Hey everyone! I just finished up my second week at my internship, which I am loving so far. I am interning in Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s DC office. My introduction into my congresswoman’s office was a whirlwind, as I expected, but what has taken me pleasantly by surprise is how friendly the workplace atmosphere is. In predictable new intern-style I have done something glaringly incorrect at least once a day throughout these first two weeks, but having supportive fellow interns and (very) patient staff members has allowed my mistakes to be learning experiences rather than causes for intense anxiety. The interns are also given a consistent daily to-do list, which has helped us by providing routine as we assimilate into the office. Each morning, we divvy up tasks as we distribute newspapers, compile daily news highlights, and monitor our congresswoman’s social media activity. After our initial tasks are completed, usually around lunchtime, our schedules become more flexible. We spend a lot of time answering constituent calls and running errands around various congressional offices or over to the Capitol. Sometimes we are sent to attend briefings, which is one of my favorite tasks; I got to listen to a panel of speakers discuss mental health care in prison reform, which was fascinating.
While our intern coordinator makes sure we understand what we are being asked to do and often send us out in pairs to run errands, our jobs still require us to be independent and utilize quick thinking and problem-solving skills. All of my fellow interns are female and I have really enjoyed the network of support we have started to build, especially in a field that has traditionally been heavily male-dominant. Most of the office’s staffers are women and many of the legislative issues that the congresswoman has chosen to focus on are centered on women’s rights, so being in a professional setting that clearly values women’s progress and empowerment has been really exciting.
I had known about my congresswoman’s internship program for some time, as it is easily accessible on her website, but had not ever applied because I wasn’t confident that I had the right qualifications for a congressional internship. I finally decided to apply for a position this year during my summer internship search, and since starting in the office I have realized just how diverse the staffers’ backgrounds are. My main advice for students who are looking for political/ government internships is to keep your horizons broad; check with positions that are available through your local representatives (they love hiring constituents) but also be sure to look outside of your own geographic zone, as several of my-coworkers are not from the congresswoman’s district. If you aren’t sure if your educational background is a perfect fit for the role you are interested in, apply anyways – many offices and organizations value having employees from different fields and with a variety of skill sets.
This summer, I expect to continue learning about how representative government operates behind-the-scenes. I already have begun to develop an appreciation for just how much information and constituent communication our office deals with on a daily basis, and the extensive staffing networks that are necessary to adequately address all of this work. The learning curve in this type of environment can feel steep at times but a positive work environment and engaging internship program have helped to alleviate stress, and I’m excited to continue gaining new experiences as the summer continues.