Upon your acceptance to UCDC, students are assigned a UCDC Internship Advisor who will help them identify internship opportunities, develop competitive appli cation materials, and navigate interviews and offers. The first meeting usually occurs within three weeks of your acceptance to the program.
Students are also given access to the the UCDC Internship Database, which houses internship opportunities and application instructions from a wide range of DC -area partner organizations.
Meet with your UCDC Internship Advisor (IA)
All UCDC students must meet with their IA at least once via zoom or phone to obtain suggestions, advice and samples. Each campus has a designated IA. Click the link below to schedule an appointment with your IA. You’re welcome to meet with your IA as often as you need!
Utilize your campus’s Career Center and Career Resources
Review UCDC resume and cover letter templates and examples here. We recommend you have a competitive one-page resume for most students.
Add UCDC to your resume and include the dates you’ll be in DC and hours per week you’re available to work (24-32 typically) in your cover letters.
Seek suggestions from your campus Career Center staff and your UCDC Campus Coordinator about application materials (resume, cover letter, writing sample/s). Your resume and cover letter are your ‘first impression’ to a hiring manager, so it’s important to share the best version of yourself when applying.
Most federal agencies (e.g., Dept. Of Justice, State Department) require students to apply via USAJOBS.gov. If you are interested in an agency internship, create an account on USAJOBS.gov
After creating your account, use the Federal Resume Builder tool here. Federal Resumes require more information than a standard resume.
It is important to note, many federal internships have an earlier deadline than the UCDC application deadline.
Idealist.org is a great place to find nonprofit internships in DC
Handshake
LinkedIn (note: this is a good place to learn about organizations, but, when possible, you should apply through the organization’s website)