8 Steps to a Paid Federal Internship: One Application for Multiple Opportunities

January 4, 2021 The Washington Center

8 Steps to a Paid Federal Internship: One Application for Multiple Opportunities

The Washington Center partners with multiple federal agencies to place qualified college students in paid internships.

Survey results from many different organizations all reveal what many college students already know: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause students to struggle with finding valuable internship experiences and to worry about their job prospects after graduation.

In one such survey of 1,000 college students, 71% of the students said they believe COVID-19 will impact their ability to begin a career after college. One of their biggest career concerns include missing out on internships, networking events and relevant job experience. Another survey of 2,210 students on entry level jobs and internships revealed that 74% of students say companies are unresponsive to applications.

You don’t have to miss out on getting valuable experience or spend hours searching for opportunities. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) partners with multiple federal agencies to place qualified college students in paid internships. Plus, because many of the federal agencies have shifted to remote internships due to the pandemic, you can do your internship from anywhere in the U.S.

Now is the time to start the application process. While it’s free to apply, the multi-stage selection process takes time, with the longest amount of time spent on the security background check. Here’s a general outline of the selection process:

Step 1: Submit application materials to TWC

Step 2: TWC determines match with agency position and contacts applicant to confirm availability, eligibility and interest

Step 3: Application materials are referred to agency for consideration

Step 4: Review / Selection by agency mentors

Step 5: Security background check (4-8 weeks)

Step 6: Official formal notification from TWC and confirmation of acceptance

Step 7: Sign agreement from TWC committing to program

Step 8: Completion of on-boarding documentation from TWC

If you are concerned that you would not get value from a remote internship, take a look at TWC's results from our summer internship programs survey. In summer 2020, TWC placed 322 students in paid remote internships across 13 federal agencies. In that survey, 4 out of 5 students say that the work they completed remotely is just as robust (and sometimes even more robust) than work done in-person. Plus, across the board, students report an increase in all nine career readiness metrics since the beginning of the program.

Learn more about The Washington Center's Funded Federal Diversity Internships here.

 

About the Author

The Washington Center

The Washington Center is the largest and most established student internship program in Washington, D.C. Since our founding, we've helped more than 60,000 individuals from across the U.S. and around the globe expand their academic pursuits into rewarding jobs and careers. We use our scale and expertise to deliver solutions that open career pathways for learners, solve recruitment challenges for employers, while helping create greater access, equity, advancement and representation.

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