Institute For The Future

IFTF Summer Internships

Institute for the Future will be holding a 4-week internship program this summer, from June 22 – July 16.  The program will focus on providing participants with an introduction to foresight research and practice.  You will enjoy exposure to various foresight methodologies, many at the innovative edge of strategic foresight and futures work. It's an opportunity to work with a leading futures group in a creative environment, with a mix of direction and independence.  Note: This internship is exclusively for graduate and undergraduate students.

The interns will be a team, working together and overseen by a Research Manager and the Executive Director.  This team will be responsible for research tasks, editorial support, administrative assistance, and other duties as assigned.  You will both collaborate with each other and work on your own.  You will also be responsible for an individual capstone foresight project on a topic of your interest, to be presented to IFTF staff at the end of the program. 

 

Requirements

As mentioned, this internship is exclusively for current or just-graduated students. Communication and writing skills are a must, and comfort working in teams is essential.  You will need good research skills, including finding data, vetting sources, locating articles, summarizing arguments, and making connections.  This position requires independence, initiative, and self-direction.  Many times, you will work on your own to complete the tasks assigned. You should have an interest in learning more about futures thinking and methods, preferably as they intersect with your own field.  Familiarity with social media, visualization tools, and/or design prototyping is a plus but not required; at a minimum, you need a desire to learn about new media, tools, and ways of thinking.

You will need your own laptop and need to be present at our offices in downtown Palo Alto throughout the duration of the internship.  Normal working hours are 9 – 5, Monday to Friday. 

 

Compensation

Interns will be paid a stipend of $2000 for the 4-week program.  This stipend will be dependent upon performance quality and completion of duties.

 

Application

To apply to this position, send a resume, but beyond that, be creative!  Send us something innovative that showcases your skills or desire to learn new skills.  Familiarize yourself with our materials, from maps to games to videos to reports.  They are widely available on our website and elsewhere online.  Tell us why you’re interested in foresight and IFTF.  What do you hope to use it for in the future?  What might you be interested in researching for a capstone project?

You are encouraged to apply as soon as you can.  Send all related materials to [email protected], attn: Internships