Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship. 

I was interested in working for a Congressman so I began looking on Handshake around October/ November for any openings in the spring. I submitted my cover letter and resume to a few different offices I was interested in working at. Shortly after submitting my materials, I interviewed at Al Lawson’s office and they offered me a part-time Internship for Spring 2020. 

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity? 

 I started preparing two months prior to my start day.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your job offer, what were they? How did they support your application process?

I used Handshake and the The Career Center advisors helped me with my resume.  

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity. 

I was required to help with filing casework as well and opinions that were called into at the office. My day-to-day tasks mainly included working the phones and answering calls, relaying messages to the respected employees and recording opinions or cases that were called in. 

What was a typical day like "on the job?" 

My typical day on the job included working at my desk, answering the phone, entering cases for the caseworker and then conducting research on current or past policies to help answer constituent questions. 

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation? 

I learned that our local governments are a great resource to help answer your questions, even if the office cannot directly help you, they will do their best to point you in the right direction. I also learned that you need to have patience in your work life because sometimes you need to be patient with constituents and make sure they feel heard. This will help prepare me for life after graduation because I will be able to help any company or office I work with in handling our responsibilities professionally.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so? 

This experience helped me realize that I have a strong passion for government jobs, but it is not a path I want to take right out of college. I learned that I could rejoin the government sector later on after I have gained experience in non-profits and at universities first.