Giving is Receiving with Mayor Daley’s Youth Ready Chicago
Giving is Receiving with Mayor Daley’s Youth Ready Chicago Lindsay Clasby’s investment in summer interns has generated positive returns for the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA), an organization bringing together businesses and organizations to strengthen the area’s competitive position as a mixed-use destination and world-class city and tourist attraction.
As the CLA’s senior marketing and development coordinator, Lindsay has served as the primary mentor to the interns hired by her organization through the Summer Jobs Program each year since 2006. The endeavor began as a way to give back but has proven to be as beneficial for the organization as for the young people who are hired.
“We became involved with the Summer Jobs Program because we wanted to provide youth with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, Lindsay said. “We've stayed involved because we have greatly enjoyed working with the interns. They all have so much to offer; and while we've been able to mentor them and teach them new things, they've also brought creative ideas to our workplace.”
The CLA’s interns, all high school students, have ranged in age from 16 to 18. Lindsay, who remains in touch with all of them, credits the interns with keeping the CLA in touch with the youth demographic, and handling administrative tasks such as faxing, filing and answering the phone. The interns also have assisted with special events and performed other tasks to support the organization’s five full-time staff.
Lindsay played a significant role in her young colleagues’ successes, taking the time to train them on office procedures and equipment, and supervise them throughout their summer employment. For several of the interns, working for the CLA was their first professional work experience. All of the interns also participated in Job Readiness Training prior to their first day at the CLA, an essential part of the process to prequalify and prepare every intern who is hired through the Summer Jobs Program.
“With all of our interns I was impressed with their professionalism and work ethic,” Lindsay said. “They all came to their interviews dressed like young business professionals, they researched the company ahead of time, and their general disposition was pleasant and professional. I was also impressed by how they went about completing tasks. They met deadlines, and if they ever had questions or needed clarification on tasks they weren't afraid to ask for help so that they could successfully complete the task on time.”
All in all, the experience was mutually beneficial, Lindsay said.
“Personally it was really enjoyable. And our interns all appreciated the time that our staff took to train them, and it was rewarding to see them at the end of the internship doing things like pros when months prior they had never done some of those things before. It also was great to be able to talk to them about their college and career goals.”