There are several internship programs that help students to get their foot in the door and receive a valuable experience with a federal agency.  Two of these such programs are:

• Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) -  The STEP, another name for a temporary internship with a federal agency, is a great way for students to be exposed to the government.  STEP positions are paid positions that can range from a summer job to a position that lasts as long as the students is in school.  It is not necessary for the work to be related to the student's academic major, which allows the student to gain experience in a variety of fields. 

• Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) - SCEP positions, which are for undergraduate and graduate students, are substantive internships in federal agencies.  The work must be related to the student's area of study and requires the agency to have a formal commitment with the student's institution.  Most positions are paid, and the student may also receive academic credit.  If the student successfully completes 640 hours of work, he or she can be appointed to a permanent position without going through the traditional hiring process.

There are more federal internship programs offered through the "Partnership for Public Service" program.  You can search'' the website:  www.makingthedifference.org/federalinte

FOUR MYTHS ABOUT FEDERAL SERVICE

• Myth #1: Federal employees are paper pushers who are caught up in bureaucracy.  Your work as a federal employee does not make a difference.

• Reality:  Young federal employees get to work on substantive issues that affect the future of our country.  For students who want to make a difference, the federal government is the best place to contribute.

• Myth #2:  Salaries for federal employees are low.  Hence, you are better off going to work elsewhere.

• Reality:  Entry level salaries are competitive with many industries.  Plus, federal employees advance quickly with the possibility of increasing their salary by 150 % in just two to three years!  The benefits and work/life balance government offers are often better than any other sector.

• Myth #3 - Say goodbye to your friends and family.  If you work for the government, you must live in D.C.

• Reality:  In fact, 84% of federal jobs are outside of the D.C. metro region, with 50,000 jobs abroad.

• Myth #4 - Federal employees are all political science majors.  The government does not need people with other academic backgrounds.

• Reality:  Federal agencies do not just need political science majors.  In fact, some of the highest need areas are public health and medicine, engineering, the sciences, business/accounting and information technology.  These is a place for every background in federal service.

Still searching for a summer internship?  Check these out!

Summer 2010 internship opportunities continue to arrive in our office.  Here are some of the summer internships that we have received:

• Whittier College Athletics Dept - They are looking for a Sports Information Intern who will assist in updating the WC Athletics website, compile cumulative season stats for spring sports, archiving past & current season data.  Also  may score live games using the TAS software.  20 hours per week

• Summer Psychology Research w/ University of No. Iowa - Spend 4 weeks working with a faculty member on research project and learn advanced methods, statistics & graduate school topics during weekly seminars.  Includes travel, housing, food, research expenses, plus a $2000 stipend.

• Participant Media & TakePart.Com - They believe that a good story well told can truly make a difference in how one sees the world. They exist to tell compelling, entertaining stories that also create awareness of the real issues that shape our lives.  They are offering 10 different internship positions.  They will begin accepting applications for summer in mid-March.

• Democratic National Committee - This is a unique opportunity for hardworking, passionate young leaders to gain real life, hands-on experience in Democratic politics, strengthen their understanding of the political process and prepare for future political opportunities.  Summer 2010 program runs from June 1st to August 13th.   Deadline:   Apr 30, 2010 

• Summer Medical & Dental Education Program - This is a FREE (full tuition, housing, and meals) six-week summer academic enrichment program that offers freshman and sophomore college students intensive and personalized medical and dental school preparation.  Deadline:  March 1, 2010

• The Center for Behavioral Decision Research at Carnegie Mellon University - This 8-10 week program is designed to give students first hand knowledge about research in the field of judgment and decision-making.  Work will include conducting experiments with CBDR researchers in the lab and field.  Deadline:  March 1, 2010

• Capital Investment Advisors - They are looking for an analyst/advisor intern to assist the President and Managing Director.  This intern should be seeking commercial and residential real estate experience.  Internship will include accounting, marketing and internet media skills.

• National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)- NSF funds a large number of summer research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers.  Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel.  Deadlines vary with each site, usually between Dec 2009 - Mar 2010. 

