University Career Center @ BSOS

Careers: Government & Politics

The University of Maryland Government & Politics major graduates have been successful in many different fields post-

graduation. Review additional resources at BSOS’s Your Career.

Using information from the University of Maryland graduation survey, we have compiled information about GVPT

majors, such as where they work or go to graduate school post-graduation. Check out the topics below to learn more about

planning for your career!

Topics/Quick Links

Entry Level Jobs for GVPT Majors

Explore Career Titles

Career Planning Links

Gain Experience

Identify Skills Developed

Job & Internship Search Links

Employers of GVPT Graduates

Connect & Grow Your Network

“As a government and politics student, the proximity of The University of Maryland to Washington,

D.C. was an important factor for me in choosing the college I would attend. Interning on the Hill was

an aspiration I’ve had since high school and I am eternally grateful to the donors of the Bright Futures

Scholarship fund for helping me to achieve it.”

- GVPT Major, Class of 2017 (Intern, Congressman Andy Harris), Recipient of UMD’s Bright

Futures Scholarship Spring 2016

University Career Center @ BSOS

Entry Level Job Titles from GVPT May 2015 Undergraduates

The sample career titles below may give you an idea of positions Government & Politics majors are qualified for based on

their major coursework, co-curricular activities, and/or past internships.

GOVERNMENT/POLITICAL/POLICY Account Coordinator

Archivist Campaign Director

Civilian Sales Associate/Specialist Co-Director of Democracy Summer Internship Program Economic Research Analyst

Field Organizer Government Account Representative Government Relations Assistant

Legislative Aide Legislative Assistant, Delegate Sandy Rosenberg Management Trainee

Policy Intern Political Staff

Proposal Specialist Public Policy Specialist Research Assistant - Monetary Policy and Dealer Analysis

Research Associate Second Lieutenant Staff Assistant

PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

Analyst Case Manager Consultant

Cultural Assistant Federal Audit Associate Global Strategy Analyst

International Affairs Specialist International Cooperation Analyst Interpreter

Researcher Senior Coordinator, Housing and Community Living

LAW Background Investigator

Immigration Paralegal Investigator Legal Assistant

Paralegal Specialist

EDUCATION Curriculum & Training Development Assistant Coordinator

Education Reporter Missionary

Teaching Assistant

SERVICES/BUSINESS

Assistant Account Executive Associate Analyst Branch Financial Consultant

Business Technology Analyst Communications Coordinator Content Marketing Manager

Donor Relations Specialist Editor

Financial Advisor Freelance HR Business Partner

Independent Contractor Junior Professional Associate Labor Relations Analyst

Loan Closer Operational Support Technician

Operations Analyst Portfolio Management Officer I Production Assistant

Program Assistant Project Manager Promotions Assistant

Quality Assurance Recruitment Coordinator Reporter/Photojournalist

Sales Executive Talent Acquisition Recruiter

FELLOWSHIPS/GAP YEAR Intramural Research Training Award Fellow

Mikva Fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF)

City Year Corps Member

Reported by University of Maryland Government & Politics undergraduates.. Obtained by the University Career Center & The

President’s Promise Graduation Survey.

University Career Center @ BSOS

Advance Your Education

Review a sample of the universities and programs GVPT undergraduates were accepted to:

Cornell University

Law

George Washington University

Law

Medicine

Political Science

Georgetown University

Law

Public Relations/Corporate Communications

Public Policy

Johns Hopkins University

Government and Politics

Ohio State University

Political Science

Temple University

Law

University of Baltimore

Law

Public Policy

University of Exeter

Business and Management

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Law

University of Maryland, College Park

Public Policy

Education

Applied Economics

Arabic Studies

University of New Hampshire

Law

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Political Science

Law

University of Pennsylvania

Law

University of Richmond

Law

University of Virginia

Law

Yale University

Epidemiology

Graduate School Information

UMD Reed-Yorke Health Professions Advising, offers guidance on health related

graduate school

UMD Pre-Law Advising, offers guidance on law related graduate school

Questions to consider before applying to graduate school (plus a timeline for applying)

Follow this timeline to stay on track with your graduate school application

Tips for completing the application and financing the experience

University Career Center @ BSOS

Start Exploring Career Titles

Use the sample job titles (mentioned above) to start exploring career paths. The links below provide a short overview of

the career titles.

Occupational Outlook Handbook

O*NET Online

Use FOCUS2 to explore career paths using self-assessment questionnaires

Talk with professionals working in the field through the Terrapins Connect

Candid Career, informational career videos

Career Planning Links for GVPT Majors

Not sure where to start in planning your post-graduation activities? Review these resources.

