I know I say this in all of my blog post but I really can’t believe how quickly this summer went by. Overall, I had an excellent time and learned so much. I’m hoping I’ll get the opportunity to go back and work in D.C. after I graduate.
A big goal of mine this summer was to network as much as possible and I think I did a great job achieving that. I met so many people across all different fields and talked to people at work. Networking in your office is so underrated, but it’s the best. Through meeting people in my office for coffee I got so much closer with everyone I worked with and they all were willing to tell me about their experience and offer advice and connections. Through someone at work I was put in contact with some very high up people across multiple companies that I would love to work at in the future. This process of networking will absolutely help me secure a job in the future, I actually think I may be really close to getting some offers from the places that I’ve been in contact with throughout the summer!!
The next big thing for me will be looking for a full time job. Hard to believe I’m already going to be a Senior and then working full time. Although that is nerve wracking, I think I have set myself up for success. I am not too worried about finding a job because I have so many incredible people who are willing to vouch for me and help me out in my endevours. It’s really relieving to know that I won’t be going through that job search process alone and that I will have people to whenever necessary.
I am actually going to continue working for the Warren campaign remotely throughout the school year so luckily this has no ended for me! I’m looking forward to helping Warren out through the finish line in November. It will be so satisfying to see all my hard work from this summer and the work I will be doing moving forward all pay off.
This experience has solidified that I want to work in politics and policy so I want to use that passion and bring it to my academics at Tulane.
For a student looking to work on a campaign, I cannot emphasize the necessity of networking enough. Politics is all about who you know. Campaigns always need more people but they also need to make sure they have people who are loyal, dedicated and hardworking and if you reach out to someone on a campaign that you’re interested in working on that dedication will show. And, even if the person on the particular campaign you’re looking at can’t help you they will definitely be able to refer you to someone who can!
Something that stood out to me from my internship on the Warren campaign was what my boss told me at the very beginning. She told me that working for a female boss is better than working for a male boss. I was a little confused by this at first, I had worked under women and men in the past and have never had a problem with either. I asked her to elaborate and she explained to me the merit in being a female working under another women.
I learned a lot about becoming a change agent this summer and I mainly attribute that to learning more about the political sphere. Politics is tricky and granted, sometimes things get done very slowly. Being more versed has allowed me to understand the most effective ways to make change. Being in D.C. in general also helped me with this. I would often go to protests and rallys at the White House and Senate and through these protests I learned the merit of speaking up and how that actually does have an effect. I learned that every voice is powerful and we have to help one another fight each fight even if it doesn’t pertain to you. That is how change will be achieved.