Internship at HI-Chicago

Get Ahead at the Hostel!

Hostelling International Chicago is a great place to gain valuable experience for your career. The hostel utilizes interns throughout the year. All internships are unpaid. Many interns are able to earn college course credits while working at the hostel. A small number of summer interns are provided accommodations at the hostel for ten weeks from June through August.

The benefits of interning at HI-Chicago include:

• professional experience to further your career
• substantial responsibilities and direct collaboration with management
• experience with a large, nationwide nonprofit company and international association
• working in downtown Chicago, one of the USA's largest commercial centers

This page provides an outline of responsibilities and qualifications for internships at HI-Chicago. If you are interested in an internship, please follow the application procedures on the Intern Application Requirements page. For personal experiences from recent interns, check out the Intern Testimonials page.

Interns Index:

• Interns Main Page
• Intern Application Requirements
• Intern Testimonials

A Break in Grant Park

Working

*Below are positions open for Summer 2013.  We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

 All summer internships require a minimum time commitment of 16 hours per week, and resident interns must commit to a minimum of 24 hours per week.

Guest Service and Hospitality Internship

Responsibilities: Reports to the Assistant General Manager and Front Desk Manager

• Work at the hostel's busy front desk, checking guests in and out and taking reservations
• Become proficient on RoomMaster, the hostel's reservation database
• Help with housekeeping management as needed
• Engage with travelers to promote the city of Chicago experience
• Enter online reservations from booking engines into the hostel system
• Take travelers out on at least one outing per month

Sustainability Internship

Responsibilities: Reports to the General Manager

Hostelling International Chicago seeks an intern to continue a thorough review and analysis of the field of sustainability indicators, management tools, and best practices, either existing or in development.  This research and analysis will be used to help design a new sustainability program for implementation at HI-Chicago.  We are particularly interested in individuals who can design a program that can be implemented for no cost or low cost, involving organizaing people and developing programs rather than introducting new technologies where possible.

• Research, organize, and analyze data on a variety of aspects of HI-Chicago's green activities.
• Identify areas for environmentally sustainable change
• For example, a candidate may be asked to research the hostel's recycling program: (a) observe and communicate with guests and staff alike about their usage of hostel recycling facilities and (b) research municipal garbage collection and follow up with how they handle the hostel's recycling.
• You will be expected to help design a comprehensive and viable sustainability program for implementation in the hostel, including budget, materials, and means to achieve the objectives outlined in Hostelling International's Sustainability Charter: (1) Social: ensuring that our activities complement and advance the society in which we operate by exerting sensitivity to social, cultural, and heritage issues.  (2) Ecological: minimizing our impact on climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of all aspects of our operations.  (3) Economical: ensuring that our network, and individual hostels and Member Associations are economically viable into the future.

Group Sales and Marketing Internship

Responsibilities: Reports to the Group Sales Manager

• Assist with identification and pursuit of new customers
• Generate repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations
• Develop strategic marketing projects
• Conduct focus group studies
• Distribute and analyze group surveys and comments
• Welcome groups and create a friendly environment for all age groups
• Update online sales management systems
• Updating website content
• Engaging target markets through social media

Qualifications:

• Current enrollment in institute of higher learning or recent graduate or same
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Outstanding ability to work on projects independently
• Good computer skills with MSWord, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint
• At least one strong reference

Activities Coordination and Community Outreach

Responsibilities: Reports to the Community Liaison

• Develop community partnerships in order to secure discounts and perks for travelers
• Organize and facilitate activities in the hostel and outings to attractions in the city
• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers in conjunction with the Community Liaison
• Identify and maintain continuous connections with travelers and community members to uphold brand personality and presence
• Proper composition of social media posts while remaining in compliance with respective platforms' terms of service
• Assist in gathering new and up-to-date content (including photos, reviews, interviews) for HI-Chicago's official website and monthly newsletters
• Assist in planning HI-Chicago's second annual Peace Conference.

Qualifications:

• Current enrollment in institute of higher learning or recent graduate of same
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Outstanding ability to think creatively
• Ability to work on projects independently
• Good computer skills with MSWord, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint 
• At least one strong reference

Education and Youth Outreach

Responsibilities: Reports to the Education Coordinator

• Precise responsibilities will vary depending on the current projects at the time of the internship.  This list is an overview of possible responsibilites.
• Assist in curriculum development, delivery, and evaluation of all hostel educational programs
• Some administrative duties including research, communication with youth groups, data entry
• Prepare for programs at the hostel, including grocery shopping and set-up
• Position may require some evenings and weekends with student groups
• Some grant research and writing

Qualifications:

• Current enrollment in institute of higher learning or graduate of same, preferable education major
• Ability to work with economically disadvantaged youth aged 8-18
• Experience with program development and delivery
• At least one strong reference
• Excellent verbal and communication skills

Ready to apply?

 Internship positions are competitive and not all applicants receive a position.  Contact Sharday El-Assar, Community Liaison, for more information.

• activities.chicago@hiusa.org
• 312-583-2227

Interns Main Page