Here’s How To Get an Internship at The White House

The White House is the official residence and the workplace of the President of the United States of America. It was designed by James Hoban and built in Neoclassical style in between 1792 and 1800.In the year 2009, President Barrack Obama announced that the White House is officially looking for interns. It is an amazing chance for college students to add The White House internship to their resume. But it is not as easy as it sounds. You have to work your way into getting it. The application process is rigorous and it requires the submission of a resume, recommendations letters and several other criteria’s have to be fulfilled. If you’re related to a former member of the President’s Cabinet, then it’s an advantage.

The White House Internship Program gives a unique chance to gain valuable professional experience in a political environment and also build skills required for leadership.

In the year 2013, 148 interns were selected. But only 1 of them, Harry Summers was the son of Larry Summers, an American economist. Among the rest of them were the children staffers of the Vice President Joe Biden and President Bill Clinton, children of mega-donors. The other interns didn’t know of anyone special or related to the White House.

It was found out that:

• 13% interns were from The Empire state, New York.

• 1/5th of the interns were from fancy Ivy League Schools. Out of that 40, 1/3rd went to Harvard.

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• Having the last name that starts with C,M or S can be of an advantage and can work as an influence.

• If you’re from the Acela corridor, an Ivy Leaguer and have your last name starting with any of the above-mentioned alphabets, you’re likely to be shortlisted even if the other criteria match.

HOW TO GET AN INTERNSHIP AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Internship in The White House is unpaid. The application procedure of how to get an internship at the White House has many steps. They are listed below:

1. You need to be a citizen of the United States of America and should be at least 18 years old.

2. You need to be a current college student or a postgraduate who has just graduated in the previous semester.

3. You have to write an essay on what President Obama or the First Lady has done and you think you could improve. You have to explain why and how.

4. You need to have good recommendations.

5. There will be an interview conducted on the phone.

6. There will be a background check which is more expensive than the application itself. A drug test is conducted within a week or two. If you don’t hear about it, consider you passed it. If you do hear from them, it might be a problem. Even though marijuana is legal in the U.S. now, government employees are not allowed to be on drugs and they go through routine tests too.

HOW TO GET JOB AS AN INTERN IN WHITEHOUSE

If you are looking forward how to get the job as an intern in whiteHouse , you may choose to follow the given steps.

1. Create a perfect resume. The format should be traditional and formal.

2. Standard fonts should be used and no absurd pictures should be used. If you have had internships before or work experience before, limit the contents to one page. Since this is a Public Service Internship, volunteer work is preferred and relevant here. If you’ve had work experience, make sure you know your capabilities and skills. Prepare yourself with all that you have learned in other internships and jobs.

3. Three recommendation letters are required. An academic reference, a professional reference and one character reference. If you can get a reference from your previous internship coordinator, it would be plus-point. Make sure than the character reference focuses on your personal skills, loyalty and ethics. These characteristics are very important, especially in a Public Service Internship.

4. Construct a very well written and structured essays. You need to write two-three essays. Essays are generally written on your commitment to the public service. You have to include an example where you showed your leadership skills. You have to describe how the internship can strengthen your knowledge and skills and how you can achieve your goal. You have to write about the policies of the President which are most important to you and why. Before you submit your essays, get others to read them and express their opinions. Be open to criticism and listen to their suggestions. Read and re-read your essays before submitting it. Give it all you got.

5. The internship can be very competitive. So, apply for what you are best at. You want to be fully prepared with your skills, knowledge and capabilities. So, it is advised to the students to observe the offices and their work then choose what they want to intern for.

There are two other work opportunities in The White House. They are:

Non-career positions and career positions. In a non-career position, you have to fill in for a staff or member until that member is back. Career positions are very competitive and non-political in nature. Some important positions in the government are offered as non-career positions.

WHAT ARE THE RULES OF GETTING JOB IN WHITEHOUSE

Some important positions that are offered are:

• the Senate (PAS)

• presidential appointments that do not require confirmation (PA)

• Non-Career Senior Executive Service positions (NC-SES)

• Schedule C positions

If you want to apply for a non-career position and are wondering what are the rules of getting the job in Whitehouse, the process works like this.

First, you have to express an area of interest and submit it in the form of an essay or as a letter.

Then fill out the form which is on the government’s website. The application form requires your name, phone number, address, citizenship status and your most recent employer (or school, if you’re a student).

Now that you have done your part. The Obama-Biden transition project checks these applications and you should be contacted within a few days with more information and further instruction. After you receive the e-mail, you’ll have to fill out another form online. The questions are many in number and the nature of questions may be personal and even something controversial.