One of the things I have encountered as part of this internship is the variety of constituent calls that come in. Most of the time, those who call in have a specific issue they want to comment on, or a staffer they need to speak to. Those are the easy ones.
Sometimes, though, in the course of the day, a more challenging call will come in. This kind of constituent mostly wants to either vent or just find a listening ear to unload their troubles on. I had one such call the other day from an elderly woman whose husband is a veteraan with a long list of health problems including dementia and Parkinson's. He was having trouble getting the care he needed, or any care at all, at the Phoenix VA hospital, about which there has been no shortage of new lately. She was almost in tears as she described the difficulties they had both gone through as a result of this, and I felt powerless to help.
I couldn't help but wonder if things like this are a symptom of the tendency of government to take on more than it can handle. Healthcare for veterans is a rapidly growing responsibility that is overwhelming the system that is currently in place. I don't claim to have the cure-all for the issues plaguing the VA, and we're all probably sick of hearing about it if we follow the news closely, but I sincerely hope, for the sake of the veterans and their families, that the right short-term and long-term solutions can be found.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Career Services Post #1
From what I understand, LinkedIn can be a valuable resource as a tool to network with other professionals who know of employment opportunities. Social media has never been my strong suit, but it may be that I'm leaving opportunities on the table in today's world, if I don't take advantage of it somehow.
For this first career post I have found a lecture on how to use LinkedIn to enhance the job search process. The lecture breaks down this process into 4 steps or stages: Get noticed; get inside access; get connected; get opportunities. That sounds like a lot of getting. As the good book says, "with all thy getting, get understanding." So hopefully I have gotten some understanding through this lecture.
In fact, the main takeaway I got from it, is that it is important to simply have an online presence that is strong and positive, and that this can greatly influence employers' hiring decisions. I also found it interesting to learn that it is often possible to send a LinkedIn profile to an employer as a job application. While some of the lecture consisted (somewhat disappointingly) of a sales pitch for LinkedIn's premium service, it is clear that the site can be a very useful tool to leverage in one's job search, as well as for helping others in their efforts.
For this first career post I have found a lecture on how to use LinkedIn to enhance the job search process. The lecture breaks down this process into 4 steps or stages: Get noticed; get inside access; get connected; get opportunities. That sounds like a lot of getting. As the good book says, "with all thy getting, get understanding." So hopefully I have gotten some understanding through this lecture.
In fact, the main takeaway I got from it, is that it is important to simply have an online presence that is strong and positive, and that this can greatly influence employers' hiring decisions. I also found it interesting to learn that it is often possible to send a LinkedIn profile to an employer as a job application. While some of the lecture consisted (somewhat disappointingly) of a sales pitch for LinkedIn's premium service, it is clear that the site can be a very useful tool to leverage in one's job search, as well as for helping others in their efforts.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Some Musings About Graduation
As I tell people often, my internship is the last thing I need to complete for my degree. It has been a long time coming. Without wanting to date myself too much, I started college quite a while ago. It was before most people carried cell phones, before Facebook, before the war in Iraq. I took a couple of extended hiatuses in there for various reasons, but I finally got myself together for one final push, and I'm in the home stretch.
It's a good feeling, because at this point it feels like graduating from college is the part of my life that I have left undone until now. When I took those breaks, the rest of my life moved on regardless. I got married, moved away, had a kid, bought a house in the suburbs, etc. When college is over, most people feel like celebrating, but sometimes I think it will be something of an anticlimax (for lack of a better word) in my case. I will have finally finished the unfinished business of my schooling. It will be, I hope, a feeling of finally having balance in the academic side of my life. A long, deep sigh of relief... not an atmosphere so much of celebration, but of quiet optimism and confidence.
The thing I look forward to the most is what it will mean for me professionally. I have worked some fairly tedious, low-paying, dead-end jobs over the last decade, and I've gotten to know that world a little too well. Whether I end up working in government or not, I anticipate being empowered to do something that does more than just pay the bills. What that will be, of course, remains to be seen.
Friday, May 23, 2014
A Typical Morning At The Office
I'm at the district office from 8:30 to 1:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Usually I end up there about 15 minutes early, because of the time I drop my son off at school. Now that that's over with, we'll see if that changes or not. There are two interns per shift, and if I get there first, I usually pick up the newspaper and put it in the waiting area. Then I listen to the voicemails that have accumulated overnight and take any relevant messages.
The rest of the day is a mixture of basically whatever needs to be done. This consists of talking to constitutents on the phone, doing any necessary projects around the office (e.g. one time one of the staffers brought in about 500 sheets of records from a constituent's ongoing case and said "I need two copies." That took a while.), and occasionally taking a project from the Washington office. Those things ususally involve updating adresses or other constituent records in some way.
There's a lot of variability, mostly because you never know what is going to happen when you pick up the phone. One time it could be someone calling to give a quick opinion on an issue or some proposed legislation. Then the next time it could be someone with a serious axe to grind, who may or may not even live in the district, and usually nothing comes out of those calls that we can work with. If nothing else, they certainly keep you on your toes.
Between all of that and shooting the breeze with other interns, and taking care of walk-ins, the half-day shift goes pretty quick, and I leave at 1:00 to jump on the freeway to get to my regular job on time.
Usually I end up there about 15 minutes early, because of the time I drop my son off at school. Now that that's over with, we'll see if that changes or not. There are two interns per shift, and if I get there first, I usually pick up the newspaper and put it in the waiting area. Then I listen to the voicemails that have accumulated overnight and take any relevant messages.
