Internships

The MBC offers a dynamic and challenging environment for students and recent graduates interested in enhancing their education.

MBC interns gain hands-on experience in working in a professional museum and learn valuable skills in their chosen fields. Meet our past interns.

Internships are available on an on-going basis in the following areas:

• Archives
• Development
• Retail/Operations

How to Apply
To apply for an MBC internship, please send a cover letter, resume, and a list of references to the MBC via e-mail. Please indicate which internship opportunity you are applying for in your cover letter.

Compensation
All MBC internships are unpaid, however, the Museum participates in cooperative education programs in which students can earn academic credit for their museum experience.

Archives Internship

Details:

The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) seeks a qualified intern to work with the archival collection of 85,000 hours of broadcast programming.

The internship experience will expose the qualified applicant to all aspects of archives and collections management work while concentrating on a few specific projects. This internship is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable professional experience at a dynamic historical organization.

Duties:

• Inventorying, numbering, researching, and rehousing the MBC's broadcast collection.
• Assisting with moving collections into a new storage space and with preparing the collection for digitizing.
• Cataloging and screening broadcast programs into collections management database.
• Assisting with special projects including research for online programs.
  

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in museum/archival studies, communications, history, American studies, or related field.
• Current enrollment in a graduate program in the humanities preferred, but not necessary Career interest in archives, public history, or museum work.
• Must be detail-oriented, independent, and dedicated to completing work correctly.
• Good verbal skills.
  
  

Internship Dates: 12 Weeks, 15-20 hours/week, flexible weekly schedule.

Development Internship

Details:

The MBC seeks a motivated and detail oriented intern to provide administrative support for its Capital Campaign, a multi-million dollar fundraising effort for a new, permanent home.

A development internship offers a hands-on experience in museum operations and prepares an intern for future work in museum administration or nonprofit fundraising.

Duties:

• Assist with prospect identification, research, and evaluation.
• Assist in the development of presentation materials, reports, gift acknowledgements, appeals, and related correspondence.
• Assist with the planning, coordination, and staffing of special events.
• Prepare documents for mailing.
• Organize and streamline donor files.

Qualifications:

• Ability to write clearly and persuasively.
• Interest in museums and/or philanthropy.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Experience with Microsoft Office preferred.
• Good verbal skills.

Internship Dates: 12 weeks, 15-20 hours/week, flexible weekly schedule.

Retail/Operations Internship

Details:

The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) seeks a qualified intern with experience in retail and/or business operations. Intern must enjoy or have a personal interest in classic and contemporary television and/or radio.

The internship experience will expose the qualified applicant to all aspects of product research and development (related to broadcasting) for the museum's retail store, while concentrating on additional specific projects.

This internship is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable professional experience at a dynamic historical organization.

THIS POSITION MAY BE BASED OFF-SITE (as the museum is under construction) in the near west suburbs.

Duties:

• Online and telephone research to find and/or develop products related to broadcasting, politics, Chicago and children's merchandise.
• Order samples and maintain inventory for presentation.
• Assisting with special projects including research for retail and museum operations, human resources etc.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in business operations, retail entertainment/visual merchandising, broadcast communications, or related field.
• Interest in both classic and contemporary television and radio broadcasting product to be able to research and product development.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with outside vendors and to work well with others in a team situation.
• Current enrollment in a graduate program in the humanities preferred, but not necessary.
• Career interest in broadcasting, retail, business operations or museum work.
• Must be detail-oriented, independent, and dedicated to completing work correctly.

Internship Dates: 12 Weeks, 15-20 hours/week, flexible weekly schedule.