What does a government relations internship do?
A government relations internship involves a trainee who assists the vice president of government relations in managing and analyzing policy issues. Government relations interns are required to compile and summarize material on emerging and existing public policy for staff members. They assist with external stakeholder engagement strategy and draft press releases on pertinent legislative and regulatory issues. Government relations interns must also attend congressional hearings and produce reports to corporations and trade associations covering wide a wide array of policy areas.
Government relations internship responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real government relations internship resumes:
- Manage the office's social media site on Facebook by updating news from RU to alumni.
- Announce several collegiate sporting events including volleyball, track, baseball, softball, swimming and soccer.
- Perform PSA's for FCC.
- Record and edit YouTube videos.
- Administer FMLA procedures to employees.
- Create FMLA process map/best practices.
- Assist in starting the university s Instagram page.
- Receive payroll deduction lists, ACH, and Auto-Transferinitiations.
- Assist with fundraising events organizing guest giveaways and working events.
- Connect with and message alumni through LinkedIn for rankings survey outreach.
- Compose full-length feature article publish in the football championship game program.
- Participate in re-launching social media (Instagram) and train new interns.
- Respond to EEO charges with position statements and represent the company at mediations.
- Serve as liaison between the university and the media during NCAA sports events.
- Draft compelling material to be share on social media including: Facebook and LinkedIn.
Government relations internship skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Government Relations Interns are proficient in Internship Program, PowerPoint, and Public Policy. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Government Relations Interns that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Internship Program, 15%
Assisted in creation of fall recruitment strategies for PharmD, Finance, IT, Operations, and General Business internship programs.
- PowerPoint, 9%
Prepared PowerPoint presentations for community leaders demonstrating, the financial and other advantages of continuing franchise agreements with the company.
- Public Policy, 8%
Participated with industry coalition meetings regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard to further develop the association's public policy agenda.
- Donor Database, 5%
Crafted a digital donor database to assist in initiating the agency's first annual fund.
- Government Affairs, 4%
Developed understanding of government affairs in a regulated industry by assisting with research, coordination of events, and community outreach.
- Legislative Process, 4%
Engaged in numerous research projects concerning government contracting, federal appropriations and the overall legislative process.
Most government relations interns use their skills in "internship program," "powerpoint," and "public policy" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential government relations internship responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a government relations internship to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "public relations specialists deal with the public and the media regularly." Government relations interns often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided the highest level of customer service and client relations which are based on outstanding communication and excellent interpersonal skills. "
Organizational skills. Many government relations internship duties rely on organizational skills. "public relations specialists are often in charge of managing several events or communications at the same time, which requires excellent skills in coordinating arrangements.," so a government relations internship will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways government relations internship responsibilities rely on organizational skills: "created media kits, press releases and community organizational meetings to assist in coordinating. "
Problem-solving skills. government relations interns are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to government relations internship responsibilities, because "public relations specialists sometimes must explain how a company or client is handling sensitive issues." A government relations internship resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "assisted with grievance resolution, investigation of policy violations, settlement option analysis, collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration case preparation. "
Speaking skills. A big part of what government relations interns do relies on "speaking skills." You can see how essential it is to government relations internship responsibilities because "public relations specialists regularly speak on behalf of clients or their organization." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical government relations internship tasks: "presented recommendations for terminations and new reasonable suspicion testing methods to hr executives. "
Writing skills. A commonly-found skill in government relations internship job descriptions, "writing skills" is essential to what government relations interns do. Government relations internship responsibilities rely on this skill because "public relations specialists must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases, speeches, and social media posts." You can also see how government relations internship duties rely on writing skills in this resume example: "provided advocacy communications by writing press releases and updating constituent database"
The three companies that hire the most government relations internships are:
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation2 government relations interns jobs
- Anastasia Beverly Hills2 government relations interns jobs
- Chicago Transit Authority2 government relations interns jobs
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Compare different government relations interns
Government relations internship vs. Media specialist
Media specialists are individuals who establish and administer content on various social media platforms. The job involves monitoring site metrics, overseeing creative design, and responding to reader comments. Specialists offer advice to administrators and teachers on the use of non-print social media. They work for huge enterprises with multimedia departments, new media departments, and in-house websites. The skills the job requires include trend awareness, social media ads, community management, strong visual aesthetic, and understanding SEO.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, government relations internship responsibilities require skills like "internship program," "public policy," "donor database," and "government affairs." Meanwhile a typical media specialist has skills in areas such as "digital marketing," "video production," "customer service," and "web content." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Media specialists really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $57,470. Comparatively, government relations interns tend to make the most money in the media industry with an average salary of $36,341.media specialists tend to reach similar levels of education than government relations interns. In fact, media specialists are 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Government relations internship vs. Media coordinator
A media coordinator acts as a communications professional in charge of developing and implementing target communications and advertising for various media platforms. Media coordinators plan, implement, and monitor the social media strategy of an organization. They discern the most successful media outreach and establish advertising partnerships and business deals. They aim to increase their respective companies' brand awareness, strengthen their advertising campaigns, improve their marketing strategies, and increase their sales.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that government relations internship responsibilities requires skills like "internship program," "public policy," "donor database," and "government affairs." But a media coordinator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "digital marketing," "social media marketing," "social platforms," and "video content."
Media coordinators may earn a higher salary than government relations interns, but media coordinators earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $48,229. On the other hand, government relations interns receive higher pay in the media industry, where they earn an average salary of $36,341.media coordinators earn similar levels of education than government relations interns in general. They're 2.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Government relations internship vs. Account coordinator
An account coordinator assists account executives by providing day-to-day administrative support such as preparing and filing sales contracts and reports. As coordinators, they must maintain a good relationship with their clients and vendors by addressing issues and with regular communication. Account coordinators must possess essential skills such as a strong business administration background, adept at both written and verbal communication, and excellent time management. They are also responsible for researching prospective clients and produce client feedbacks to their account management teams.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a government relations internship is likely to be skilled in "internship program," "public policy," "donor database," and "government affairs," while a typical account coordinator is skilled in "customer service," "data entry," "account management," and "project management."
Account coordinators earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $46,894. Government relations interns earn the highest pay from the media industry, with an average salary of $36,341.When it comes to education, account coordinators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to government relations interns. In fact, they're 3.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Government relations internship vs. Communications specialist
A communications specialist takes charge of addressing the public by coming up with various strategic campaigns, newsletters, public correspondence, press releases, and advertisements. Their primary role focuses on promoting, shaping, and enhancing a brand's image through public relations. Furthermore, a communications specialist is responsible for handling any complaints or issues, devising and conducting damage control to resolve bad publicity should there be any. It is also essential for a communications specialist to adhere to the company's policies and regulations at all times.
Types of government relations internship
Updated January 8, 2025
