May 22 - August 11, though I’ll need time off during the last week of July to be in a wedding."

2. Resume which outlines your experience including relevant paid jobs, volunteer jobs and internships; educational highlights (may list key courses); related skills (computer programs, languages, etc.); honors and other highlights.

3. College transcript (official or unofficial version is fine, may also list current courses)

4. Two letters of recommendation (at least one must be by a faculty member in your major). The letters may be enclosed in your application packet or sent separately by the writer (by mail, fax or e-mail). Include reference contact information.

5. Writing sample(s)--required only for communications/PR and project support positions. Please send 1-3 samples of your writing. Published clips (example: from a student newspaper) are best, but we'll consider class papers and others. Graphic design applicants are encouraged to send graphic design samples or links to their online work. However, we realize many graphic design projects can't be duplicated and/or are too bulky to send. Thus, while it's helpful for us to have something to review in advance when selecting who to interview, we realize this isn't always possible and assume you will bring your portfolio to the interview.

Where to apply

Send the information listed under "how to apply" to the address below. Feel free to call or e-mail in advance if you have questions.

     Laurie Fenimore, Internship Coordinator
     Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
     505 Fifth Avenue, Suite 444
     Des Moines, IA 50309-2321

     Phone: 515-288-1846
     Fax: 515-288-0137
     e-mail: lfenimore@inhf.org