Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
—THEODORE ROOSEVELT

There are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes.
—WILLIAM JOHN BENNETT

It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute...that gives meaning to our lives.
—ANTHONY ROBBINS

An internship is a process. It’s thoughts and actions. It’s facts and feelings. It can be a valuable and enjoyable experience. It’s looking back and smiling at how hard it was to write your first letter now that you’re a seasoned pro of six weeks. It’s realizing that although a portion of that work you do is less than intellectually stimulating, it’s got to get done. It’s learning that while you may rarely touch the glamorous side of substantive policy, you’re making a valuable contribution to the office and that’s what counts. It’s a lot more. You can view you internship as an assignment, or a lark, or just a job, or a chance to be caught up in something exhilarating, even though it does mean plowing through a seemingly endless amount of “grunt work.”

Some people adopt a very casual approach and let the internship happen to them, no sweat. Others attack their jobs with such a ferocious intensity that the internship may suffer from a lack of perspective. After all, an internship is a chance to occasionally run around and have fun observing the spectacle without chafing against the confines of a real job. (Even congressional staff wannabes should take a break once in awhile.) It can play both sides — some responsibility, but no long-term commitments. It can be the best of all worlds — a share in the action, but not an overwhelming stake in the future. This is not advocacy of irresponsible conduct or unreliable behavior. It is a belief that interns should seize the opportunity to make their stay on Capitol Hill a well-rounded and whole experience. Somewhere between laid-back and manic there lies the balanced internship — sensitive to one’s contribution to any project, but aware of one’s place in the broader picture.

Your internship is what you make it. Taking a cue from the quotations cited on this page, you’ve got to give of yourself and put something into your internship as well. It’s a lot of work, but it can be a lot of fun, too. This Handbook is written for the intern new-to-the-Hill and searching for some guidance in adapting to an alien environment. It offers a few directions on the surroundings, the lingo, the reference points, and the hard knocks learned by your predecessors. It furnishes some of the clues, but it does not supply all the answers. As for the rest, you’re going to have to chart your own course and draw your own map. It’s your trip. And that’s the truth.

Details

Download the complete Congressional Intern Handbook(1.34 MB)

Copyright 2006, Congressional Management Foundation
Paperback: 134 pages
Publisher: Congressional Management Foundation; 5th edition (June 1, 2006)
ISBN: 1-930473-99-0
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11.0 inches