Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit

New handbook provides tips for interns while previewing careers in the public sector.

Tuesday, January 7, 2003, By News Staff
Share

New handbook provides tips for interns while previewing careers in the public sector.January 07, 2003Nicci Brownnicbrown@syr.edu

Walk through the nation’s congressional office buildings and you’ll find that trench-level work in the legislative branch is done by people in their 20s and early 30s- “en-try-level” staffers who got their start as interns. Mack Mariani ’92 M.A. (P.Sc.) has no trouble recalling how overwhelmed he felt when he started working as an intern for U.S. Representative Jack Kemp. “Everyone on the staff seemed so busy,” Mariani says. “Nobody had a lot of time to sit down and give me a formal orientation. I pretty much showed up one day, they gave me a list of staffers and their responsibilities, then they sat me down at an intern desk and I started opening mail and answering phones.”

Mariani’s “baptism by fire” was in 1988, and the current director of special projects for the Monroe County (N.Y.) Department of Communications, and political science doctoral candidate at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is quick to concede that today’s interns have even more need to hit the ground running. As more and more political “wannabes,” potential law school applicants, and career-oriented undergrads look for an edge, securing a political internship in D.C. or a state capital is getting far more competitive. Not only that, the duration of the average internship has decreased. If interns want to impress, they have to do it quickly.

So Mariani joined forces with Grant Reeher, associate professor of political science, to create “The Insider’s Guide to Political Internships” (2002: Westview Press), offering a roadmap for interns who want to learn not just the mechanics, but also the essence, of political life. The book, which they co-edited, is divided into sections such as “Basic Rules to Live By,” “Writing in the Political Environment,” and “Conducting Research.” Chapters were contributed by former interns, intern supervisors, and those otherwise familiar with the inner workings of the political process at all levels. Internships at nonprofit organizations are also covered.

By describing not only typical assignments, but also their context and ramifications, contributors to the book create a more complete understanding of an intern’s role in the political process. For example, Jessica Wintringham, former aide to U.S. Senator John Edwards, and another doctoral candidate at Maxwell, gives insight into the creation and importance of talking points, remarks, and speeches.

“There are no unimportant details,” she says. “Spending all day putting together talking points for a five-minute meeting might seem like a waste of time, but it helps a public official do her job and improves the relationship between your boss and the audience. It is one of the most powerful responsibilities you can have as an intern.”

L. Elaine Halchin ’00 Ph.D. (P.Sc.), an analyst at the Congressional Research Service, says that for the uninitiated, researching the presidential and executive branches can be confusing. Her chapter offers a step-by-step research guide for interns, but goes further: “Doing research is a creative process,” she says. “In some cases, it’s simply a matter of following known and specific steps. But sometimes you have to rely on your ingenuity and problem-solving skills.”

Reeher believes it’s this type of detail that elevates “Insider’s Guide” above other, less specific internship manuals. “The concrete tips and strategies help students get the most out of the internship from a learning perspective and, in particular, a civic learning perspective,” he says. “Internships give a more nuanced understanding of politics. Students might go into an internship somewhat cynical, but they come out appropriately critical, and there’s a huge difference between the two.”

Reeher describes interning as “almost essential” for those aspiring to a career in politics. Mariani, who also served on the residence life staff of the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, believes most college students-even political science majors-need extra preparation for the nuts-and-bolts work done in the world of politics. In addition, he says they often have unrealistic ex-pectations.

“It’s absolutely essential that interns meet early on with their supervisors to share their mutual expectations,” Mariani says. “That type of communication should continue throughout the internship, so interns have a realistic sense of where they stand and can then press for more opportunities.”

The book’s final section, “Last Words,” shares advice from two focus groups Reeher conducted with SU undergraduates who had recently completed a broad range of internships. Students openly discuss their good-and bad-experiences with tips such as “find a mentor” and “stay active.”

“Be patient,” Mariani says. “Everyone has to do the clerical work.” But he also advises interns to be creative and constructively voice their ideas-not only could they lead to more substantive experiences, they may also demonstrate initiative to potential employers.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Rockell Brown Burton Joins Newhouse School as Associate Dean of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility
    Monday, May 23, 2022, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • Corinne Sartori Joins Libraries as Accessibility Specialist
    Monday, May 23, 2022, By Cristina Hatem
  • Eight New Recruits Begin Campus Peace Officer Academy
    Thursday, May 19, 2022, By Christine Weber
  • Media Tip Sheet: Consequences of China Lockdown
    Thursday, May 19, 2022, By Vanessa Marquette
  • Dean Rajiv ‘Raj’ Dewan to Step Down as Dean of the School of Information Studies
    Thursday, May 19, 2022, By News Staff

More In Uncategorized

Syracuse Views Spring 2022

We want to know how you experience Syracuse University. Take a photo and share it with us. We select photos from a variety of sources. Submit photos of your University experience using #SyracuseU on social media, fill out a submission…

“Alexis Patterson has been missing since 2002. Odds are you don’t know her story.”

Research from Carol Liebler, professor of communications in the Newhouse School, was featured in the USA Today story “Alexis Patterson has been missing since 2002. Odds are you don’t know her story.” Liebler studies media coverage of missing children and…

“Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved”

David Larsen, associate professor of public health in the Falk College, was quoted in The Associated Press article “Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved.” Larsen, who is an expert on epidemiology, explained that intense mask mandates will…

“J.C. Penney is reinventing itself. Again.”

Ray Wimer, professor of retail practice in the Whitman School, was quoted in the Retail Dive story “J.C. Penney is reinventing itself. Again.” Wimer, who studies retail marketing and planning, explained that J.C. Penney’s current efforts to rebrand itself may…

“Can Supermarket Design Really Impact What You Buy?”

Shelley Kohan, adjunct faculty member in the Whitman School, was interviewed for the VeryWell Mind story “Can Supermarket Design Really Impact What You Buy?” Kohan, a retail executive with 25 years of experience, explained that many grocery stores are following…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2022 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.