Washington Internships. Deirdre Martinez
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WASHINGTON INTERNSHIPS
How to Get Them and Use Them
to Launch Your Public Policy Career
Deirdre Martinez, Ph.D.
PENN
University of Pennsylvania Press
Philadelphia
Copyright © 2009 University of Pennsylvania Press
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used for purposes of review or scholarly citation, none of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher.
Published by University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4112
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A Cataloging-in-Publication record is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN 978-0-8122-2055-1
CONTENTS
Chapter 2. Who Does What, and Where, in Washington
Interning in the House of Representatives
Interning in an Advocacy Organization or Think Tank
Interning in a Lobbying Firm
Interning in a Political Organization
Chapter 3. Finding the Right Internship
Thinking Ahead: The Skills You Need
When to Start Applying
Sources for Internships
Getting Paid
Where to Apply—and How Many Applications to Send
Finding the Fifteen
Chapter 4. Landing the Internship
Before You Write
The Perfect Resume
The Cover Letter
Security Clearance
Writing Sample
On Waiting for a Call
Thoughts on the Interview
Getting an Offer
Getting Turned Down
Chapter 5. Practical Advice for Living and Working in Washington
D.C.'s Neighborhoods
Housing in Washington
Getting Around
Tourism Tips
Safety and Health
Chapter 6. Tactical Advice: How to Be a Great Intern
Washington Fashion: Zombie Chic
Mind Your Manners
Office Hours
Asking for Work
Find a Niche
Getting Feedback
Chapter 7. Using the Internship to Propel Your Career
The Benefits of a D.C. Internship
Making a Good Impression
Don't Make a Bad Impression
The Power of Networking
The Great D.C. Merry-Go-Round
Tips on Leaving
Final Thoughts
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Washington, D.C., has been called the “internship capital” of the United States, and with 20,000 interns every summer, the name probably fits. More than any other city, Washington welcomes interns with open arms, giving students the opportunity to see how the United States government functions up close and personal. In Congress, media organizations, lobbying offices, and nonprofits, interns open mail and answer phones and run errands but they also write policy briefs, get published, and hear Members of Congress use words they wrote.
Washington is at once a small town whose streets and neighborhoods will quickly become familiar to you and a huge metropolitan area where you can find internships in a vast number of fields. As Director of Penn in Washington at the University of Pennsylvania, I have helped hundreds of students find internships in Washington. Some students know very little about how our government actually works and want to just be there to soak it all in; where better than the front desk of a congressional office? Others have been close observers of D.C. politics and are ready to leap in and join the fray; for these students, a summer at the Republican or Democratic National Committee feels like the center of the world, and in some cases these experiences and the contacts made have led to entry-level political jobs and exciting careers in politics. Other students have very specific ideas about what they want to do; a student a few years ago was particularly interested in Brazil's economy, had spent a semester in Brazil, and had studied Portuguese. Not only was the Brazil U.S. Business Council happy to have him as an intern, when he graduated the following year they eagerly offered him a permanent position.