Why work as an intern? | Credit for Internships
–Photo by Claire Cooper
Internships are an important option for professional development at most schools in the U.S., and increasingly throughout the world. Each year majors in Political Science work as interns in a variety of places including governments (legislatures, executive agencies, courts), politics (political parties, campaigns, political advocacy organizations), interest groups, nonprofits, law firms, research organizations, k-12 schools and universities, and museums and historical sites.
By definition, internships are a way to learn by doing. This is important as today’s employers rank ‘workplace skills and experiences’ very high on their list of preferable college grads who are applying for jobs [1]. But how can you develop your workplace skills and experiences as a college student? Internships are one, major tool for you to do so. There are many sources in Political Science, and at UW-Madison in general, that can help you explore the value of internships, research possible workplaces, effectively apply to internships, and make the most of the internship experience once you start work.
Here are some important considerations as you decide whether or not to seek an internship, and to help you determine what type of internship might be right for you.
Why should you work as an intern during your college years?
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Gains Skills and Experience
Internships offer a relatively quick way to gain relevant workplace skills and experiences
Try this exercise. Scan one or more of your preferred job search sites, such as Handshake, Indeed, Idealist, UW Student Jobs, or even the Sunday want ads of a major metropolitan news source. Choose a range of very interesting positions that you would consider taking. Even include positions on your someday ‘wish list’ that you know are currently out of reach. Make a list of the desired or required skills and experiences specified in the ads. How many of these skills and experiences do you currently possess?
You are now facing a dilemma confronted by literally millions of students before you. Although you are prepared to start at the bottom of your preferred career field, you likely don’t meet all the prerequisites to compete for jobs at the entry level. The growing reality is that even entry-level professional positions often requires skills and experiences that colleges and part-time jobs don’t provide. An internship may offer a way out of this common dilemma by providing you relevant training and accumulated hours in your prospective career field while you are still in school.
Explore a Career
Internships offer a relatively risk-free way to explore a possible career path.
Believe it or not, the best internship may be the one that tells you want you don’t want to do for the next ten or twenty years. Think about it. If you put all your eggs in one basket, what
happens if your dream job turns out to be the exact opposite of what you want, or who you are? You may have invested several years in a career field that turns out to be wrong for you. No career guide or diagnostic test can substitute for first-hand experiences gained in your prospective career field.
Get Hired
Internships offer real opportunities to do career networking and can increase your chances of gaining a full-time position upon graduation.
You likely have heard the saying: ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know.’ For good or ill, the reality is who you know (and, equally important, who knows you) can make a big difference in you getting the job you want. Put yourself in the place of a busy supervisor who must hire for a vacant position. You can advertise the position, which requires a formal job announcement, review of resumes, and formal interviews. Or, you can rely on colleagues and subordinates to identify interesting and qualified applicant prospects. Often, supervisors and hiring managers will prefer candidates who are referred by someone they know and trust, or even those candidates who they already know as they are working in the organization. Even employers that do advertise a position don’t always conduct a thorough, full-blown job search. Instead, they employ shortcuts or coping mechanisms to streamline the process. The internship selection and hiring process, and the weeks you actually spend on the job can provide excellent opportunities to talk to professionals about careers and what you hope to do, your skills and traits, and ways to achieve your goals.
Credit for Internships
- Wisconsin in Washington
- PS 315: Political Internships
- Inter-LS 260: Internship in the Liberal Arts & Sciences
Offered in partnership with UW-Madison office of International Academic Programs, the Wisconsin in Washington DC Internship Program provides an academic framework for you to to intern in Washington D.C. with various hosts including U.S. Congress, the White House, executive departments and agencies, public policy advocacy and lobbying firms, think tanks, non-profits, law firms and legal institutions, print and broadcast media outlets, marketing and public relations firms, historical sites, and political organizations among many other possibilities. Internships provide effective ways for you to build necessary skills and work experiences in your prospective career fields. Research shows that students who intern through academic internship programs gain more from the experience than students who intern on their own. Through this academic internship program, you will gain first-hand experience in the workings of Washington, D.C and connect with UW alumni and other DC professionals while benefiting from an academic program that allows you to critically reflect on your intern experience and the political and cultural nuances of Washington D.C
Poli Sci 315 is a 3-credit course with weekly readings, as well as written assignments. The material covered in the course is designed to be relevant to students who are concurrently serving in legislative or agency internships.
- This is a fully online class.
- It is necessary to have secured an internship before applying for the course.
- Internships do not necessarily have to be in a legislative setting, but do need to be politically related and pertain to legislative issues to be eligible, specifically in one of the following:
- the governor’s office
- the lieutenant governor’s office
- the state legislature
- state agencies
- federal legislative offices
Contact Amy Gangl (agangl@wisc.edu) for questions about the course and appropriate internships.
Admission to this course is by application only. Please email Prof. Amy Gangl (agangl@wisc.edu) with the following information: 1.Name of internship 2.Hours you will work per week during the term and 3.Name and email contact of internship supervisor.
The Internship in the Liberal Arts & Sciences (Inter-LS 260) online course provides UW students who have found internships an opportunity to earn academic credit in connection with their work experience. Students will analyze their professional training experiences in the context of the goals of a liberal arts and science university education, by practicing critical reading, writing, and observation skills.
- This UW online internship course (Inter-LS 260) includes weekly readings, weekly online writing assignments, and a final reflection paper.
- It is worth 1 credit, and students may repeat the course up to three times.
- Grading is on the standard A-F system
Visit SuccessWorks’ website for more information and how to apply: Inter-LS 260
List of Current Internship Postings
wdt_ID | Position title | Host | Location | Time frame | Industry/Focus | Deadline | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position title | Host | Location | Time frame | Industry/Focus | Deadline | Type |