As students are beginning another year of school and young adults are adjusting to life post-graduation, it reminds me of when I went through that pivotal time in my life. With a number of potential career paths, I remember asking those same questions that many students are asking now: what path should I follow and most importantly, where do I even start?
Fortunately, with Indiana’s 4.7 percent unemployment rate, there is now a larger job pool awaiting our graduates than ever before. However, one of the best ways for future job seekers to expand their portfolio and launch their career is through an internship. Whether you hope to build a career in state government or in the private sector, the Indiana House Republicans offer a competitive internship each session, which can open a lot of doors.
During session, with committee hearings and many pieces of legislation going through the process, interns are critical to ensuring our work gets done and are vital to this institution. Each year, there are a variety of internship positions available, and for those that are accepted, you will be able to work alongside one of our full-time staffers.
Year-round, each legislator has both a legislative assistant and a press secretary. The primary role of a legislative assistant is to be the first point of contact for constituents. They help those in our communities to navigate various state agencies and research and respond to legislative questions.
Meanwhile, our press secretary is the first point of contact when dealing with the media. They are the ones who ensure we make time to update the media, often arranging these meetings, and write press releases in order to keep the public informed. My current legislative assistant and press secretary are actually both former interns!
In addition, legislators share a policy team, fiscal team and information technology team who also play an important role in the legislative process. These five distinct positions offer something for every student, from all majors and all fields of study.
The upcoming session will begin in January and will run through March. Interns generally work from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and get a taste of what it is like to work full-time. While many internships are unpaid, this one provides a bi-weekly stipend of $700 as well as the chance to apply for a competitive $3,000 Verizon scholarship. Most colleges and universities also offer course credit for the internship!
This experience truly prepares students for the next step in life and provides an invaluable networking opportunity. Each session, I work with our interns on a daily basis, and it is safe to say that we gain just as much from their presence as they do. I highly encourage college sophomores, juniors, seniors and recent-graduates to apply.
The application deadline is Oct. 31, so please share this excellent opportunity with friends and family, and be sure to submit your application soon! I hope to see a few of our local students representing our corner of the state in Indianapolis!
To learn more or to apply online, please visit http://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/2016-house-republican-internship-program/.
