In realm of politics, choose an internship that you’ll love

As summer approaches, internship season is upon us. USC’s wonderfully long May-August summer offers ample time for students to travel, explore, work and play — and, for those of us who are politically inclined, to pursue an adventure in our field.

Resources on campus offer excellent programs to get Trojans into the great marble halls of Sacramento, Washington, D.C. and beyond. However, often the hardest part of securing a political internship — other than getting your foot in the door in the first place — is choosing where to intern and what to do.

Politics emcompass a labyrinth of fields and directions, from policymaking to campaigning and lobbying to activism. Some students are committed to a single issue, while others are enticed by the thought of working within a legislative body in general. Either way, when exploring where to begin a career in statecraft, one thing is certain: Do something that means something — to you, your community or the issues you care about.

Too often, the process of internship-seeking and securing is tied up in the politics of prestige, impressiveness and name-dropping — the pressures faced here at USC to find the most resume-worthy position are probably mirrored at all elite higher education institutions. Campuses with ambitious students can often be double-edged swords– on the one hand, your contemporaries are brilliant, and on the other, you are all locked in a competition of comparison with one another.

The key to that great internship is not to seek out Morgan Stanley, Google or the West Wing — it is to find the thing that is genuinely meaningful, especially in politics. After all, in the end, the best experience was the one that meant the most to you. Find something challenging, or exciting. Expand your connectivity, reach new goals and explore. Politics is about money, and about prestige, and about power — on the surface. But the politics this country desperately needs is the politics of people — the politics of service to community, state, country.

But how? The answer is often more simple than you think. First, seek out campus opportunities — facilities like the Unruh Institute of Politics can offer open doors that you might never have known even existed. Look into the fields that mean something to you. For those interested in environmental policy, these sorts of institutes, think tanks and activist bodies exist up and down the state and expand across the nation — Los Angeles, New York City, D.C. and more. Often, applying and seeking a position starts with something as simple as an email. These doors often aren’t as thick and heavy as one might imagine. The best opportunities come to those who search for them with an arrogant optimism — send a resume, and see what happens. Second, consider serving your own community. Your legislators are looking for interns throughout the year and during the summer. From your city council to the state senate and the governor’s office, there are opportunities open for those who seek them.

In the end, politics is a vast field, and your future within it is decided in most part by what you choose to do with it. If you are searching for a way to become involved, learn more and — hopefully — make a difference, the field is waiting. Jump in.

Lily Vaughan is a sophomore majoring in history and political science. Her column,“Playing Politics,” runs every Friday.