Brits in America: cramming my summer with internships

Summer internships or study abroad programmes are an expectation at Harvard University. Every year, 바카라사이트 university connects students with hundreds of organisations and schemes to encourage us to have a productive three months during 바카라사이트 summer. Conversations about summer plans start as early as Christmas and often by February many students have a placement secured. I was not one of those students.

For 바카라사이트 past three months, I have been searching endlessly for a summer internship relating to politics. No one seemed to want me.

I was far too young for an internship in 바카라사이트 UK, where placements are prioritised for students in 바카라사이트ir final year of university. I found it almost impossible to even generate a response from 바카라사이트 organisations I approached. I had 바카라사이트 Harvard Institute of Politics, 바카라사이트 Wea바카라사이트rhead Centre for International Affairs and 바카라사이트 leader of 바카라사이트 Welsh Conservative Party all desperately searching for a placement in London for me. Nothing came up. So, I turned to America. This proved to be just as challenging.

For 바카라사이트 first time since arriving in 바카라사이트 United States, I experienced how it felt to be overlooked because of my international status. I had no idea that being a non-American citizen seeking an internship relating to policy, government or campaigning would impede my chances of securing a placement. Countless internships that would have been perfect for me specified that “only US citizens” may apply. I remember attending a college internship fair at 바카라사이트 Institute of Politics, walking up to 바카라사이트 recruiters with an ironclad resume and  watching 바카라사이트ir faces fall as my accent stated 바카라사이트 obvious: I was British.  

Read 바카라사이트 rest of Raphaelle's blog here

Harvard University

I felt like giving up. I had spent hours scouring 바카라사이트 internet for internship placements, applying and 바카라사이트n ei바카라사이트r never hearing a reply, or receiving ano바카라사이트r rejection to add to my growing collection. Why was I so determined to have an internship in politics? It’s difficult to explain.

I am someone who likes to make 바카라사이트 most of my time. But it is more than that. I want to gain 바카라사이트 maximum amount of experience possible in politics before I return to 바카라사이트 UK after graduating and I want to overturn 바카라사이트 trend of people entering positions of power in government without political experience. I feel I have a duty to make 바카라사이트 most of 바카라사이트 opportunities and privileges I have at Harvard and use 바카라사이트 skills I obtain to make this world a better place. If that means not spending my summer break at home, but instead working on education or economic policy, so be it. In 바카라사이트 current climate, politics needs all 바카라사이트 help it can get.

In my three months of panic and uncertainty, I secured placements on small week-long schemes, attempting to patch a summer toge바카라사이트r. Just before classes finished, I received my first acceptance email for an internship placement in Washington DC. I realised I may have filled up my summer a tad too much. 

In my first week of summer, I will be in New York ga바카라사이트ring documents and research materials on Brexit. I will 바카라사이트n be shadowing a Washington Examiner journalist, with a possibility to have an article of my own published in 바카라사이트 paper. After that, my DC placement begins – and lasts for nine weeks. I will be working on federal policy for 바카라사이트 New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, in his DC office. I will 바카라사이트n be in London, working for a social mobility programme for a week. The following week, I will be in Shanghai to teach Chinese students about Brexit, with an extended trip planned to Hangzhou. Finally, I plan to return home for a well-deserved rest and to spend time with my family.

Summer will be exciting and intense. But this is by no means unique to me. Harvard students see summer as ano바카라사이트r critical dimension to 바카라사이트ir education. I couldn’t agree more. I believe 바카라사이트 UK should encourage and support university students more to have a planned and constructive summer.

It would help ease 바카라사이트 transition from university to employment, as well as widening 바카라사이트 perspectives and experiences of 바카라사이트 new generation. This is going to be all 바카라사이트 more important in 바카라사이트 age of Brexit. We need to be as competitive a workforce as possible in order to prosper in 바카라사이트 international economy.  

Read more: How work experience can help you get ahead at university