Internship/Externship - Public Affairs D.C.

POSITION:     Public Affairs Internship

LOCATION:    Washington, D.C.

SEMESTER:    Spring 2022

Are you ready to join an organization with an extraordinary mission? The National Conference of State Legislatures offers intern/externship opportunities where you can use your skills, knowledge, and experience to truly make a difference. NCSL’s mission is purposeful – strengthening the legislative institution. From informing effective policies and promoting communication among state legislatures, to ensuring states have a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system, our team works in service of legislatures. And, with a commitment to constantly innovating all resources and services to meet the evolving needs of members, NCSL has earned the reputation as the nation’s most trusted bipartisan membership organization for legislators and legislative staff. Our success serving NCSL members relies on our team of passionate, dedicated professionals who work diligently to strengthen the legislative institution. Join our team and contribute to this unique, essential mission.

NCSL offers flexible, variable hour intern/externships in a variety of programs and policy areas. Hours typically range between 15-25 hours per week during the school year and full-time opportunities may be available in the summer for up to 12 weeks. This intern/externship is unpaid. Many colleges and universities provide academic credit for intern/externships. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their advisor and obtain academic credit within the institution’s guidelines. Intern/externs are not eligible for NCSL benefits but may be eligible for accrued sick leave. 

This internship provides students an opportunity to gain workplace skills while learning about how communications impacts state legislatures. Ideally, the student is studying and/or have an interest in social and/or digital media, broadcasting, graphic design, creative content (text, image and video), platform research and analytics and varying aspects of traditional news media. It requires teamwork across projects and program areas within NCSL, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills to interact with a wide variety of audiences.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Gain a better understanding of how state legislators and the federal government work and the critical role social and digital media play in today’s legislative communications efforts. Understand how to summarize state-federal policies and state legislative issues for communications to members across social and traditional news media platforms. Develop a basic understanding of digital campaign-style marketing and how to utilize quantitative analytics and audience demographics in targeting.

Intern/externs will gain:

This position is a mostly performed in an office environment, on or off-site, with prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Team members utilize standard office equipment such as laptops, printers, scanners, smartphones, and copy machines. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualified candidates should be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree or graduate program or in a short waiting period between undergrad and graduate programs. Candidates should possess strong computer skills and demonstrate skill and competence in writing clearly, communicating effectively and organizing complex assignments. Professional work and educational studies related to: communications, public affairs, marketing, public policy, political science and government relations preferred.

An intern/externship with NCSL offers exciting opportunities to learn new skills and apply your knowledge in line with your aspirations. We gladly invite you to apply online for this opportunity by including a resume and cover letter, before 5pm EST on Monday, December 6, 2021. Learn more about working with NCSL by visiting our careers page: https://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/ncsl-careers.aspx. We are looking forward to receiving your application!