Students interested in applying for congressional internships in Washington, D.C., asked questions and received advice during the Auburn on the Hill informational meeting in Cater Hall Tuesday afternoon.
Karen Pruett, program coordinator and career counselor, helped two students navigate the Auburn on the Hill Web site and find which internships might suit them best depending on their congressional districts, majors and interests.
"Just make sure to gather your cover letter and other materials early because every office has a different deadline and application process," Pruett said.
Representatives Mike Rodgers and Robert Aderholt have deadlines March 1, so students interested in pursuing internships with either of them must gather and send in materials as soon as possible, Pruett said.
Students must seek and pay for housing during their internships, so they should start looking for accommodations as soon as they decide where they want to go, Pruett said.
"Once you have an idea of where you want to apply, check with friends or family to see if they have any input on which housing areas would be closest to where you will be interning," Pruett said.
Auburn on the Hill Website provides a link with housing suggestions for different areas.
"If a student is affiliated with a sorority or fraternity, some districts offer rooms for rent in Greek housing on a nearby campus," Pruett said.
Volunteering at the meeting, Allison Thompson worked with agricultural energy and environmental policy in Washington, D.C., for six years. She recently returned to Auburn to continue work in accounting while helping students prepare for congressional internships.
"Basically, you could be answering phones, talking with constituents, helping draft correspondence, so you need to have good communication skills and leadership qualities," Thompson said.
Students should include these skills and activities in resumes and cover letters, Pruett said.
"Internship coordinators suggest including extracurricular activities, involvement in campus organizations and any leadership experience in resumes," Pruett said.
Chris Lawson, senior in geography and student worker in public affairs, advised students to avoid exaggerating their experiences when writing cover letters or answering essay questions on applications.
"Be sure your cover letter is straightforward and not too wordy -- basic is the best way to go," Lawson said. "Just be yourself."
Lawson recently worked as an intern coordinator for Robert Aderholt in Washington, D.C., where he trained interns and managed their schedules throughout the summer. Now, he works with the federal agenda and public affairs in President Jay Gogue's office.
Generally, senators and congressmen give preference to individuals from their state or district, Pruett said.
"You may apply to work for a congressman in another state or from a different district if he is doing something you're interested in, but you need to use your materials to explain to him why you're interested in serving his office," Pruett said.
Pruett handed out Career Services Handbook containing tips and examples for writing resume and cover letters and clicked through links on the Web site. One link provides information about Alabama senators and congressmen, and another called "Find Your District" allows students to enter their ZIP codes to find representatives in their areas.
Most internships last four or five weeks and do not provide wages or stipends, but all will grant course credit if a student requests it, Pruett said.
"Students should include any experience working in offices, giving tours or otherwise dealing with the public on their resumes because those are the kinds of things they'll be doing while interning," Lawson said.
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