Dan Stone
Becoming a Great Intern on the Hill
Dan Stone
Summer 2015
First things first, congrats on getting accepted to be an intern on the Hill. You did it. While many continually doubt the effectiveness of our Congress (and often justifiably so), no one can contest the fact that there is still much work to be done. More than likely, your part in that work will consist of corresponding with the multitude of constituents who will phone and write the office on a regular basis, researching legislation, and running miscellaneous errands, i.e. coffee runs for the Congressman or woman.
These responsibilities can often feel menial or inconsequential, but know despite the monotony and lack of gratification of sorting the constantly fluctuating stack of mail you are assigned, the office could not function nearly as well without your assistance and constituents would be left dissatisfied. Regardless of whether or not you are totally on board with “the system” or agree with the way the office conducts itself, to become a great, unpaid Congressional intern, one must compromise.
For one, you must be willing to compromise time that could be accounted for in a paid position or spent outdoors, and instead, drudge through the aforementioned monotony of Congressional office work in service of valuable experience that will be gained as a result. Once you’ve accepted the inherently dry atmosphere of day-to-day office life, you will be in a better position to truly prosper as both an intern and as a professional. The fact is if you are a prospective lawyer, State Representative, businessperson, etc., a “boring” office life goes with the territory. Accepting this aspect of office life is critical in excelling within it.
Next, and this may go without saying, but to do well as an intern, one must take advantage of all the opportunities around the Capitol. Go see random Representatives speak, go to your staffers’ hearings, go to receptions and meet new people. Even if office life can be considered “lame,” interning on the Hill is a one-of-a-kind experience that ultimately provides you with practical skills and a solid résumé. Be positive and do good work, you will get what you put into it.
Finally, wear comfortable clothing. I made the mistake of buying new dress shoes just prior to starting my internship. As it turns out, my heels do not take kindly to new leather shoes, and consequently, they blistered before I even completed my first commute to the office. I also made the mistake of not wearing an undershirt on the first day. For those of you that are not from D.C. like myself, know that as a Capitol Hill intern you will be subjected to D.C.’s humidity, which will make you sweat a way in which you have never sweat before. Moral of the story: wear comfortable shoes and an undershirt. It’s miraculous that I managed to survive my first day.
Now that you’ve been accepted, the ball is in your court to overcome the drudgery of office work and take advantage of your internship on the Hill to the fullest extent. With a sense of compromise, a positive attitude, and comfortable clothing, you will be one step closer to doing so.
Dan Stone is a Junior studying philosophy and interning on Capitol Hill.
