[AKA2D '91]

BARACK
OBAMA
United States Senator ? Illinois
Internships with Senator Obama
An internship in the office of Senator Obama is an excellent way to learn
firsthand how our
government works, and to play an important role in a U.S. Senate office.
Students will have the
opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience by assisting the
Senator's professional
staff with administrative, press, legislative and correspondence duties.
Washington, DC Internships
Interns in the Washington, DC office will be able to observe the inner
workings of the federal
government. Working with the Washington staff gives students a chance to
see how the Senate
functions, and how it interacts the other branches of government.
Additionally, interns are
encouraged to take advantage of everything Capitol Hill has to offer,
including listening to floor
debate, congressional hearings, seminars and speeches, utilizing Senate
research facilities, and
visiting Washington's museums.
Illinois Internships
Internships in the Illinois offices will allow students to learn about how
government can help the
people of Illinois through constituent service. Interns in the state
offices may also work on such
projects as compiling daily news summaries concerning Illinois happenings
and the Senator's
activities, and may assist Senator Obama's staff with special events around
Illinois. Illinois district
offices are located in Chicago, Springfield and Marion.
Internship Responsibilities
Interns in all offices participate in a broad range of office operations,
ensuring a well-rounded
experience. Interns should expect a balance of work that includes answering
constituent calls,
handling mail and other day-to-day office affairs, along with other more
substantive duties. In the
Washington office, these may include work in any of the following areas:
Administrative: Interns will be responsible for helping to run an effective
and efficient Senate
office, greeting visitors in the front office, leading Capitol tours,
assisting with office management
duties including budget, supply and information systems administration.
They may also assist
Senator Obama's scheduling department by compiling, tracking and responding
to scheduling
invitations.
Press: Working with our communications department, interns will keep
Senator Obama and his
staff updated on the latest news by compiling print, television and radio
stories and tracking
important issues. Duties also include maintaining press contact databases,
assisting with press
releases and preparation for press conferences.
Legislative: As a member of Senator Obama's legislative team, you will
conduct research on
specific issue areas, help prepare briefs for use in committee and the
floor of the Senate, report
on hearings, investigate pending legislation and help the legislative
correspondents respond to
constituent concerns.
Applying to be an Intern
Applicants for the program should submit the following materials:
* A completed application form
* A cover letter that addresses why you are interested in serving as an
intern
* A current resume
To be considered for an internship, send your completed application packet
to the office where
you wish to apply:
Washington, DC office:
Senator Barack Obama
Attn: Intern Coordinator
SD-B40 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: (202) 228-5417
Please be aware of the continuing mail delays associated with security
screening of
incoming mail to the Washington Senate office. You may want to fax your
materials to
avoid delay.
Illinois state offices:
Senator Barack Obama
Attn: Intern Coordinator
230 S. Dearborn St., Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60604
Fax: (312) 886-3514
Senator Barack Obama
Attn: Intern Coordinator
607 E. Adams, Suite 1520
Springfield, IL 62701
Fax: (217) 492-5099
Senator Barack Obama
Attn: Intern Coordinator
701 N. Court St.
Marion, IL 62959
Fax: (618) 997-2850
Session Dates and Application Deadlines
Session Dates Application Deadline
Spring Session 2005* April 4 - May 20 March 1, 2005
Summer Session 1 2005 May 23 - July 8 March 15, 2005
Summer Session 2 2005 July 11 - August 26 March 15, 2005
Fall Session 2005* September 5 - December 16 July 15, 2005
*Start and end dates for the Spring and Fall sessions may be flexible to
accommodate student
schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are internships paid?
Interns work on a voluntary basis and do not receive financial compensation
for their work.
Interns must provide their own housing and transportation. Funding for
internships may be
available through university stipends or private scholarship sources.
Who is eligible to apply?
Priority is given to Illinois residents who are undergraduate students in
college and who are able
to work full time (35-40 hours per work week), but high school students and
applicants from
outside Illinois may be considered. Some positions will be open to graduate
and law students;
those applicants will generally be considered separately. For an overview
of federal fellowship
and career internship opportunities, graduate students may also find very
helpful information in
the Congressional report Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work
Experience Opportunities in
the Federal Government.
If you have additional questions about interning for Senator Obama, please
call (312) 886-3506
or (202) 224-2854 and ask for the intern coordinator.