internships in dc for public policy?

Career Opportunities & Internships
1

<p>i will be a jr this fall at cornell university majoring in public policy analysis and am also pre-law. i would love intern in washington dc next summer, but i am unsure where to start and what to look for. </p>

<p>obv. i can do a google search. im just curious what the top internships are and any opinions you all may have.</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

2

<p>1.) It’s good that you’re starting to look now, most top places will start accepting applications in January for Fall internships.</p>

<p>2.) Your criteria are WAY too broad for me to help you. Public Policy analysis could put you in any Federal Department, Think Tank, or Non-Profit Organization, and Pre-law could put you into the Congressional internships and Government Relations Departments at any private DC company. So that covers the vast majority of internships in DC.</p>

<p>So:

  • In the next week or so, think about your policy interests. What issues interest you the most, what political leanings do you have, and what companies do YOU know that handle those issues.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Take that list to the Career Center at your school during the first week when absolutely no one is there. Talk to one of the people there to see if they have any suggestions, alumni connections, or a internship database of some kind. </p></li>
<li><p>Keep in mind that summer internships are hands down the most competitive in DC, and that DC students have an advantage of being able to interview in person and having on average a more full resume than you do. Spend time in the Career Center refining your resume and cover letters – apply EVERYWHERE. My first DC internship during the summer required me sending out 80+ applications and I got 2-3 interviews.</p></li>
<li><p>Do your research:
If you need to brainstorm, check out indeed.com, monster.com, and Craigslist to get an idea for the type of companies that hire Policy Analysts. Most won’t post internship offers there – but it never does any harm to call up their HR department and ask if they have an internship program. </p></li>
</ul>

<p>Hope that helps. If you have any further questions, let me know.</p>

3

<p>Alot depends on what your interests are, but AUTransfer gave pretty good advice.</p>

<p>The only thing I would add is that if your intention is to work for the federal government after graduation, focus your efforts on getting an internship with an agency you’d like to work for.</p>

4

<p>I am working for a think tank that does a lot of public policy analysis. PM me if you have any specific questions or if you want the contact information for the recruiter.</p>