Internship Search Timeline

We strongly encourage you to begin your research and prepare for your internship search in the fall. While Career Services receives the majority of its internship listings during the spring semester, some internship opportunities have application deadlines in the fall, most notably the intelligence community and Department of State (which have rigorous background investigations. Furthermore, you will have to develop a Federal Resume and learn how to write “KSA’s,” the on-line short essay application process By starting your search early, you won't miss out on these potential opportunities. Most students do not get their internships through on-campus recruiting, so your interviews are generally off-campus. Career Services will assist you with your internship search, but please remember, we do not match students with employers; obtaining an internship is your responsibility. We encourage you to take the following steps to ensure a successful internship outcome:

September

• Attend the Public Service Fair to learn about local organizations and to secure a spring and/or fall part-time internship. Part-time internships will help build your resume and your network.
• Attend career workshops on federal and state/local government.
• Gain access to TartanTRAK to upload your resume and view internship listings.
• State/Local interest: Attend the ICMA conference
• Federal interest: Attend the Washington Colloquium for federal sector opportunities and networking.

October 

• Meet with your career advisor to discuss your interests and to organize your internship search.
• Review the internships of previous students. We also encourage you to speak informally with second year students who can offer first-hand information about their internships.
• Attend Network New York for city government opportunities, site visits and networking.
• Drop your resume for on-campus interviews with federal, state and local organizations visiting campus (these dates will occur beginning in October but across the full school year)
• Attend .gov: Pittsburgh Federal Career Day (hosted by the University of Pittsburgh in 2008; by the Heinz College in 2009).

November/December

• Research agencies and internship opportunities. Pay close attention to organizations that have established internship programs and their deadlines. Many of these fall in January/February.
• Attend the workshops to perfect your resume, hone your interviewing skills, and gain knowledge about the internship search process.
• Attend relevant information sessions.
• Participate in mock interviews.
• Create a Federal Resume and get it reviewed by your career advisor.

January/February

• At this point you should have your top-ten list of agencies at which you would like to intern. This list can include organizations that have established internship programs as well as those that interest you without formal internship programs. Update your resume with relevant academic projects, coursework, etc.
• MAMs must attend mandatory internship workshop.
• Utilize your personal network for internship leads as well as checking organization’s websites for internships.
• Inform your professors of your interest – they may be able to connect you to a former student turned government official.
• Attend Network Nights
• Network. Talk to alumni about internship opportunities in their organization. They're an excellent resource for learning more about a particular organization, career field or employment opportunity. You can find alumni in the Alumni Directory, Alumni Career Advisor Network, and Carnegie Mellon Alumni LinkedIn Network.

March

• At this point you should begin making contact with employers, sending resumes and applications, and beginning the interview process in person or by phone.
• Attend relevant Network Nights and Career Fairs (i.e. Network Washington, DC ).
• Strategize a back-up plan if your first choice internships don’t work out.
• Research funding options available if your internship is low paying (less than $10/hr.) or unpaid.

April

• At this point you should be interviewing with various organizations.
• Turn in your Internship Approval Form on April 15th. If you cannot meet this deadline, you must set up a meeting with your career advisor to go over the status of your search to date.
• Turn in any internship funding applications
• Connect with other interns relocating to your new city to share housing
• If you an F-1 Visa student, you must apply for CPT.

August

• Look for Heinz and Carnegie Mellon events in your city and attend to network with other interns.
• Schedule an exit interview with your supervisor so that they can give you feedback about your performance and have your supervisor complete the Internship Evaluation form and return it to the Career Services Office.
• Complete the student survey for the School of Policy and Management to evaluate your internship experience.