Georgia County Internship Spotlight
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Joshua White, a senior at the University of Georgia, interned with Camden County as part of the Georgia County Internship Program (GCIP). White, who studies business administration and management, worked with both the county clerk and human resources department as an administrative intern. In his role, White developed his professional human resources skills and learned about the administrative duties of county government.
Before his internship, White's understanding of county government operations was limited to knowledge of the courts and county health programs. Through his work with Camden County Clerk Katie Bishop, White was exposed to various aspects of county government including policy review, administration, and the range of departmental responsibilities.
For his main project as an intern, White reviewed and updated two key county documents: the Official Code of Ordinances and the Camden County Policies and Procedures manual. White worked closely with Bishop to review the code of ordinances and update language, specifically references to gender-specific language. He also completed outreach to county departments to make relevant updates to ordinances. White then coordinated local professional printing and distribution to commissioners, county staff, and judges.
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White also worked to update the policies and procedures manual. Working with members of the human resources department, White reviewed and reformatted the manual for modern use. White collaborated with county staff to identify areas for revision within the manual and developed recommendations to update several policies and procedures. White noted that his greatest accomplishments during the internship were "revision of the Handbook and helping out with digitizing some of the property files used by the county. I was able to complete both tasks in a manner where it was efficient and effective, making navigation of these documents a lot easier."
In addition to updating county documents, White assisted with other human resources tasks as needed, providing him with a range of experiences within the department. Reflecting on his time as an intern, White said that his favorite part was learning how to feel comfortable while being challenged in a work environment. "I was able to complete these tasks but some often challenged my intelligence, forcing me to learn new concepts," White noted.
Upon graduation, White plans to pursue a master's degree in business administration and he later aspires to go into a human resources or management career. White said that his internship with Camden County prepared him for his future and presented him with opportunities to learn valuable career experiences. “I learned how to deal with situations I may have in HR,” White noted, “by being told about situations that have happened, it prepares me for when I may face those same types of situations.” Based on his internship experience, White said he would “definitely consider” a career in human resources or management in county government.
