Looking For An Internship
For incoming students.
1. Decide what kind of internship you want. That means both type (environmental, finance, diplomatic, education, etc) and venue (government, non-profit, private).
CAPS students should look for a China-related internship.
2. Use a variety of resources to find potential internships. Start with 10-15 possibilities. Some of the major resources include:
A. The Cornell in Washington internship database
B. CIW Evaluations: what past students have thought of their internships, available in M101 Goldwin-Smith.
C. USA Jobs
D. Cornell Career Center Resources
E. DC Jobwonk,
F. I post internships that cross my desk on the CIW Facebook page.
G. And the CIW Twitter feed.
3. Put together a cover letter and resume. See
Be sure to personalize the cover letter for each internship. That means demonstrating that you understand what the organization does, and how you would like to fit into that effort.
4. Send your cover letters and resumes to the internships. Use the organization’s web site to find a specific contact for internships; if one is not listed, try to find someone who is connected to the area in which you are working. Be sure to inquire first if the latter happens. Organizations may have a preferred method of delivery (mail, fax, email). Be sure to use that method. Include a copy of the CIW Program Description.
5. A week later, contact the internships to ensure that they’ve gotten your application. Do this by phone if possible.
6. While you wait, continue searching for other possible internship.
7. When you get an offer, make sure to ask about what exactly you’ll be doing and who will be supervising you before you decide whether to accept. Do not accept more than one offer.
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