QUEST

QUEST (Quality, Understanding, Excellence, Success and Training)

QUEST Internship Program for Persons with Disabilities

QUEST interns receive valuable training and experience, while enhancing their knowledge, skills and abilities. Many successful participants of the program continue on to obtain careers in the public or private sectors.

QUEST internships are paid internships. Internships will be for up to six months in a Maryland State agency. Positions may be full-time or part-time. There will be one session of QUEST during the summer. The Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors will be able to assist their clients in applying for an internship.

In partnership with the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), the QUEST Internship Program affords State agencies the opportunity to provide mentoring services for persons with disabilities. To be eligible for the program, applicants must be clients of the Division of Rehabilitation Services.

Please contact your designated Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) counselor for more information.

Questions?

Denise Carter-McCormick,
QUEST Coordinator
Department of Budget and Management
301 W. Preston St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
denise.carter-mccormick@maryland.gov

This page is sponsored by the Office of Personnel Services and Benefits, Recruitment and Examination Division.

QUEST Internship Program for Persons
with Disabilities

Internship Reflection

In the summer of 2017, I was selected to join the Quest Internship Program with the Dept. of Budget and Management in the Recruitment and Examination Division. My honest opinion is that it is a great form of exposure for young professionals to get introduced to the work world. It also allows for the interns to see how the state office operates. This experience afforded me the chance to perform several office duties. These duties include: reorganizing the office manual; preparing documents for the department audits; creating spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel; and a host of other things.

Another great aspect of the internship was getting a chance to work with different departments other than RED. During this stint, I was also able to work with the Employee Relations office as well as the Central Collection Unit. Under these agencies I was able to work closely with the employees. I even got to listen in on some of the calls with the CCU operators. This was especially interesting due to the fact that I was able to learn about all the state debts there are and the process for taking care of them. Not to mention the penalties involved once the debt comes to CCU.

Finally, the most rewarding part of the experience and something that was not expected was that this internship turned into a job. As a result of my internship this past summer, I was able to gain employment with Central Collection Unit. This was product of the relationships that I created with the staff and the work ethic that I showed.

This is an excellent opportunity for any young professional who is looking to break into the real world. This for anyone who wants to gain valuable experience that will look great on your resume. Lastly, forge awesome working relationships.

Update: As a result of interning with Central Collections while a QUEST intern, Will was hired into a full time position as a Collection Agent and is currently a Collection Agent II.