Apply by March 31 for AGFC internship program

Submitted by Patrick Massey of KDQN.net

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is accepting applications for summer internships until March 31, 2024. These internships, funded by sales of the AGFC’s Conservation License Plates, let students gain hands-on training and experience needed to compete for a future career in conservation.

Many recent college graduates in conservation fields often find themselves at a loss when applying for their first job because competition for careers in the field can be very stiff. Many spend a year or more in temporary positions “earning their chops” before building the experience necessary to move forward in a full-time conservation career. Internships are one route to build that experience while still in college.

Ericka Maness, assistant chief of the AGFC’s Human Resources Division who heads up the internship program, said not only can students receive college credit for internships at the AGFC, but they also can make very valuable contacts in the agency and partnering agencies while on the job for their future career search.

“And it’s also beneficial to see exactly what that future career in conservation looks like in the real world,” Maness said. “And we’re even paying you a salary while you’re interning with us.”

Maness says all interns will work for 8 weeks, with specific working hours dependent on the division and location where they work. The positions aren’t just stuffing envelopes or managing “grunt” work, either.

“Every internship coordinator at the AGFC is required to give the intern work similar to the job functions of other employees in their field,” Maness said. “That may mean working on fish habitat projects, assisting with prescribed fire, helping monitor wildlife populations, giving presentations to visitors at nature centers, or a variety of other meaningful and memorable experiences.”

Prospective interns must:

• Have a declared degree in a conservation or related field;
• Have earned 60 hours of college credit by the time the internship begins;
• Be currently enrolled as a college student, have graduated within the previous 12 months, or be currently enrolled in a post-graduate program, and
• Have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
• Selected interns will be responsible to coordinate with their college or university to obtain course credit for their work.

Applications should include a current resume, a one-page cover letter, a copy of college transcripts and a completed application form.

Visit https://jobs.agfc.com for more information on the internship program and a list of openings. Applications must be submitted by midnight, March 31, 2024.