The Rat Race

Over the past few weeks, I have been sending out internship applications like a mad man in hopes of landing an internship for next spring – when I’ll be participating in the W&M in Washington Program. To date, I have applied for positions at the Center for American Progress (CAP), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, and the White House. And I’m not even halfway through my list.

I’ll be honest – the entire process of sending out applications can be daunting. It adds even more work to a semester that is already packed with classes, extracurriculars, and an internship. After all, crafting resumes and cover letters, doing mock interviews, and tracking down professors for letters of recommendation is all very time consuming. Sometimes it’s hard to shake the idea that you’re not getting anywhere, other than behind in your reading for classes. But make no mistake. There are days when it all pays off.

Today was one of those days. I received an email this afternoon from the White House Visitors Office. They liked my application materials and want to schedule an interview with me for tomorrow!

Cha-ching!

Almost before I finished reading the email, I opened Google (because it knows everything) and did a search of “White House Visitors Office.” What I learned is that this office manages tours of the White House (for both the general pubic and VIPs), organizes state welcoming ceremonies, and plans special events like the famous Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. The best part about this gig may be the location. Whereas most offices place their interns in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), the interns in the Visitors Office work in the White House, out of the East Wing. Exciting stuff.

At this point, I don’t know how everything will turn out. But if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that the competition will be fierce. I better go prepare for tomorrow!