College students from across the nation flock to Washington, D.C., every year to either attend the District's universities or to participate in semester-long programs there. Many of the students who choose to study in the District are political science junkies who come to Washington with a common goal - interning on Capitol Hill.
These students may dream of setting foot on the Hill and immediately taking Congress by storm. However, many Hill interns say potential interns need a dose of reality before working with the nation's legislators.
Take Initiative and Know the Limitations
Interns must be self-sufficient in order to make the most of their experiences on the Hill, said Genevieve Frye, a senior in the School of Public Affairs who interns for Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. Interns should ask someone at their offices if they can attend hearings or fundraising events they're interested in so they can gain more experience and show initiative.
"Staff members don't have time to mollycoddle you," Frye said.
Frye told the office's staff she was interested in political communication and was a senior with plenty of classes and internships under her belt. She now often works with her office's press shop, turning Pence's speeches into articles for publications and searching for articles online that mention him or one of his causes.
"By the time you're a senior and you're an intern, you've got more clout" over other interns, Frye said.
She knew that if Pence's office could offer her press shop work, she could further hone her communication skills.
"I wanted to get something more than what is normally offered," Frye said.
People who are interested in interning on the Hill should check out the Web sites of elected officials they would like to work for, Frye said. Potential applicants should call the senator's or representative's office and speak to the intern coordinator about what makes an attractive candidate for an internship. If no one answers, call back over the course of a week or so, she added.
"They're going to recognize and appreciate persistence and tenacity," Frye said.
Jessica Martin, an intern for Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., said interns who are about to start working on the Hill should not immediately expect important project assignments.
"What you're going to be doing is tedious," said the SPA sophomore.
Expect to Do the Expected
Martin has had to conduct inventory of office supplies, put mail from constituents into a database based on the policy addressed in each letter and deliver documents to the Senate floor. While she was told that handling the mail wouldn't be the only aspect of her job, it has been the majority of it thus far, she said.
"It's always something that needs to be done," Martin said.
Martin said that despite the tedious nature of much of her work, she enjoys the firsthand experience and appreciates the opportunity to work for her senator.
"I know I'm an intern, so I'm not going to change the world," she said. "Not only am I helping them, but they're helping me a tremendous amount."
Ryan Tooker, 21, who interns for Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill., said he has to do stereotypical office work such as brewing coffee and checking the mail.
"It's just like any other job," he said.
However, he also has the opportunity to attend briefings and hearings, such as a recent one about updating the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act. The amount of time spent doing typical office work and attending meetings for the legislative aides is pretty even, Tooker said.
Elizabeth Kelly, the intern coordinator at Lipinski's office, estimated that 75 percent of the time, interns in her office are able to attend the meetings that interest them rather than perform tedious office duties. But having interns do small administrative tasks and give tours to constituents saves time and energy for the full-time staffers, Kelly said.
"It's just a huge help to have them around," she said.
Use the Internship to Figure Out the Future
Capitol Hill interns use their work experiences to make connections for their future careers. However, some interns say they do not want a permanent career on the Hill while others strive for one.
Tooker is a senior at DePaul University in Chicago who came to Washington for the semester through the Catholic University Washington Internship program. His goal was to get hands-on experience with the political process by working on Capitol Hill rather than just reading about it in textbooks.
"I really wanted to delve into the culture," he said.
Tooker said he recently had an "epiphany" about his future career plans based on what he has learned while interning for Lipinski. He does not plan to pursue a career on the Hill immediately after graduation, but he does want to return after becoming an expert in education policy.
"Just going to the hearings and hearing about how our education policy needs to be changed ... that really got me focused on it," Tooker said.
Nick Johnson, a senior in SPA, interned for Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., in the spring of 2005. He used his interest in congressional politics and his internship to gauge how involved legislators are in political tasks such as congressional committees.
He said that after interning at Dodd's office, he learned the only jobs he'd be willing to do in the Senate would be working as a legislative director, a chief of staff or even as a member of Congress.
"Everything else seems to absolutely suck," he said.
"Everything else," he said, includes being an intern coordinator, a receptionist and the senator's personal assistant. Much of this work, according to Johnson, is tedious, repetitive and menial.
"It's not always as glamorous as one might think," he said.
While many Hill interns use the work experience to decide what they do and don't like about working for the government, some students time their internships on the Hill so they can potentially turn into permanent jobs upon graduation. Unlike many interns who work on the Hill when they are freshmen or sophomores in college, Frye said she decided to wait until her senior year so her internship could possibly turn into a job.
"[A Hill internship is] a staple for a potential career in some sort of political field," she said.
Frye hopes to work in a representative's press shop after graduating and aspires to be a press secretary and speechwriter. However, she says she plans to transition off the Hill at some point in her career.
"I don't plan on being a Hill rat," she said.
Those who have Capitol Hill internship experience have a "huge leg up" over the competition for jobs there after college, Frye said. However, working on the Hill is just like any other job - prospective employees need to network and do whatever they can to look more unique than other job candidates who may be just as capable and qualified.
And once the job has been secured?
"... [Be] indispensable once you get there," Frye said.
