No Summer Internship? No problem!

If you’re getting to the end of the semester and realizing that a summer internship has not materialized, we’re here to tell you it is OK. There are lots of ways to gain experience and exposure without a full-fledged internship. So, stop submitting applications into the abyss and start getting creative! Choosing your own summer adventure can be even more productive. Here are some tips to help you get started.

First, you could get a paying job! Working in retail, waiting tables or counseling at a summer camp are all good options. Besides giving you a fatter paycheck than an internship, being a reliable and trustworthy employee also offers valuable transferable skills. Thinking on your feet, dealing with customers, managing conflict, caring for humans – these all come in handy in other spaces. We’ve heard of Hill offices that won’t consider an applicant if they haven’t had customer service experience.

Second, just show up. In government, policy and advocacy spaces, many organizations are resource-constrained. They don’t have the capacity to structure and recruit for a formal internship program. But they do need help. Just show up and pitch in! Local nonprofits, campaigns, district offices, city government – decide what you care about and pitch in. This is an important addition to your resume, demonstrating that you engage on issues that matter to you.

Third, try it on! Ok, so maybe you didn’t get the Hill internship or the think tank position you were hoping for. There’s nothing stopping you from pretending that you did! Conduct some informational interviews with people who have done those roles and then take an hour every day to just do it.

• A Hill intern would read the news from their district and DC, attend hearings and draft correspondence replying to constituent concerns. You can do this! And, that constituent letter will make a great writing sample for next summer.
• A think tank intern would research their scholar’s topic, attend think tank events and perhaps write a blog post for the think tank’s website. You can do this, too! Learn more about think tanks here.

Fourth, spend the summer gathering information. Maybe you don’t really know what your issues are, or the space you want to be in yet. That means you need more information – about yourself and about what’s possible. Take the summer to gather it! We have lots of ways to help you understand yourself and envision possibilities, the first two steps in the career engagement process. The easiest way to do both is talking to people. Set a goal of talking to one or two people a week. (Tips on how to do this here.) Build a spreadsheet to track the conversations and capture notes. By the end of the summer, you’ll have a list of solid connections, ideas and takeaways!