How to Get an Internship in the Government Offices in Hillsboro, Oregon

An internship is a great way to explore options in public service.

Getting an internship in government offices is an excellent way of exploring career opportunities in public service. In Hillsboro, the fifth largest city in Oregon, the government consists of a mayor and six council members. The city is divided into three wards; each ward elects two council members. There are also many committees that may provide numerous internship possibilities.

Instructions

Instructions

1. Decide on the type of internship you want. In addition to the mayor and six council members, there are also numerous committees, some of which depend on volunteer efforts of local citizens to keep going. These include the Historic Landmarks Advisory Committee, Parks and Recreation Commission, Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee and the Planning Committee.

2. Apply the year before you want the internship. Government internships can take a long time to process, because they are competitive and involve background checks.

3. Create a resume that demonstrates your skills. If you are a student with little work experience, list community service experience, after school activities, and any type of job you have had --- even if it is babysitting.

4. Network, network, network. Tell everyone you know that you want an internship with someone in the local government office. Contact your ward's council member, and ask for his help in getting an internship. Ask your council member to write you a letter of recommendation for the internship.

5. Apply to the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) if you are a high school student. YAC chooses local area high school students to become a part of this leadership group, which gives young people an opportunity to work with adult leaders to improve the Hillsboro community.

References

• Hillsboro
• Youth Advisory Council