• City of Hope - They are offering two summer programs, the Eugene & Ruth Roberts Summer Academy and the National Cancer Institute CURE Program.  They are 10-12 weeks in the summer and both offer stipends of at least $4000.    Deadline is:  March 15, 2010

• ALL PRO Health Center - This health center specializes in sports medicine, exercise therapy and rehabilitation, chiropractic care, massage therapy, acupuncture. They work with various athletic, industrial, and fitness programs and facilities to promote the health and well-being of patients and clients. They have two locations, Arcadia and Lakewood.

Reflections of Alle Kamela's internship w/ CARECEN, Central American Resource Center, Day Labor Center

The Central American Resource Center was founded by a group of Salvadoran refugees whose mission was to secure legal status for the thousands of Central Americans fleeing civil war. CARECEN is firmly committed to meeting the direct needs of the immigrant community through direct service, and to addressing the root causes that create the need for service through advocacy and organizing.

My main duties during this internship were to help the day laborers with English questions, assisting the organizer with paperwork and take down names on the list of men waiting for work.  The list is treasured as it is the key to work.  When an employer comes looking for a worker(s), the organizer reads off the names of the first people on the list in a first come, first serve basis.  I also spent a decent amount of time talking with day laborers who are trying to learn English and who want to practice it.  Sometimes they asked me questions and we talk about the two languages, so in a sense I had begun an informal English tutorship.  This role extended to helping to write and read letters or forms for a job.

As a result of this internship, I have learned significantly about communication and the issues facing the immigrant community.  Because the majority of the men I work with at the center are Latino immigrants who only speak Spanish, I have been forced to practice and maintain my spoken Spanish.  I think that I  more carefully choose my words and body language as a result of this internship. 

I have also gained a broader understanding of the legal issues that the immigrants support field is facing.  They have explained how much police discrimination there is and the various ordinances and props they are supporting or fighting against for the safety of these men.  I have realized how hard and dangerous the immigrant population's life is and as a result, the extent of protection and services that they need. 

Waking up at 5 am, two times a week, to drive in LA's rush hour traffic for an hour each way and then sit outside in the cold taught me about commitment.  I was able to feel some of the struggle the men I work with go through every day.  I also gained confidence in my Spanish by communicating solely in Spanish for 4 hours a week.  The interactions I had with the men reinforced my ability to relate to all different kinds of people.  Diversity has always been a core value of mine, so it is important to see that I do not just preach the necessity of diversity, but live it in my interactions as well.

I  had the opportunity to improve my cross-cultural skills by interacting with people so different from me.  As the only white female, and one of the only documented US born citizens, I was challenged to engage older men from primarily Central America in daily conversations.  Everything tangible from our country of birth, first language, skin color, gender, education level and class are different, so at times, I felt like an outsider, questioning myself as to why I was there.  At other times, talking about music, dancing, the daily stresses and joys with the guys, I felt like they were my older brothers.  It taught me how to see past the bigger picture and focus on the smaller things we had in common.  I became less intimidated by being with people from different origins and class levels than me.

I will continue to utilize my language and cross-cultural skills by working abroad upon graduation.  I hope to go abroad to either teach English or work on a community development project.  This internship also helped me to realize that I may be interested in pursuing a master's degree in social work.  I plan to continue on this path, first and foremost, by continuing my internship with CARECEN through May 2010.

Great Internship Websites to Explore Online!

The Internship Office has subscribed to two great websites that can help you in your search for that perfect internship!  Both websites offer nationwide internship opportunities.  They are:

•   www.internships.com - Go to the web address and click on "Students" then click on "Join the Network." Select Whittier College from the school drop down menu, enter the Promo Code "poet" then click "Continue." Register by entering your First Name, Last Name, Email address, and create a password; then click "sign up." Confirm email address and password on the next page (for security purposes), then click "log in." You are then logged into Whittier's Premium Site and can begin searching for Internships!

• Internships-USA www.internships-usa.com -  Go to the website, click on "The Internship Series Online", enter the user name: work and the password: credit.  Now you will be on the page that provides full, up to date information on over 2,800 organizations offering internships and summer jobs for students. Click on any of the series that interest you and browse the internships listed.

