Nevada Policy Internship Fall 2022

I was fortunate enough to find the one internship on the entire list that not only fit into my major but was also one of two subfields within my major that I want to learn more about. This internship gave me first hand exposure to non-profit career in policy research. Considering I had never volunteered or worked in an organization of this type before, it was critical, at least for me, to gain the environmental experience before I made a decision on which career path to take. Making informed decisions and calculated risks on career growth and opportunities is extremely important to me. Having a foundational knowledge of government through my Intro to Political Science course was necessary to have before this internship but other than that, I feel my professional work and office product experience was the more valued skillset from my internship peers. Their positive feedback on my deliverables, use of excel, research ability, organizational abilities was recognized more so than my baseline knowledge of government/politics. I’m definitely still interested in this career field after completing this internship though I see myself working in a larger organization and one that includes foreign policy, likely in the D.C. area. The office I worked in was small, roughly 10 employees and their employees were co-located across the country and left few opportunities to interact with everyone in person. Additionally, my policy interests fall more in foreign affairs than local/state level policy however, learning state policy will only better equip me with foundational knowledge once getting to the international policy playing field. My internship experience was quite broad which is helpful in its own way but I think more hands on policy research and analysis through internships and/or academic courses should better position me for career opportunities in this field. One piece of advise for new interns is to make sure to research the internship organization before applying! You will get more from an internship if the organization, its values and the opportunity closely align with your passion and interests. Not only will the experience be valuable to you but it will be mutually beneficial to the organization to have someone eager, interested, and passionate to fulfill its mission alongside them.

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