How To Get a Capitol Hill Internship

Having an internship at any government office prepares you for the real work in government after college. Working as an intern on Capitol Hill provides you with a firsthand knowledge of how the government is run.  While an internship on Capitol Hill is unpaid, the experience, the knowledge and the skill you will gain are priceless.

To make sure that your application for an internship will be accepted, a thorough and careful preparation on your part should be done. Grades in college are one of the determinants in getting an internship at any government office. To make your college transcript stand out from the rest of other intern applicants, have a high grade point average. Taking extra subjects in political science courses also shows your seriousness and interest in the works of the government.  Participating in student government or volunteering for local government groups also helps.

Going to an internship does not only require good academic standing in college but psychological and mental preparedness as well. Seek advice from your guidance counselor on how to work and behave as an intern. Internship duties may include "other" work that you might think is ordinary or unappealing but may be part of the training. Filing documents, photocopying, answering the phone or even preparing a cup of coffee for the guest are some of the more mundane tasks that may be assigned to an intern. Be prepared as well in writing correspondence, attending meetings and taking the minutes, conducting research and even running an important personal errand. Being prepared for these type of tasks and having a good attitude about them will help you.

Internships or any work for that matter will not arrive on your doorstep or be handed to you on a silver platter. To get an internship on Capitol Hill is to seek and apply for it (unless your father is a Representative or a Senator). To know the available internships at Washington D.C. government offices, you have to contact individual Senators and Representatives.

Accessing the websites of the House Members and Senators can provide you with the information you need on how to get started in your internship application. You can access house.gov and senate.gov to get started contacting your preferred Representative or Senator's office. Prior to your application, having volunteered for a political campaign is a good way to get started in your plan to be working on the Hill. This will help you in making important contacts.

There are also other sources that may help you find internship such as "The American Political Association", "Washington Internship Institute", "The Fund for American Studies", "The Washington Center for Internship and Academic Seminars", "The Washington Intern Student Housing", and the "Studentjobs.gov".  These organizations will provide you the information you need in locating internships available in the government or private offices.