Why You Should Intern On Capitol Hill In D.C. This Summer

TheSpeaker8 years ago

After graduating from school way back in 2014, I had a professor recommend that I intern on Capitol Hill. I went to school in D.C., which meant that all the kids I knew who interned there were the same cheesedicks that tried to correct the professor in class and asked for additional homework. They were awful, so needless to say I’d never considered following in their footsteps in any regard. That all changed after I followed teach’s advice and had one of the most ridiculous summers of my life. Lists aren’t really my style, but I also can’t stand longwinded articles, so I’ll get right to the point with just enough commentary to tell you all why you should be applying for a summer internship on Capitol Hill.

Girls

There is an equal, if not higher, number of girls interning on Capitol Hill compared to guys. Aside from gaining valuable experience for their resumes, Cap Hill girls are there for the same reason as you: to party. They are there for just three months, and holy shit are they going to make the most of it. Regardless of how many smokes are in the same office as you, I can personally guarantee that you can find a chick willing to bump uglies in one of the 534 other offices on the Hill. And don’t rule out staffer-intern flings either (which I personally have been involved with, both as an intern and a staffer… but those are stories for another time).

Bars

The bar scene in D.C. is not too shabby. If you’re under 21 and don’t have a decent fake, though, you’re better off finding some other poor souls in the same situation and getting your asses to a rooftop pool instead; those are plentiful, luckily. Back to the bars, though, there are a number of neighborhoods where you can go to rage, though Adams Morgan and DuPont are the classics. There’s also H Street, which has a slightly more urban vibe to it, or U Street, with its rooftop taverns.

Other Interns

Not every other intern is going to be cool; while stupidly obvious, I think it’s worth mentioning. One of my best friends, who I met during tour training as an intern, had to ghost a “buddy” of his because the guy turned out to be a creepy, clingy weirdo who’d text him like a heartbroken ex who couldn’t take a hint. But there will absolutely be some be some solid dudes to chill with, and plenty of places in the city to go with them.

Connections and Experience

The focus here thus far has been all the fun shit that you’ll get to do if you intern in D.C. — of which there is a lot — but there are also some “real world” benefits to being in D.C. for the summer as well. If you’re one of the kids that wants to work for their senator or representative after you graduate, this is how you get started. If you’re an unlucky SOB like me and are stuck with a bleeding heart Dem, go with another member or a senator if you have one. As long as it’s in the Right party, who you intern with is less important than the fact that you’ve interned. Chiefs of staff would prefer that you don’t completely break down when being screamed at by constituents on the phone too, so don’t be a pussy.

Even if you aren’t going to be working on the Hill after you graduate, I can think of few resume padders that look more impressive than this:

The Office of Congressman Joseph R. Schmo; Washington, D.C.
Congressional Intern

Followed by five bullet points of professional-sounding bullshit. And having a letter of recommendation from a sitting member of Congress is pretty awesome, too..