| Dragondawg, it's probably a good idea to get a resume. That's probably the most important thing. Also, you can use your past professors as academic references.
Yes, as a result of my internships, I have worked in many places (Washington DC, New York, San Francisco area, Washington state). But the first step is to actually apply. Even though you may not think you'll get it, it won't hurt to try.
In the political internships, I was a speechwriting intern so I really got a good lesson in political rhetoric and communication. I was so afraid I'd be doing mundane tasks such as photocopying, getting coffee, shredding, etc. But I have been fortunate that my internships have been substantive and rewarding. As for the technical internships, I worked in project development and software engineering. They usually gave me a big assignment that was to be completed at the end of my internship, but they also gave me little projects throughout.
I highly recommend finding an internship during the summer. You'll have more time to enjoy the work and you'll end up with some references outside of academia. I've applied to some positions for this Summer so I'm hoping I'll get one.
In my opinion, I honestly don't believe school prestige is that big of a contributing factor. I'm sure it plays a role, but it's not the overriding factor. I've had friends in Ivy League schools apply for the same positions as me and they had no luck. |