Internship with Senator Carl Levin - Washington D.C Office
Lizzie
Experience Information
Employer: Senator Carl Levin
Job Title: Legislative Intern
Major: Political Science
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: No
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
I spent my Spring semester interning for the Senator Carl Levin's personal office in Washington D.C. The personal office is responsible for maintaining relations with constituents and providing a mouthpiece for these constituents in Washington. The personal office is also responsible for caring for Senator Levin's schedule, making sure he votes and scheduling meetings. The legislative members of Levin's staff also advise him on various issues and on upcoming legislation.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
As a legislative intern, I spent most of my time attending hearings or briefings and writing memos. Personally, I was assigned to work with the Legislative Correspondent responsible for judicial issues, foreign affairs, and civil rights. I wrote short, two page papers about various topics including the TSA's possible policy change which would allow small knives back on airplanes and the proposed construction of a preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I also performed various administrative tasks such as sorting mail and email and giving tours of the Capitol to visiting constituents.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Through my internship with Senator Levin's office, I was able to hone my writing and research skills. In school, I often write long, ten page or more papers. Much of my time at Levin's office focused on writing and research which gave me the time and practice I needed to strengthen these skills. Time was of the essence so I learned how to quickly sort through important information and pare it down to what is only necessary. I believe that this is an extremely important skill to have. I also was able to see the inner workings of Capitol Hill. This firsthand experience gave me insight into how Congress actually functions and I was able to see the ways in which partisanship has affected the work that is being done there. I was also able to see how Congress can still accomplish very much despite this partisanship.
Favorite Part of the Experience
I thoroughly enjoyed attending the various hearings and briefings. I liked seeing the debates about policy and the investigations firsthand. The best and most interesting hearing that I attended was the Apple hearing. As an employee of Apple, I was very interested in seeing CEO Tim Cook testify in front of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, of which Levin is the Chairman. Being able to have experienced working with or under both men,I found the exchanges and interactions between them to be particularly enlightening. The tension but also the cooperation between the two sides was extremely interesting.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience showed me what I like and don't like about working in Washington and helped me to start considering what it is that I look for in a company and in a future job. While working for Senator Levin's office and while being in Washington, I realized that Congress very much values tradition. Often times, they continue to do certain things even if they are not very effective or efficient. This is definitely not something that I would look for in a company. This experience made me realize that I want to work somewhere that values innovation and creativity. I also must work somewhere that is focused on enacting political change and somewhere that is internationally focused.