In 2004, I met a municipal intern from the Municipal Internship Program that spoke highly of her experiences. I immediately became interested in the idea of becoming involved in municipal government and the internship seemed to be just the foot-in-the-door I was looking for. The chance to be exposed to all the unique aspects of municipal government by spending time with each department, council, and management is such an interesting program designed by Alberta Municipal Affairs. And, well here I am!

I feel that this internship with Sturgeon County has provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime work experience. So far I've been amazed at the diversity of experiences I have already had - from participating in Council meetings, working on a transportation road crew, attending conferences, working with Senior Management, taking on new, challenging projects, as well as meeting and becoming friends with my fellow interns.

Every day I learned something new about municipal government, spent time with a different person, and furthered my learning and development as a recent university graduate. A great reality about the internship is that as an intern you are developing life skills that you can take with you no matter what you do in your life! Learning about the basic aspects of a municipality helps one gain an appreciation for all the hard work that is needed to make a municipality successful. And, I can't wait to begin my career in the rewarding field of municipal government!

Before starting my journey as a Municipal Intern, I had absolutely no experience with any level of government, never-mind local government. While the idea of venturing into un-chartered territory was exciting it was also, shall I say, incredibly intimidating! Nevertheless, my instincts told me not to pass up the opportunity, to leave my reservations at-the-door, and to explore this new world of municipal administration. I'm certainly glad I did.

On my first day reporting to work, I gained my first experience with the Town's political process, a Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting with the Mayor and Councilors. Upon meeting them only once, my impression of the Councilors was that they are just everyday people, like you and me, who are especially concerned about the wellbeing and the future of their community.

The position of a Municipal Intern is, by design, a position of opportunity and privilege. By exposing me to the operations and management of each and every department (Where else can you do that?)---from roads, to culture, to planning---the Internship Program has given me a sound understanding of the inner-workings of local government and a working knowledge of its internal and external relationships. The Intern experience has stretched my ability to think "outside-the-box" and enabled me to see the world in a whole new light, the BIG-picture light. The greatest thing about the Internship program is the ability to control your learning and tailor it to suit your personal and career aspirations. If you would like to learn more about yourself, you will. If you are interested in learning about everything from politics to engineering, you will as well. In the short time I've been working for the Town of Cochrane I've done everything from driving a front-end loader, scaling trees, riding along with ambulance services, to drafting public policy, presenting to Council, and preparing budget packages. Learning opportunities within this program are continuous and endless. I'm convinced that because of the learning opportunities I've enjoyed, the professional connections I've made, and the future climate of local government, I'll find a fulfilling career upon completion of the Internship Program.

When I entered the University of Calgary, I had a desire to serve the public. During school I coached a minor hockey team, and in the summers worked in a provincial constituency office. It was that desire that attracted me to the Municipal Internship Program's booth at the University of Calgary career fair in 2004. I talked to one of the interns for a few minutes, and took the flyer. I decided to check out the website, and was immediately interested.

In all of my classes at university I had not learned about municipal government, so I expected to vastly broaden my scope of knowledge. Municipal government deals with the essential services that affect everyday life for Canadians, and to truly understand government, it is essential to have knowledge in all levels.

What I enjoy most about my time in Canmore is the variety of work. You are spending time in every department over the year, so you get to experience everything from Engineering to Human Resources. You are able to see how an entire organization operates; it's successes and shortcomings.

In my time in Canmore I have been able to participate in the creation of a departmental budget, coordinate the inventory and analysis of utility agreements, and organize a portion of a special event. Those are just some of the many experiences and projects that I have had. Most importantly, everything that I do during my internship will contribute to becoming a successful manager in the future.

As of May 2006, I have completed my internship with Strathcona County. Below are a few ways that it has helped me meet my goals of the internship program.

Goal #1: Is a career in the public sector a career for me?
The internship experience has reassured my thoughts about pursuing a career in the public sector. The internship was a great way to test the water and get a good feel for local government. I came to an understanding of wanting to accomplish something for the greater good rather than one individual or group of individuals. Therefore, I am continuing to pursue a career in municipal government. I strive to become involved in my community and assist in its development to make it a better place for all community members to live.