Reflections of Anthony Bennett's & Eric Colunga's internships w/ Los Angeles SPARKS

Anthony & Eric both interned with the LA SPARKS at the Staples Center during Jan Term and are both continuing the internship during the Spring semester.   

Anthony wrote:  There are a variety of different intern positions that were available, and on the advice from other colleagues and friends, I was persuaded to start off in the ticket sales department since this is where most of the professional sports employees start.  As a Sales intern, my job touched on all intern positions within the organization so I got a taste of what everybody does and how to complete and follow tasks and projects.  The Sales Intern is responsible for assisting the Manager of tickets sales and co-workers within the ticket sales and service department.  My duties included preparing, issuing and verifying return of all season ticket holders and contracts.  I looked up information for game events as well as more customers to contact for ticket sales.  Another task I often did was to enter information that I found into the Sparks database.  I also moved supplies around the office, made phone calls to potential Spark customers, helped to plan events and games that our sales associate should go to. 

One goal I had was to learn ways to improve and increase ticket sales.  I learned by watching and following others, as well as listening and taking notes at meetings.  I learned there are many ways to go about selling tickets.  People sell through their personality and knowledge, which leads to many different styles of selling.  People can be very creative and intelligent when it comes to selling tickets to professional sports games.  I learned so much from my boss, Benny Garcia, an alum of Whittier College.  Another goal was to find out what department I wanted to join as a career in the sports industry.  I learned that I may want to join the sales department of a professional sports team, focusing on football or basketball.  I am still not sure yet.

I attended weekly staff meetings where we talked about up and coming events that are going to occur as well as past events.  We discussed hot topics in sports and ways to improve ticket sales.  One event that stood out for me was working the Clippers and Bulls game.  I got to meet most of the season ticket holders as well as our biggest Sparks fans.  I also got to experience a press box during an NBA game.  My role was to check sponsors in and talk to them about their personal lives and their experiences with the Sparks.   My bosses and co-workers taught me how to respond to certain situations when issues or questions occurred with customers.

The personal development that I have gained is amazing.  I learned so many things within the last month and a half that I never knew before.  I realized that networking is the key to success in this business.  If you know people, you will be fine.  I have met many new people that I will be contacting when applying for jobs.  All the courses in my major and minor have helped me prepare for this internship.  Sports management, business & society, economics, teaching & coaching were the main courses that helped me.

Eric wrote:  My internship with the Los Angeles Sparks helped me to learn how a sports team works and how it is to work with a professional sports team.  One of my learning objectives were to learn business in the sports world.  I learned much of this by attending staff meetings, listening to and observing co-workers at the meetings and on the phone.  My main resources that helped me with this learning objective were my mentors, Benny Garcia and Kristin Bernert.  They are very smart and know so much about sports and business.  Listening to them in staff meetings helped me learn so much. 

I worked on many projects during my internship there.  I researched YMCAs and Boys & Girls clubs in Los Angeles for an annual event called "Camp Day".  It is an event where children have a great opportunity to interact with the Los Angeles SPARKS players and coaching staff.  I was to find as many children's' organizations and programs who would buy tickets and want to be involved in this annual event.  I also got to work the "Fantourage" game event.  Fantourage is a group of fans that help the Los Angeles SPARKS by selling tickets.  They are rewarded by prizes depending on how much they sell.  This was my favorite day as we got to be in a suite with the Fantourage group and networked with them as we escorted them to and from the suite.  I also got involved in a new event called "Medical Night" where I researched hundreds of medical groups, nursing programs, pharmacies to invite and sell tickets to this event.  Every organization I found had to be logged into the database. 

My final goal was to learn how to put my best effort into work by having a great attitude every day and create a good work environment.  It sounds easy, but it really was one of the hardest for me.  I would be tired after driving in traffic and had to learn to feel happy as I stepped into the office.  I soon learned that if a person has a positive attitude, people see that and are friendly and positive back to you.  My co-workers were very positive and that made me feel the same way.

***********************************************************************************************