Institute of Politics

Overview of Organization:

Founded in 2013 by David Axelrod, the Institute of Politics, a non-partisan, extracurricular organization at the University of Chicago, aims to inspire and cultivate the next generation of political and public service leaders. Four core programs form the heart of the Institute: civic engagement opportunities that enable students to experience politics-in-action through political exploration trips, leadership training, service programs and voter engagement projects; visiting fellowships where distinguished political officials, policymakers, journalists, diplomats and others are in residence on campus during an academic quarter; political and public service internships that provide students with paid, substantive career development opportunities; and a continuous series of public events featuring leading political figures sharing their insights on key issues of the day.

The IOP House Intern program offers students the opportunity to work closely with IOP staff to facilitate operations and programming, playing a central role in supporting the IOP's many activities and initiatives. Interns gain valuable knowledge and skills in public and social service as well as in specific program areas. IOP House Internships are available to undergraduate students, are paid, and are eligible for work study. Graduate Assistant positions are available to graduate students, are paid, and are eligible for work study.

Internship Summary:

The IOP’s Career Development team is responsible for providing students with practical experience, paid internships, skills training, advising, and a robust professional network to explore careers in politics and public service. Each year, the IOP provides 300+ paid internships as well as weekly office hours, skills-based workshops, an annual trek to Washington, D.C., and more.

The Career Development Graduate Assistant would ideally join the Career Development team in Spring 2025 and continue through Summer 2025 into Academic Year 2025 - 2026. The Graduate Assistant will be primarily responsible for employer partner engagement, engagement with leading practitioners for career advice panels and workshops, and for maintenance and facilitation of the Academic Year and Summer Internship portfolios.

The ideal candidate would serve in a full-time capacity for 8 - 16 weeks during Summer 2025 and could be located in Chicago or Washington D.C.. The same candidate would shift to a part-time (15 to 19 hours per week) Graduate Assistant commitment for the 2025 - 2026 school year.

The Career Development House Intern will report directly to Mark Schauerte, the IOP’s Director of Career Development, and Laresa Lund, the IOP’s Assistant Director of Career Development.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with CD staff to determine student internship interests, internship categorization, and annual strategy for our academic year internships and summer internships
• Manage relationships with existing employer partners and determine their internship needs – meeting in person or virtually with employers, documenting internship descriptions, streamlining data entry, and following up with employers
• Identify and follow through with employer partner leads to secure new internship opportunities for Academic Year and Summer Internship portfolios
• Peer mentor students on career strategy, resumes, cover letters, interview preparation, networking, and other elements of career development
• Collaborate with CD staff to determine and plan career workshops and events (e.g., event idea development, marketing, space booking, catering, guest coordination, attendance tracking, event communications, follow-up, etc.)
• Manage the Career Development Inbox, which will require developing a strong understanding of IOP Career Development priorities and processes to answer student and employer inquiries
• Create student resources and guides, based on common questions received through the CD inbox
• Create and editing documents/communications that frequently go out to employers and students
• Develop the infrastructure for student advising office hours through Calendly
• Assist with other projects, as needed by the team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in politics and public service
• Attention to detail
• Experience and comfort with communicating with executives and people in leadership positions
• Familiarity with the different departments of the Institute of Politics and prior involvement is a plus
• Clear communication skills and ability to work well on a team
• Strong ability to organize and plan events; experience in event planning is a plus
• Excellent writing skills, particularly in providing lots of information in clear and succinct ways
• Familiarity with Google Docs, Dropbox, and Excel, with Calendly being a plus
• Ability to work with minimal oversight; self-directed and motivated
• Ability to learn quickly on the job and adapt quickly
• Desire to acquire new skills, learn quickly, solve problems, and participate in the work of the IOP as a team player

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter.

Hours: 15 - 19 hours per week Compensation: $20 an hour