Goal #2: Getting hands-on experience.
The internship program has provided me with an on hands experience with day to day operations of a municipality ranging from council meetings to preparing bylaws to assisting a municipal census to maintaining good public relations to supporting project management. This has allowed me to gain an understanding of municipal administration and obtain the skills and competencies needed to provide leadership and work in a team environment as well as work independently.

Goal #3: Training and educational sessions applicable to municipal government
Throughout my internship I was able to take and attend several courses. As set out at the beginning of the year, I had the desire to take the Local Government Certificate Program simultaneously of working in the field. This proved to be fruitful and enhance my educational experience greatly. I was able to draw upon my everyday experience and relate them back to academic theory.

Goal #4: Gaining competencies needed as a municipal leader
My professional and academic experience has helped me develop the skills needed as a municipal administrator. I have been required to work individually or as a team member to achieve options and solutions for clients, committees, and boards. In team situations, my strong verbal and written communication skills have assisted me in forming positive relationships and successful projects. I can effectively manage multiple projects and prioritize them as needed. Additionally, in the last year I have obtained a wealth of information on how a municipality functions. This information has been broad in nature; however, it has given me a basis to now drill down into a functional area of my choice.

In the future I expect my professional experience and education to situate myself as a candidate for a senior municipal administrator position.

Plain and simple: The Municipal Internship Program is an opportunity that I'm glad I didn't miss. I would strongly recommend the program to anyone who has an interest in municipal government and public administration. The opportunities presented to me thus far have been tremendous and as a result of participating in the program, I feel well on my way to being equipped for a career in municipal administration.

The internship program has afforded the opportunity to experience every organizational aspect of the City of Airdrie. From land-use planning to parks and recreation, from economic development to human resources, from tax assessment to engineering and beyond; municipal administration is a broad-reaching field of work.

Perhaps most remarkably, the internship has allowed me to meet an array of amazing people. First and foremost, the entire staff from within the City of Airdrie has been incredible in assisting me throughout my learning endeavor. Additionally, I have met nine other interns who are participating in the same program in other municipalities around Alberta. And additionally, the program gives interns the opportunity to attend relevant educational sessions, conferences, and conventions. Through these, such as the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention and the Society of Local Government Managers conference, I have met veteran municipal administrators from around Alberta and have been able to start forming my own network in the field.

All in all, the Municipal Internship Program has been an extraordinary experience - it has assisted me to a great extent in the seemingly daunting endeavor of career and professional development. However, this almost seems secondary when compared to the way in which participation will have contributed to my personal growth. For anyone who wants a rewarding, fast-paced experience with a very steep learning curve, the Municipal Internship Program deserves consideration - it's an opportunity that you too, will be glad you didn't miss.

It is hard to believe that it has been ten months since I applied for the Municipal Internship program through Municipal Affairs. It really feels like it has been years. With a degree in Political Science/Philosophy, I often wondered where I would fit in after graduation. I have found my place in the workforce of municipal government.

I have been involved with so much that it feels like I have taken part in another three years of applied school. Some of the more interesting facets of the past several months has included but is not limited to: Director's meetings and council meetings, annexation discussions with our urban neighbors, fire training, Emergency Management training, Inter-Municipal Affairs committee meetings, Municipal Planning Commission meetings, creating Area Structure Plans, creating a new Land Use Bylaw, and Renewing/Reforming the Electoral System for Red Deer County.

Anyone in local government knows that these jobs are not regular 9 to 5 positions, they require a great deal more time than this. What keeps people like myself motivated in this type of work is the fact that everyday is a new day with new challenges. I might be fighting a fire one day, helping with a train derailment the next, or dealing with a flood. I might be out with patrol in the morning and back for a formal meeting in the afternoon,it is all different and ever evolving.

I strongly recommend the Municipal Internship Program to anyone who is keen on becoming involved in a community. I strongly recommend the Internship program to anyone who has the drive to make change a possibility. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!