The idea of a summer internship in Washington, D.C. appeals to many young professionals and undergraduates.  The city sizzles in the summertime heat and is certainly a hotbed of activity and ideas.  Our nation’s capitol houses not only over 150 government agencies and scores of non-profits, it also hosts some of America’s most prestigious intern programs for students.  With all of the opportunities, it can be overwhelming to determine where one might find success or even where to begin the search for a summer internship. Allow me to help you out.

A summer in D.C. is not just for those who have a pension for politics or an itch for international relations.  Each federal agency has numerous offices that are looking for interns.  One could work for a legal team or a policy and planning office; internships in communications or editing are available, too.  Data manipulation and statistical analysis are a part of most every agency as well.  Many federal departments have employees who are looking for help with grant writing and proposals as well as research projects.  Some agencies are especially interested in foreign affairs and relations and are looking for interns interested in languages and different cultures.

This week’s Spotlight:

Internships with the State Department

If you are interested in U.S. – China relations and have a thing for economics, you could apply for an internship with the State Department.  If you are thinking about a career in diplomacy or international affairs,  you could have tuition paid at Georgetown University and be earning credit, housing provided for you in beautiful downtown Georgetown, and have a paid internship.   The State Department wants to attract interns interested in:

The State Department realizes that it can be a little overwhelming when deciding which office or program to apply to.  If you want to see where they think you would best fit in, you can take this questionnaire and get recommendations on what program would be best for you.

To learn about the experiences of former interns, you can head to this student profile page and read for yourself what an internship with the State Department would be like.

If you aren’t sure who at the State Department to contact about the specific office you are interested in, you can view an agency organizational chart to see who you should be in touch with.  The chart can be found under question #5 of the FAQs page for students created by the State Department.

If you have any questions, want more information, or are interested in applying for an internship with the State Department, head here to check out their internship opportunities for undergrads

And, as always, if I can be of service in narrowing down the field, helping you to format your federal resume, or answer any questions for you, just shoot me an email at ehanks@middlebury.edu or come to my office hours in CSO, 4-5 pm on Tuesdays.

Elise Hanks

Federal Service Student Ambassador

Partnership for Public Service