Capitol Hill Internships Can Kickoff Careers

Getting a job on Capitol Hill depends in large part on whom you know and on word of mouth, advantages that come from prior experience. So how do you get started on the career path?

Internships are the answer. They require relatively little experience. The positions are often unpaid and short-term. The Hill is swarming with interns, especially in the summer. Some are college students; others are graduates.

Most interns work in the personal offices of House and Senate members. Commonly, applicants look first to the House members representing their home districts, on the theory that House members represent fewer people than senators and therefore the positions are less competitive. However, the Senate can be fertile ground. In both cases, the opportunities are either on the Hill or in the home district.

Look beyond home-district congressional members, too. Consider interning for someone with a voting record and political positions akin to yours. Search for personal offices of House and Senate members on the Web. The Library of Congress "Thomas" Web site is one place to start.

The members' Web sites usually have a section called "services," where internship information is found. The services section explains program requirements and provides contact information. A Congressional Research Service report advises candidates to consider more than one program 'because competition is stiff and applicants often greatly exceed the number of positions available."

Typically, the first step is to send a cover letter, resume and writing samples to the office's intern coordinator, who does the initial screening. Computer proficiency, including Internet research skill, is in demand, as is general writing skill.

After several weeks, follow up with a phone call. The goal is to get an interview. The final say on hiring may come from a higher-level aide such as the administrative assistant, who is often called the chief of staff on the Senate side.

"There's really no one specific requirement," said Gary Meltz, press secretary for Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.). "We're looking for people who have shown previous interest in government, someone who will come in, do a good job and get a lot out of this."

Erica Rossi, office manager for Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), looks for maturity and commitment in applicants. "Those things we find out in the interview process," she said.

John Ullyot, spokesman for Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), helps manage the office's intern program. Although the office managers prefer candidates from Virginia, they look for a strong academic record and interest in civics such as involvement in student government or community service. "We like to see candidates who are not just single-track. We look for people who have extra-curricular activities in college where they are demonstrating leadership. It could be music, sports, drama," he said.

Intern responsibilities vary. The primary duties are administrative: answering phones and basic correspondence, filing, running errands or helping constituents who visit. An intern might be assigned to research issues or pending bills, attend events to summarize what was said, assist at press conferences or compile information for hearings. An intern who has a special interest -- say, dealing with the press or working on a particular issue -- may work closely with the full-time employee assigned to that area.

A number of offices offers structured programs that include mentoring, educational sessions with government officials and tours of agency buildings. Less formal, daily experiences provide valuable lessons in the workings of Capitol Hill, too.

"The first thing they [interns] get out of it is an understanding of the legislative process," Rossi said. "At the end of the internships they say, 'This is so much different than I thought it was going to be. I've taken government classes for three years and actually seeing it is so different from the way it's described in my school's textbooks.'"

"The objective is to have interns come away with an appreciation of the demands of representing constituents, an immersion in life of a young Capitol Hill staffer, to help them to decide if this is a profession they want to pursue after college, " said Ullyot.

If an intern decides to pursue a career in government, the contacts gained from the program experience can create an inside track for job announcements.

"We've had a lot of interns who were not having a lot of luck in the job market who have been able to parlay this internship into a good job on the Hill," said Meltz, himself a former intern. "It gives you a base of operations, it gives you a connection to Capitol Hill. When it comes to getting a job in Washington, I really can't think of a better method than interning on the Hill."

Editor's note: This article by Eric Yoder, was acquired by washingtonpost.com on December 9, 2003.