WHAT HAVING A HILLTERNSHIP IS REALLY LIKE

Hannah Andress

The ever-coveted Washington, D.C. student byline to put in your Linkedin profile is “Congressional Intern: United States Congress.” A hillternship is almost like the Washington student’s right of passage into the cutthroat world of politics and federal employment. There are two sides to the Hillternship: the Senate and the House, and it seems like each office runs on free intern labor. Working on the Hill can be the best and the worst job at the same time; the pay is low, the hours are long, and the angry constituents aren’t wrong when they remind you that they pay your salary. Despite the cons, though, an extraordinary feeling and sense of purpose comes with working the frontlines of democracy. My experience in the House was wonderful, and every hillternship experience varies slightly, but here’s a little insight into my time on the Hill.

Structurally, there are three House buildings: Cannon, Longworth, and Rayburn. Offices are allocated to representatives based on seniority; if you work in Cannon, the nicest building, your representative is important. Longworth is nice too, but the offices are smaller, and Rayburn doesn’t house as many reps but is home to a lot of House committees. The most important thing to know, though, is where the good food is. There’s a really yummy cafeteria in Longworth that offers literally every type of food ever and is actually pretty cheap. Rayburn just got a Steak and Shake, but long lines make it hard to take your 30-minute lunch break there. Jamba Juice, Dunkin Donuts, and &pizza also live in the Capitol and make food breaks much easier.

Internally, each office has a chief of staff, scheduler, legislative director, communications director, legislative assistants, press assistant, staff assistant, legislative correspondent, and interns. Each staffer is essential to the day-to-day operations of the office in ensuring the congressperson is working hard for their constituents. While Congress is in session, things are absolutely crazy and you have to dress business professional. But when you aren’t in session, the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workdays feel like a vacation and wearing casual clothing feels like pajamas. Interns have a long list of jobs. Some of them are exciting, and some of them are tedious and quite dull, but hey, you have to start somewhere. Interns answer constituent phone calls, draft letters on behalf of the congressperson, greet constituents, track press hits and legislation, attend briefings and hearings, give Capitol tours, write memos, and complete any random tasks assigned to them by a staffer.

Some of these tasks may seem menial and tedious, but they are necessary to keep the office running smoothly. To be frank, your pay is not going to reflect your hard work. Your stipend, if you even get one, is going to be measly in comparison to the exhaustion of the 9 am-6 pm work days. However, the long hours are totally worth the wealth of knowledge you will accumulate over your hillternship.

While your pay is low, there are cool benefits that come with Congressional employment. Each office receives in-district or in-state products. For example, I worked in a Georgia office, so we received Coca-Cola products, Georgia peanuts, and Delta cookies. Our fridge was always stocked with every single flavor of Coke imaginable, Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee, and flavored Dasani sparkling water. Talk about a never ending supply of much-needed caffeine. Interns also have free subscriptions to news outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, etc. and get a house email and a Capitol ID, which makes you feel super fancy and professional.

Abby Greenberg

Personal and Professional Development

This internship offers professional and, believe it or not, personal development as well. If your offices are as wonderful as mine, your intern coordinator will request weekly reflections so you look back on your work and develop a professional understanding for the tasks you complete. Staffers also help assign tasks tied to your interests. Working with the legislation staff opens your eyes to the very long process of drafting legislation, getting it to the floor through to the Senate, and eventually passed into law. It is much more complex than SchoolHouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill.” But overall, it’ll help you develop a focused understanding of what you want to do with your life. During my internship, I learned that I love policymaking, legislation, and helping others.

I do have some advice for prospective hillterns: choose your boss wisely. I was lucky to work in the most welcoming and wonderful office that appreciated interns and let us have a lot of freedom and work on interesting projects. Some interns, however, aren’t always so lucky. I think it is important to work for someone that aligns with what you believe in and what you are passionate about. It makes the work easier to do, and you wake up excited to go work for nine hours every day. If you do end up on the Hill, make the most of your experience. Develop a strong network of meaningful connections and never turn down a chance to get coffee with a coworker. You’re going to learn a lot about government, but you’re also going to learn a lot about yourself. When it gets busy, just remember you’re fighting the good fight on the frontlines of democracy.

Grace Nowak