To enroll in Georgetown is to live in what is becoming one of the most dynamic and attractive metropolitan areas for young professionals in the country. There’s a reason why you’ll come to realize why many people at this school choose to give off a pre-professional vibe. Yeah, they probably like to indulge in a pretentious aura, but it’s also relatively easy to find an internship and gain some professional experience.
Plus, since you’re resident in D.C. for the school year, you don’t need to compete with the massive throngs of other students from across the country who descend into Washington every summer hungry for opportunities.
The first place that some people looking for an internship might turn to is the Cawley Career Education Center, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have a reputation for being very useful, especially if you aren’t into consulting or investment banking.
The career center does manage Hoya Career Connection, an online portal where employers who wish to connect to Georgetown students can post internships and full-time jobs. Look out also for some career fairs that the career center hosts on campus periodically during the school year.
If you’re hoping to learn more about an industry and network with Georgetown alumni,Hoya Gateway, organized by the Georgetown University Alumni Association, could be a service that could help. You can use the website to arrange a meeting with an alumnus who can help you with mock interviews, informational interviews, or resume reviews.
Some employers also reach out directly to clubs on campus on job or internship opportunities. Clubs such as the International Relations Club typically post these opportunities onto email newsletters that they disseminate to whoever is signed up on their listserv. Others, such as the College Democrats, organize small-scale career events and invite representatives of organizations to campus. You don’t need to active participate in a club to access these opportunities.
In addition, newsletters managed by the undergraduate schools, such as the SFS Globe, sometimes contain information on upcoming internship openings.
As for where these internship opportunities might exist, Capitol Hill is a prime destination for many budding first interns. Representatives and Senators tend to prioritize applicants who hold some kind of connection to their home state, i.e. you typically would be answering angry phone calls and obtaining pizza for your state’s Senator or your Congressional district’s representative.
Many Georgetown students who are interested in public service look for opportunities in the federal government and the White House, especially during the summer. Nonetheless, many openings also exist within the D.C. government’s many departments and offices, which are worth a second look.
A good place to look for internships with nonprofits, startups, and other international organizations is Idealist, which serves as a public database for such job postings. Non-profit organizations and think tanks such as the Wilson Center and the Center for Strategic and International Studies attract and hire many students every semester (and don’t pay them). As an intern, you’ll typically assist with seminars and events and write up reports about other seminars and events that you attend across D.C. If you’re into journalism, check out the myriad of media organizations, which all have some sort of presence to provide coverage in the nation’s capital.
A post on D.C. internships cannot overlook the fact that most internships are unpaid, so the opportunity to pursue an internship is undoubtedly a privileged act, and to some, ethically dubious. Internships are not for everyone at Georgetown, and not everyone gets an internship during the semester or the summer.
