Allen Smith (P&G, '13) is currently working as an intern in the White House Office of Scheduling and Advance. He was kind enough to share some information about his position, how he obtained it and additional advice for those seeking internships and other opportunities in the D.C. area.
What are your responsibilities as a White House
intern?
I am an intern in the White House Office of Scheduling
and Advance. I am responsible for categorizing and responding to scheduling
correspondence that involves the President. These requests can range from
invitations to birthdays to delivering commencement addresses and attending
conferences. Our office tries very hard to respond to every single inquiry.
I have several other responsibilities, including tracking
scheduling correspondence and providing a weekly summary tally to Scheduling
staff. I give tours of the East Wing and White House as needed.
How were you able to secure this position?
When I initially applied to the White House Internship
Program, I did not select the Scheduling and Advance office as one of my
preferred choices. I think I had a strong application and writing, and I gave
what may well be the best interview of my life. Despite this, I was placed on
the waitlist for the program, and I had fully committed to moving on and
pursuing other opportunities. However, prior to the start of the program, I was
contacted again and offered the internship.
There are people who are current undergraduate students.
There are people who have graduated, like me. There are people with Master's
degrees and JDs. There are people who have quit their paying jobs for this
program. What does that mean for you? Submit the best application you can.
Write multiple drafts. Edit. Proofread. Have someone else proofread. Secure
your recommendations early. The application has several parts, and I spent
hours on each of them. This is not like a school paper that you can start the
night before.
Do you have suggestions for others who want to
pursue internships in the D.C. area?
The D.C. area has many opportunities for internships in
government, on the Hill with Congressional offices, and with think tanks and
non-profits. But it is a privilege to get them, and competition is fierce. You
will need to consider what you have to offer, and what kind of value you can
bring to an organization. If you have prior experience, that will be a huge
plus. The best opportunities for you to build this experience will be local
groups that have a connection to D.C. Congressional district offices, either
with a state or national representative, are great for this. Check your
representative's office when you go home for the summer. Other groups, like
nonprofits, charities, and so on, also fit this niche.
You will also want to have a strong resume. Keep it
current, with the above-mentioned experience if you have it, and make sure you
have as little from high school as possible. If you are a sophomore in college,
you should have done enough with school groups, sports, and/or community
service to replace your high school experiences. Also make sure that your
resume has correct spelling and flawless grammar. Be specific about your duties
and accomplishments and if you can, put a hard number or provide other specific
evidence of your accomplishments.
If you spend a semester or a quarter in D.C., you need to
ask yourself some key questions:
·
Where are you going to stay?
·
How are going to survive? D.C. has a very high
cost of living. Can you afford it?
·
Will you be working on the side? If the
internship is part time this will be substantially easier, but even with a
full-time position you can still work on weekends.
·
Will your family be able to help support you?
·
Will you take time off from school for an internship?
How will that fit into your graduation plan?
·
Does the application need recommendations? Who
will recommend you? How much time do they need?
·
Does the application require transcripts? Do you
have electronic copies?
·
If not, the Registrar’s office can send you a
scan. You should have one regardless.
I can't give you the answers to these questions, but you
need to consider them in order to have a successful internship experience. As
for the actual internship, here are some of my hard-won tips:
·
First, understand that you are there to work.
Organizations receive a lot of interns over the years, and you should try to
add as much value as you can so that they will remember you in the future.
·
Second, get to know the staff in your office..
Ask them about their stories. If the staff like you and remember you, they will
probably give you a strong recommendation in the future. This is especially
important if you apply to another organization; a new organization may ask your
former supervisor about you, and you want them to advocate for you.
·
Third, see who your office staff knows. If
someone has a cool job, odds are they have cool friends as well. Maybe they
know someone who works in an area that you're interested in. Ask if they can
connect you. Don't be shy about making your intentions known to your staff.
Lastly,
reach out to your network. Friends, family, teammates, friends-of-friends,
contacts from your professor, Puget Sound alumni, godparents, your cousin's
roommate’s brother; all of these people represent potential opportunities for
you. D.C. is very much based around who you know, and you need to be willing to
adapt to this reality.
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