The Wake

I arrived in Washington D.C. on the same day that former President Ronald Reagan died. I was sitting in the Philadelphia International Airport when the continuous stream of Airport CNN was interrupted by breaking news. Even in the airport, I dreamed of my oversized press pass, gaining me access to key officials for my stories.

Thus my summer of interning in D.C. began. I was participating in a program that I’d never heard of before applying for it. The Fund for American Studies has about 1,000 college students convene in Washington D.C. every summer for eight weeks of interning and classes.

My dream almost came true on a program-wide trip to the White House briefing room where we were allowed to shuffle past and take a photo behind the podium. The room was tiny, about half the size it looks on television; low chairs with shabby blue upholstery reminded me of the theater seats in my hometown, only these had gold engraved plates on each seat with names of reputable news publications like The Washington Post and Time inscribed on them.

That trip to the White House briefing room only lasted a day. Instead of living out my dream of sitting in those tattered blue seats firing questions at officials, I spent many of my days last summer in a cubicle, doing Internet research for the other members of my staff at the Bureau of National Affairs. How did I get into this mess? I think it was because I started my internship search so late in the game.

What I have after my cubicle days is some experience upon which to build. Hopefully, my one internship on the good ol’ resume will lead to another. Paul Timmons, lead career services coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, says the best advice he can give to students is to start the internship search early.

“I wish I could get everyone in here as a freshman,” Timmons says of the Career and Community Learning Center. “There are so many resources they could be aware of early on.”

Timmons says the biggest mistake students often make is only taking one path when searching for an internship. By using a variety of resources — the Web, informational interviews (known more commonly in the Carlson School of Management as “networking”), as well as job fairs and paper listings — students can find the experience they were hoping for.

Timmons insists that the high expectations I had at the beginning of the summer is a common misconception that students have. I learned firsthand that an internship is a learning process. My supervisors at Bureau of National Affairs knew that I was new at everything, so I learned to take constructive criticism well.

In the end, I didn’t live a life of glamour last summer, but I gained some experience to build on. I made a few contacts, gained some experience in my field and met a lot of interesting peers from all over the world. Perhaps one day the news organization that I choose to work for will hand me a press pass, and I won’t give it a second thought. Until then I’m willing to bide my time and gain experience one internship at a time.

Internship searching tips:

Be as specific as possible in your search, Timmons says. Know if you’re willing to work for a paid or unpaid internship. Knowing specifics is key to success.
Get an informational interview with a company you’d like to work for. Don’t ask for a job, but ask for advice. Also, keep your resume handy, just in case.
Present yourself as professionally as possible, Timmons says. This includes a resume with nice paper and *gasp* dressing nice for an informational interview.
Highlight the best experience on your resume. “It’s better to have rock star-like experience than two pages.”

For more information about internships or other career advice in your major, visit www.career.umn.edu.