The rest of the day is a mixture of basically whatever needs to be done. This consists of talking to constitutents on the phone, doing any necessary projects around the office (e.g. one time one of the staffers brought in about 500 sheets of records from a constituent's ongoing case and said "I need two copies." That took a while.), and occasionally taking a project from the Washington office. Those things ususally involve updating adresses or other constituent records in some way.
There's a lot of variability, mostly because you never know what is going to happen when you pick up the phone. One time it could be someone calling to give a quick opinion on an issue or some proposed legislation. Then the next time it could be someone with a serious axe to grind, who may or may not even live in the district, and usually nothing comes out of those calls that we can work with. If nothing else, they certainly keep you on your toes.
Between all of that and shooting the breeze with other interns, and taking care of walk-ins, the half-day shift goes pretty quick, and I leave at 1:00 to jump on the freeway to get to my regular job on time.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Beginning and Ending
It's hard to remember a time when my life didn't revolve around the academic year in some way. As spring semester ends, there's a momentary pause while we switch gears to summer semester, and the cycle goes on and on.
Along those lines, today is my son's last day of Kindergarten. Last August, he was going through the nervous-but-excited jitters that most kids have, and now he's an old pro at school, or so it seems. His school day starts at 8 am, and since I don't have to be at work until 8:30, I drop him off in the car I'm fixing up (see the "My Other Blog" sidebar link). Today, it runs just right.
He loves to ride in that car (built in 1984 when I was an infant), probably just because it's such a different experience from a modern car. Its high ride height and stiff suspension are made for dirt tracks and rock crawling. The temperamental carburetor means that when it comes to acceleration, well... you plan ahead. He's never seen manual window cranks in any other car, and it all has that intriguing quality of something old that has somehow survived relatively unscathed by time. Maybe he can sense that.
We found out a couple days ago that his current teacher will be teaching first grade next year. My wife pulled the necessary strings with the principal to get our son in her class, at least tentatively. He's been one of her favorites, so hopefully that continues. Why mess with a good thing, right?
Along those lines, today is my son's last day of Kindergarten. Last August, he was going through the nervous-but-excited jitters that most kids have, and now he's an old pro at school, or so it seems. His school day starts at 8 am, and since I don't have to be at work until 8:30, I drop him off in the car I'm fixing up (see the "My Other Blog" sidebar link). Today, it runs just right.
He loves to ride in that car (built in 1984 when I was an infant), probably just because it's such a different experience from a modern car. Its high ride height and stiff suspension are made for dirt tracks and rock crawling. The temperamental carburetor means that when it comes to acceleration, well... you plan ahead. He's never seen manual window cranks in any other car, and it all has that intriguing quality of something old that has somehow survived relatively unscathed by time. Maybe he can sense that.
We found out a couple days ago that his current teacher will be teaching first grade next year. My wife pulled the necessary strings with the principal to get our son in her class, at least tentatively. He's been one of her favorites, so hopefully that continues. Why mess with a good thing, right?
In a nutshell...
As previously mentioned, I'm interning at the district office of Matt
Salmon, who represents portions of the east valley in the House of
Representatives. For each congressional district, there is an office in
Washington, D.C. as well as one located in the district itself, and of
course I'll be in the local district office, which is in downtown
Gilbert
While the Washington office handles more of the legislative side of things, the district office in Gilbert handles what's known as constituent services. This type of work goes on behind the scenes, but probably affects the lives of individual citizens more than almost anything else that is done by congressional staff. In providing constituent services, the office acts as a person's advocate with federal agencies such as the IRS, the Social Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice, and many others.
I'll be assisting with constituent services in a peripheral way - drafting form letters and things of that nature - as part of my internship. Interns also greet anyone who arrives for an appointment or as a walk-in. I'll also be answering phone calls and tracking them in the database. When you "call your Congressman", the district office is where the phone rings, and it's answered by someone like me. There is some typical internship grunt-work as well: bring in the newspaper, take and deliver messages, that sort of thing. A little of everything, really. My internship is unpaid, but should be great for the experience and the always-needed resume builder.
While the Washington office handles more of the legislative side of things, the district office in Gilbert handles what's known as constituent services. This type of work goes on behind the scenes, but probably affects the lives of individual citizens more than almost anything else that is done by congressional staff. In providing constituent services, the office acts as a person's advocate with federal agencies such as the IRS, the Social Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice, and many others.
I'll be assisting with constituent services in a peripheral way - drafting form letters and things of that nature - as part of my internship. Interns also greet anyone who arrives for an appointment or as a walk-in. I'll also be answering phone calls and tracking them in the database. When you "call your Congressman", the district office is where the phone rings, and it's answered by someone like me. There is some typical internship grunt-work as well: bring in the newspaper, take and deliver messages, that sort of thing. A little of everything, really. My internship is unpaid, but should be great for the experience and the always-needed resume builder.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Introduction
Hi, my name is Adam Hill, and I'm majoring in Public Service and Public Policy. I'm a senior and will have completed my degree at the end of this semester. In April, I began my internship at the Congressional District Office of Matt Salmon, who represents Arizona's 5th district in the House of Representatives.
Three things I hope to achieve through this internship are:
Three things I hope to achieve through this internship are:
- make contacts in the office that could be beneficial to my future career
- gain an appreciation and understanding for how district offices interact with constituents
- decide of the world of federal politics is a place I could ever see myself. I've always figured that if I ended up working in government, it would be a local administrative role, rather than a federal one, so this will be a chance to explore that assumption a little.
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