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.

Career Development House Interns will be primarily responsible for advancing the Career Development Team’s three main initiatives: the Academic Year Internship portfolio, the Summer Internship portfolio, and student advising via 30+ annual events and hundreds of office hours appointments. Interns will be asked to collaborate with the Career Development full time staff and fellow team members to secure internship opportunities for the Academic Year and Summer portfolios and to facilitate student advising. The Career Development House Interns will ultimately manage the progress of macro-level tasks for the CD team, including managing communications with students and employer partners for internships, assisting with internship lead scouting and postings for the Summer and Academic Year terms, and working on special internship projects, including the Hometown Internship program.

The Career Development House Interns may receive some training from (outgoing) interns. The house internship will then begin in a full-time capacity in fall 2025 and continue through the end of spring quarter (May 2026).

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:

• 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
• Oversee the Career Development Ambassadors
• Draft and post summer internships, including collecting data from employer partners to develop accurate internship descriptions and scouting new internship partners
• 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
• Keep track of leads for new internship opportunities and conduct outreach
• Data entry and analysis for internship databases/trackers
• Peer mentor students on career strategy, resumes, cover letters, interview preparation, networking, and other elements of career development
• Prepare CD contributions to weekly IOP-wide newsletter
• Plan and facilitate Career Development workshops and events (e.g., graphic design, writing copies for events)
• Develop the infrastructure for student advising office hours through Calendly
• Assist with other projects, as needed by the team
• Serve as front desk receptionist during IOP business hours

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

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter.

Hours: 10-15 hours/week Compensation: $16.20/hour