Internships got a bad name when Monica Lewinksy went beyond the call of duty in her use of cigars when she worked for Bill Clinton. Now that smoking has been banned in the workplace, such mishaps should be a thing of the past. Internships are fixed term placements, usually unpaid, when students get the opportunity to work with politicians, think-tanks or companies that operate in the political sphere.

The Young Britons’ Foundation operates a unrivalled Job & Internship Bank through which students can apply for internships in Britain and overseas – be it in Brussels, New York or Washington. Internships can be with MPs, MEPs, MSPs or local councillors or they can be with a think-tank such as the TaxPayers’ Alliance, Conservative Way Forward, the Young Britons’ Foundation or – if you would prefer to do an internship in the United States – with organisations such as the Leadership Institute, the Independent Women’s Forum, the Jesse Helms Center, Fox News, the Weekly Standard or the Heritage Foundation, to name but a few of YBF’s partners.

Why would you want an internship? Would it not make more sense for you to take the summer off?

Well, if you are serious about being as proactive an activist as possible (as opposed to being what the Young America’s Foundation calls a “passive activist”) then it is essential that you do all that you can to help turn yourself into the best activist you can be.

Working in an office environment while a student will also help bolster your CV. Prospective employers are always looking for individuals who have something different that marks them out from other job applicants. If you have, say, worked with a prominent Conservative MP or spent time in North Carolina working for the Jesse Helms Center, this sets you apart from other students who might have identical grades and backgrounds to you. You will have gleaned considerable experience working with a prominent politician, campaign or think-tank, making you an even more attractive proposition than you no doubt were before your internship.

Internships, like anything in life, are only as rewarding as the amount you are willing to put in. But they can be life-changing experiences. Former YBF Executive Director, Shane Greer, even met his future wife at the Leadership Institute – although I cannot promise your internship will necessarily be as life-changing as it was for Shane! Nonetheless you will learn a great deal, make friends for life and will develop into an even more effective activist and advocate for the conservative cause. So what are you waiting for?!

If you are interested in learning more about internships, and in particular internships in the United States, please contact YBF’s Executive Director, Matthew Richardson.