Finding an Internship

After the on-campus orientation, it's time to start looking for an internship. One of the parts of the conditions you agree to by going on the program is to sit down and have a meeting with Professor Pitney. There are a bunch of great resources available on campus, but one that always comes up is Professor Pitney's website. On there he has listed what seems like a couple hundred different places to find internships. He's even organized them for you. He has broken it up into different sections, including liberal/conservative. If you aren't able to find something from the long list of internships he has provided, Professor Pitney also adds all the participants to his listserv of internships. Everyday, he sends out listings and offers that have come his way. Professor Pitney has also done a great job of keeping up with alumni of CMC and alumni of the Washington Program. He will be able to point you to alumni working in various areas in Washington.

In addition, you can also find alumni connections via the career center's page. Also, pretty much ever Representative and Senator has an internship program (There aren't any that I know that don't). They are usually unpaid (I think I saw one that was paid for this semester). In addition, you can also work on some of the committee staffs. This semester, Mike Whatley is working on the minority side of the House Oversight committee. I'm working for my Congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky. It's cool to be able to work for my congresswoman, where the issues are relating to my hometown and have some knowledge of the district.

As I said, the congressional internships are mostly unpaid. However, in the private sector, it is more than possible to find a paid internship. While you won't be getting millions, the stipend will help cover the costs of living in a more expensive city than Claremont. For instance, as I said in an earlier post, Isaac has been able to get paid, get a free gym membership and get free lunches all semester. Also, with the recent Supreme Court ruling, things are looking up for lobbyists!

Whatever your interest may be, you should be able to find an internship that suits you.