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International Center for Journalists

Is this your company?

Basic in every sense of the word - Anonymous employee International Center for Journalists Employee Review

1.0
5 Feb 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Internship is paid! That's pretty much the only reason why I'd recommend it. People were friendly.

Cons

If you're looking to simply work (and only work) then come here. As an Intern, I didn't really feel like there were any opportunities for professional growth; I just came in, did my work, and left. In other words, it was robotic and felt meaningless. I certainly volunteered for other projects (even for other teams) just to find value in the tasks I was working on and sought professional advice from staff but nothing "wowed" me. For example, a lot of the intern work I did was very administrative, as expected, but my supervisor never encouraged asking questions about the non-profit industry, what it's like to break into the DC scene, or networking for a job in field of communications and journalism, non-profits, or a government agency. I did that all on my own by forging my own path towards professional development. On the other hand, I've worked for internships that created brown bag lunches to converse with staff members, one-on-one resume advice by the president of the company, career conversations from invited industry leaders, bi-weekly meetings between supervisor and intern, and so much more, all for the benefit of the intern and their short time at ICFJ. That said, I completely understand where ICFJ might stand on this: a temporary intern comes in to work and contributes little to the already penny-pinching company. Their time and money could be used to work on other employees' needs or projects. But it would have been nice to, as a student and intern, work and gain some industry insight in my short-time there. Additionally, the work culture is so bland. Don't get me wrong, the people were nice, but that's it. Not much interaction. Think of talking about the weather at the cooler. Every. Single. Day.

Explore other reviews about International Center for Journalists

5.0
22 Sept 2025
Anonymous intern
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good office culture, meaningful work.

Cons

None, had a great experience.

2.0
4 Apr 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

One significant takeaway was learning the importance of negotiating for fair compensation and speaking up. Enduring an overwhelming workload, and managing 14 programs simultaneously, made me realize the importance of setting boundaries and advocating for a manageable workload. This experience catalyzed the development of assertiveness and self-advocacy skills. It taught me to recognize my worth and demand fair treatment in the workplace.

Cons

My time at ICFJ was marked by intense workdays of 10-12 hours. Since our programs were global, we had many late-night calls at 1 am or 4 am. After doing this for over a year, I requested a modest $1000 raise which was met with dismissal, citing budget constraints. What truly shocked and dismayed me was discovering that the same Vice President who denied my raise had received a staggering $45,000 Christmas bonus the very next week, on top of their already substantial six-figure salary. This blatant display of inequality and disregard for the hard work of employees speaks volumes about the company's values and priorities. Unfortunately, my experience is not unique at ICFJ. The turnover rate among program associates and officers is alarmingly high, and for good reason. The company expects an accelerated rate of nonstop work, pushing employees to their limits without proper recognition or compensation.

3
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