Jenn*, like many college students, got an internship over her 2015 summer break in an effort to strengthen her resume. But unlike many, the 21-year-old Northwestern student's summer job had an address more well known than most—1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, to be exact.
This place. Right here. Maybe you've heard of it.
Jenn, who now works in Chicago as the Deputy Field Director for Brad Schneider's congressional campaign, talked to me about the ins-and-outs of being an employee in the country's most famous office.
Halle: How did you get this internship?
Jenn: I thought, “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if I could work at the White House?” half jokingly while re-watching an episode of The West Wing. Then I decided to actually apply, thinking I probably wouldn’t get it considering how many students apply every year. [A/N: The White House does not disclose how many applicants it receives yearly for internships, but it is thought to be in the thousands.]
I applied in January and actually forgot I did, until I heard back around April where I was asked to do some interviews with the departments I was interested in working with. I’ll spare the lengthy details, but I ended up getting it—I don’t know how, but I did.
Halle: Walk me through your typical day.
Jenn: It was your typical 9-6 p.m. I’d show up to my department—Communications—with an itinerary of things I needed to complete for the day. And I think at least 90 percent of the time what was on my to-do schedule was never actually what I ended up doing. Plans change quickly, unpredicted events happen, news cycles shift within the blink of an eye; everybody’s agenda was never set in stone. Interns were given some freedom in not being limited to just their department. But obviously you weren’t just allowed to freely roam the halls of the West Wing while you were supposed to be working.
One day I’ll be checking emails for three hours straight; the next day I’m helping draft an unexpected press release. Everyday was something new, exciting and different.
Halle: What was your biggest frustration? What was your biggest accomplishment?
Jenn: It’s hard, especially when you’re in a work environment as big as the White House, to feel like the work you’re doing is actually worth it. It’s sometimes easy to slip into the mindset that you’re just a dispensable intern, but the people working there always made a valiant effort to truly value everyone. It was always a positive and uplifting atmosphere.
My favorite part of the job was honestly the people I was surrounded with. I got to work with so many talented and inspiring women, whether they were actual staffers or fellow interns, who were all very supportive and welcoming. Besides learning so many new skills, I made so many long lasting friendships.
Halle: Is that unusual, working in a department with a lot of women?
Jenn: There was a pretty even balance of both male and female staffers and interns; I think we’re little by little chipping away at the stereotype that government is a boy’s club. Obviously this isn’t true for all political work environments and levels of government. Women make up for more than half of the American electorate and yet we’re still so grossly underrepresented. But incremental change is happening to insure that there is eventually equal gender representation for elected positions, and that’s what’s important.
Halle: Were there any memorable events, internal or national, that stick out during your time working in D.C.?
Jenn: I interned during the summer when SCOTUS [Supreme Court of the United States] passed the ruling on [legalizing nationwide] same-sex marriage, which was a very exciting time to be working on the Hill. I remember after the Supreme Court decision, I was riding the metro back to my apartment and there was just herds of very professionally dressed men in business suits wearing pride flags as capes. It was both hilarious and historic!
Halle: Is there a myth about working at the White House that TV shows like Scandal, The West Wing, Veep, etc. perpetuate that you'd like to dispel?
Jenn: It’s honestly a mix of all the WH-related shows. Some days you show up and everything seems super cutthroat; other days you help make change and you feel super heroic, and more often than not, you get days where it seems like nobody really knows what’s going on, but you just try to get through it as best as you can.
Halle: Any advice for young people aspiring to work in government?
Jenn: Work hard. I know it’s cliché, but it’s true. Have a passion for what you do, approach every task with professionalism and enthusiasm, and just have confidence that there will always be opportunities to work in government at all levels!
Halle: I gotta ask—did you ever meet POTUS [President of the United States]?
Jenn: Not meet technically, but I did get to see him on a few occasions. He once walked past when I was in the Scheduling Department, and I was so nervous that I was in his presence I almost threw up.
*Last name withheld to protect privacy...and because all White House employees sign a Confidential Disclosure Agreement.
