Internships with the White House

While many recent graduates and current college students are looking for internships, the White House is helping by offering government internships.

The internship has become a requirement for most college students, and because of the current economy, many internship opportunities are dwindling. However, internships are crucial in that they offer real-life experience you can't gain by simply sitting in a classroom.

The Obama administration recently announced that it's seeking its first round of White House interns. In addition to normal office duties, interns will supplement their learning experience by attending a weekly lecture series hosted by senior White House staff, help at White House social events and volunteer with community service projects.

White House internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing for the duration of the program. Applications for internships are due March 22. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18-years old and enrolled in a college or university or have graduated during the past two years.

Applications require a resume, three references and a 300 to 500 word response to three essay questions. The questions are:

• Explain your commitment to public service and service to country generally - include an instance when you asserted your leadership in a community or civic activity, what you learned and how you think this internship could further advance your leadership and personal goals in this area.
• Which of the President's policies, initiatives or campaign achievements is most important to you and why.
• Choose one of your preference offices and explain why you want to work there and what you would bring to the office.

"The truth is, the program in the Clinton years helped shape a number of campaign and policy leaders now old enough to be running parts of the new administration or otherwise advising it, while the program's scandal was so long ago that the college students and recent graduates now applying for the highly prestigious posts were in middle and elementary school (if that) back in the Lewinsky era, above," stated an article by The Washington Post.