Wiki source for InternHiringTX
======Interviewing and Hiring Interns======
Applications are usually emailed to the generic Project Vote Smart email address: [[mailto:ProjectVoteSmart@austin.utexas.edu ProjectVoteSmart@austin.utexas.edu]]. A large number of applications are also collected at career fairs. All applicants should be entered into the internship applicants form in the database. The default status is "applied," and that status will change as an applicant moves through the hiring process.
The single most important factor to consider when evaluating applicants is the applicant's **writing ability.** For this reason, we require //both// a resume and a cover letter. **__Email applications will not be considered without a cover letter.__**
Career fair applicants, of course, are not expected to write cover letters - we want them to submit their resumes on the spot. In order to assess these candidates' writing skills (outside of the information their resume can provide), we will ask them to submit a writing sample at the time their in-person interview is scheduled. Any writing sample will do, and they don't need to write anything new. For example, an applicant could send an essay or research paper that they've already written for a class.
====First Cut====
As applications are received, the internship coordinator will print the resumes, cover letters, and writing samples (if applicable) and distribute them to staff for review. After all staff members have reviewed the applications independently, the whole group will meet to make the first cut. Usually this meeting goes quickly because staff have arrived at the meeting with their individual decisions about candidates, and their own notes. Occasionally there may be disagreement among staff about specific candidates - if so, it's always better to err on the side of interviewing the candidate. College students often have difficulty drafting effective resumes and cover letters, and an applicant who looks weak on paper may appear strong in an interview. The internship coordinator is responsible for calling applicants and scheduling interviews, although other staff may assist as necessary.
====Interview Process====
At least two staff members should sit in on every interview: one to ask questions, and the other to take notes. We may,however, conduct one-on-one interviews if necessary. The note-taker should **only** record what the candidate says during the interview - __not__ his/her impressions about the candidate's answers. For example, "//talked about researching legislation for senior thesis in political science//" would be an acceptable note to record, while "//seems to have good research skills//" would not. The list of interview questions is located in the main Internship Materials folder on the P-Drive. Interviews should be held, whenever possible, in the Strauss Institute conference room, which will need to be reserved ahead of time.
If we reach out to an applicant who is out of town, we may schedule a phone or Skype interview. Our Skype username is Annette.Strauss.institute and our password is @nn3tte10.
====Final Decision====
Interns should clearly address how they meet the desired qualifications in their cover letters, resumes, and responses to interview questions. As a reminder, the qualifications listed in internship postings and other marketing materials are:
- Excellent written communication skills
- Strong desire to learn more about politics, policy, and the legislative process
- Enthusiasm for Project Vote Smart's mission
- Ability to remain nonpartisan
- Ability to commit to at least 10 hours per week for the entire semester
- Research experience (//preferred//)
- Prior knowledge of the legislative process (//preferred//)
In order to evaluate how well candidates meet the qualifications, staff will complete the "Evaluation Matrix for Internship Candidates" at the conclusion of every in-person interview. Before completing the matrix, the two evaluators should review the applicant's resume, cover letter, and writing sample (if applicable) one more time, in addition to discussing their impressions of the interview. Staff should aim to identify the degree to which each applicant embodies the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
**Knowledge** (weight=0.10)
Knowledge of American Government or Civics
Knowledge of Project Vote Smart
**Skills** (weight=0.50)
Writing skills
Research skills
Verbal communication and interpersonal skills
**Abilities** (weight=0.30)
Able to motivate his/herself and take initiative
Able to accept and apply constructive criticism
Able to remain focused and productive at work
Demonstrates intellectual curiosity and asks good questions
Able to stick to a schedule and meet minimum hour requirements
**Personal Qualities** (weight=0.10)
Politically engaged and informed
Positive attitude
Enthusiasm
Each group of items is weighted based on its importance and the number of sub-items. For example, knowledge of government and Project Vote Smart is less critical (because it can be quickly taught) than writing and research skills, so skills are rated more heavily. Abilities are important too, but since there are 5 items under abilities this section is weighted down so that it doesn't disproportionately affect the final score.
At the end of this process, the intern should receive a final score between 3.5 and 17.5. Applicants who score 14 or above are excellent applicants; those who score under 7 are poor applicants, and those scoring between 7 and 14 are average - staff may decide to accept or reject interns who fall into this category on a case-by-case basis. The final score should be entered into the applicant's record in the internal database.
====Next Steps====
Accepted interns should be contacted regarding our decision within 1-2 weeks. Call the applicant first, then follow-up with an email (regardless of whether or not the applicant was reached). Attach the internship agreement form (located in the Forms folder inside Internship Materials on the P-Drive), which the intern should return to us as soon as possible.
**Course Credit**
If interns plan to register for course credit, they should arrange this as soon as possible. Credit is most easily obtained through the Communications Studies department, as they have set aside a specific class for the Legislative Research Internship. The course is restricted, so interested students will need to send their UT EIDs to the Legislative Research Director. The director will forward them to the registrar, who will unlock the course for those students so that they can register. For CMS 639V, usually Dr. Jarvis will contact our office with interested students or you can email Wendy Boggs with intern names, EIDs and the course number at wendy.boggs@austin.utexas.edu.
Other credit options exist in the Government department through their general internship course, the School of Undergraduate Studies' Bridging Disciplines Program, and the College of Liberal Arts. Requirements for students vary by department. The Bridging Disciplines Program, for example, requires 160 internship hours per semester, whereas Project Vote Smart only requires 140. Some students may be required to perform additional work, write papers, or submit extra evaluations in excess of those required by the Project. Be sure to communicate ahead of time with students who are seeking credit to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that the students will be able to complete their internship successfully.
