Public Service 101: How to find an internship

The public-service internship cycle runs earlier than most students expect. Summer applications typically open in the fall and close by January, so the single biggest advantage you can give yourself is starting early — well before the postings feel urgent.

Cast a wide, structured net. Apply to personal offices, committees, and agencies at once, and track every deadline in one place. Offices rarely coordinate their timelines, so treat each application as its own small campaign with its own materials and follow-up.

Networking is not optional, but it is simpler than it sounds: a short, specific note to an alum or a staffer whose work you admire outperforms a generic mass email every time. Ask for fifteen minutes of advice, not a job, and the job conversations tend to follow.