If you are a college student or a recent graduate who is interested in entering the civil service in the United States, one of the best ways to “get your foot in the door” is to apply for available internships at the agency of your choice. Although many of these internships may begin as temporary (and sometimes unpaid) jobs, they frequently will convert into full-time, salaried employment for interns who do superb work during their initial assignment.
Tips for Applying
Unlike most job applications, you will need to submit a federal resume for most government internships. Federal resumes tend to run much longer than other resumes since they require a fuller description of one’s employment history, qualifications, education, and credentials (often from 2-5 pages). Federal job applicants are required to provide their social security numbers on their applications (under the authority of Executive Order 9397). You will also need to provide dates (with months) of the jobs you have held, along with the salary you received and the names and phone numbers of your supervisors.
To get started on your application process, visit USAJobs and enter “internships” or “Pathways Internship” into the search field. Each advertised internship description provides detailed instructions about how to apply online.
Samples
This is a sample resume written for a government internship position. You may simply read the sample below or download the Word template by clicking on the link.
Download the Resume Template
Resume for a Government Internship (Text Version)
Allan Jones42 Golden Ave., Groton, CT 06124(518) 622-7098ajones@nyu.eduVeterans’ Preference: N/AU.S. Citizen (S.S. #xxx.xx.1234)