Applications are usually emailed to the generic Project Vote Smart email address: [[mailto:ProjectVoteSmart@austin.utexas.edu ProjectVoteSmart@austin.utexas.edu]]. A large number of applications are also collected at career fairs. All applicants should be entered into the internship applicants form in the database. The default status is "applied," and that status will change as an applicant moves through the hiring process.
The single most important factor to consider when evaluating applicants is the applicant's **writing ability.** For this reason, we require //both// a resume and a cover letter. **__Email applications will not be considered without a cover letter.__**
Career fair applicants, of course, are not expected to write cover letters - we want them to submit their resumes on the spot. In order to assess these candidates' writing skills (outside of the information their resume can provide), we will ask them to submit a writing sample at the time their in-person interview is scheduled. Any writing sample will do, and they don't need to write anything new. For example, an applicant could send an essay or research paper that they've already written for a class.
====First Cut====
As applications are received, the internship coordinator will print the resumes, cover letters, and writing samples (if applicable) and distribute them to staff for review. After all staff members have reviewed the applications independently, the whole group will meet to make the first cut. Usually this meeting goes quickly because staff have arrived at the meeting with their individual decisions about candidates, and their own notes. Occasionally there may be disagreement among staff about specific candidates - if so, it's always better to err on the side of interviewing the candidate. College students often have difficulty drafting effective resumes and cover letters, and an applicant who looks weak on paper may appear strong in an interview. The internship coordinator is responsible for calling applicants and scheduling interviews, although other staff may assist as necessary.
====Interview Process====
At least two staff members should sit in on every interview: one to ask questions, and the other to take notes. We may,however, conduct one-on-one interviews if necessary. The note-taker should **only** record what the candidate says during the interview - __not__ his/her impressions about the candidate's answers. For example, "//talked about researching legislation for senior thesis in political science//" would be an acceptable note to record, while "//seems to have good research skills//" would not. The list of interview questions is located in the main Internship Materials folder on the P-Drive. Interviews should be held, whenever possible, in the Strauss Institute conference room, which will need to be reserved ahead of time.
If we reach out to an applicant who is out of town, we may schedule a phone or Skype interview. Our Skype username is Annette.Strauss.institute and our password is @nn3tte10.
====Final Decision====
Interns should clearly address how they meet the desired qualifications in their cover letters, resumes, and responses to interview questions. As a reminder, the qualifications listed in internship postings and other marketing materials are:
- Excellent written communication skills
- Strong desire to learn more about politics, policy, and the legislative process
- Enthusiasm for Project Vote Smart's mission
- Ability to remain nonpartisan
- Ability to commit to at least 10 hours per week for the entire semester
- Research experience (//preferred//)
- Prior knowledge of the legislative process (//preferred//)
In order to evaluate how well candidates meet the qualifications, staff will complete the "Evaluation Matrix for Internship Candidates" at the conclusion of every in-person interview. Before completing the matrix, the two evaluators should review the applicant's resume, cover letter, and writing sample (if applicable) one more time, in addition to discussing their impressions of the interview. Staff should aim to identify the degree to which each applicant embodies the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
**Knowledge** (weight=0.10)
Knowledge of American Government or Civics
Knowledge of Project Vote Smart
**Skills** (weight=0.50)
Writing skills
Research skills
Verbal communication and interpersonal skills
**Abilities** (weight=0.30)
Able to motivate his/herself and take initiative
Able to accept and apply constructive criticism
Able to remain focused and productive at work
Demonstrates intellectual curiosity and asks good questions
Able to stick to a schedule and meet minimum hour requirements
**Personal Qualities** (weight=0.10)
Politically engaged and informed
Positive attitude
Enthusiasm
Each group of items is weighted based on its importance and the number of sub-items. For example, knowledge of government and Project Vote Smart is less critical (because it can be quickly taught) than writing and research skills, so skills are rated more heavily. Abilities are important too, but since there are 5 items under abilities this section is weighted down so that it doesn't disproportionately affect the final score.
At the end of this process, the intern should receive a final score between 3.5 and 17.5. Applicants who score 14 or above are excellent applicants; those who score under 7 are poor applicants, and those scoring between 7 and 14 are average - staff may decide to accept or reject interns who fall into this category on a case-by-case basis. The final score should be entered into the applicant's record in the internal database.
====Next Steps====
Accepted interns should be contacted regarding our decision within 1-2 weeks. Call the applicant first, then follow-up with an email (regardless of whether or not the applicant was reached). Attach the internship agreement form (located in the Forms folder inside Internship Materials on the P-Drive), which the intern should return to us as soon as possible.
**Course Credit**
If interns plan to register for course credit, they should arrange this as soon as possible. Credit is most easily obtained through the Communications Studies department, as they have set aside a specific class for the Legislative Research Internship. The course is restricted, so interested students will need to send their UT EIDs to the Legislative Research Director. The director will forward them to the registrar, who will unlock the course for those students so that they can register. For CMS 639V, usually Dr. Jarvis will contact our office with interested students or you can email Wendy Boggs with intern names, EIDs and the course number at wendy.boggs@austin.utexas.edu.
Other credit options exist in the Government department through their general internship course, the School of Undergraduate Studies' Bridging Disciplines Program, and the College of Liberal Arts. Requirements for students vary by department. The Bridging Disciplines Program, for example, requires 160 internship hours per semester, whereas Project Vote Smart only requires 140. Some students may be required to perform additional work, write papers, or submit extra evaluations in excess of those required by the Project. Be sure to communicate ahead of time with students who are seeking credit to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that the students will be able to complete their internship successfully.
