Senator Wyden's Senatorial Internship Program

The purpose of the Internship Program is to provide opportunities for college students, recent college graduates and others interested in public service to gain firsthand knowledge of the way in which a Senate office operates on a daily basis, to observe the legislative process at the federal level, and to develop research skills related to public policy. The program is structured to provide participants with a full range of opportunities and experiences. Internships can range from 8 weeks to 16 weeks and will be negotiated on an individual basis. It is often possible to work with college faculty to receive college credit for participation in the internship program. Although neither a salary nor expenses can be paid, my office will be glad to assist in the search for temporary housing in the Washington area. Interns may only intern for a total of one year in the U.S. Senate.

Individuals interested in applying for an internship in Washington, D.C. should e-mail or fax a resume and a brief cover letter explaining when and why you want to intern for Senator Wyden to nancy_hadley@wyden.senate.gov and contact Nancy Hadley at (202) 224–5244. If you are interested in an internship in one of my six Oregon offices, please contact Candi Bartasavich at (503)326-7525.

Opportunities and Responsibilities
Interns perform a variety of tasks depending on the needs of the Senate office during each period of service and the particular interests and skills of the intern.

The basic internship program is divided into four components:

A. Day-to-day operations – designed to provide the intern with an understanding of the core functions of daily operation. Responsibilities include assisting full-time staff in responding to various constituent requests, assisting with information inquiries, updating computer records and drafting general correspondence.

B. Observing the legislative process – provides the intern with direct observational experience in the federal legislative process. Responsibilities include attending committee and agency hearings and briefings, assisting full-time staff in preparing summaries, observing floor proceedings and attending meetings related to specific legislation.

C. Research - gives each intern the opportunity to sharpen research skills related to particular legislation or development of public policy. Responsibilities include assisting full-time staff in developing detailed responses to constituent concerns, legislative issues and policy questions. The intern will be exposed to a variety of primary and secondary research sources, including the Library of Congress, federal agencies and affiliated organizations.

D. Individually assigned projects - occasionally interns will be given the opportunity to assist with a special project. The projects will vary according to the intern's interest and the needs of the office. Interns will be responsible for planning, implementing and successfully completing his or her project. Interns may be assigned a mentor drawn from the full-time staff.

Individuals interested in applying for an internship in Washington, D.C. should e-mail or fax a resume and a brief cover letter explaining when and why you want to intern for Senator Wyden to nancy_hadley@wyden.senate.gov and contact Nancy Hadley at (202) 224–5244. If you are interested in an internship in one of my six Oregon offices, please contact Candi Bartasavich at (503)326-7525.