Center for Global Development, offers information on a wide variety of development topics

International Affairs Resources, including IA resource directories, repositories, and databases

Legal position types

Public policy career options

Vault Guides, download 100’s of industry guides (Click the book below to read more. Note- users who are not

logged in to UMD Vault Campus when they click below will first be prompted to log in. Use your Careers4Terps account for

easiest access.)

Not sure where to start? Develop a Career Plan at

http://go.umd.edu/BSOSactionplan

University Career Center @ BSOS

Ways GVPT Majors Gain Experiences

The links below will be a helpful start in locating internship openings.

Sample list of opportunities:

BSOS Engagement Opportunities, offers links on many other out of the classroom experiences

Research Opportunities, advice and links for undergraduate students pursing research experiences

Department of Government & Politics Blog, review internship, fellowship, research, scholarship, and community

service opportunities for GVPT undergraduate majors

GVPT Resources, on and off campus and GVPT Internship database

Pamela Harriman Fellowship, program has awarded three competitive fellowships (each worth $5,000) to

undergraduate interns working in the Office of the Secretary, the U.S. Embassy in London, and the U.S. Embassy

UMD Undergraduate Legal Aid Office internship program allows students to gain valuable hands-on experience

while earning 3 hours of academic credit. The office selects 8 students per semester

UMD Federal Semester (Fellow), enroll in a course + internship to learn about the policy-making process and

discuss related issues in a seminar led by an industry expert

UMD Careers4Terps, UMD maintains a job and internship database for off-campus positions for students

UMD National Scholarships Office, opportunities for all levels of undergraduates

UMD ENSP Internship: Policy, lists organizations by themes that typically hosts interns

GVPT Internship programs:

Capitol Hill Internship Program

Public Policy Internship Program

Maryland Internship Program

University Career Center @ BSOS

Gain Experience

Government & Politics majors pursue a variety of internships. Internships are a great way to try out an interest, regardless

if it is directly related to your major. Employers tend to favor job seekers who have had an internship in the field they are

hiring for. Sample internship sites for GVPT majors

AECOM

Amazon

America Reads*America Counts

American Sustainable Business Council

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court

Atlantic Recycling Group

Bank of America

Berger Hirschberg Strategies

Bipartisan Policy Center

B'nai B'rith Youth Organization

Brookings Institution

Campaign Assistant for Local County Councilman

Capitol Partners Inc.

Catalist, LLC

CBS Radio Baltimore

Centro para la Autonomia y Desarrollo de los Pueblos

(CADPI)

Charles County State's Attorney's Office

Clear Channel Communications

Comcast/NBC Universal Government Affairs

Congressman Steny Hoyer's Congressional Office

Congressman Van Hollen

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtenin

Cornerstone Government Affairs

Czech National Library

Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLC

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer

Department of the Attorney General

Discovery Communications

District Court of Maryland, Harford County

DrFirst

El Patido Poular

Embassy of El Salvador

Envision at Stanford Law School

Federal Labor Relations Authority

Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State

Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Gansler for Maryland

Gerard E. Evans, Ltd.

Global Policy Solutions

Gordon W. Prange Collection

Governor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Graduate Legal Aid Office at University of Maryland

Haifa Forum for Interfaith Cooperation

Hamilton Place Strategies

Homicide Watch DC

HRI Consulting Group

Institute for Immigrant Concerns

Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

Jubilee USA Network

Larry Hogan for Governor

Laura Ingraham Radio Show

Law Offices of Jayson A. Soobitsky

Library of Congress, Newspaper and Serial Division

Linda McMahon for Senate 2012

LMG Inc.

Maryland Democratic Party

Maryland Football

Maryland General Assembly

Maryland House of Delegates

MD National Capital Park & Planning Commission

MaryPIRG

Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office

National Consortium- START

National Defense University

National Education Association

Obama Campaign

Office of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter

Office of Senator Ben Cardin

Office of the Attorney General

Office of the Public Defender (Rockville, MD)

Office of United States Senator Robert Menendez

Operation CHAMPs

Peace Corps Association

People for the American Way

PG County States Attorney

Philadelphia Union

Price Benowitz LLP

Schulte Sports Marketing and Public Relations

Spanish Catholic Center

State's Attorney's Office for Montgomery County

Street Law, Inc.

Student Legal Aid Office

StyleCaster Media Group

The Anti-Defamation League

The Brookings Institution

The Carlyle Group

The District Office of Congressman John Delaney

The Fund for Peace

University Career Center @ BSOS

The Heritage Foundation

The Office of Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer

The Office of US Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz

The Rockland County Times

U.K. House of Commons

Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office

of Sustainable Communities

United States House of Representatives

United States Army

United States Congress

United States DHS, Citizenship and Immigration

Services, Emergency Management and Safety Branch

United States Department of State

United States Environmental Protection Agency

United States Food and Drug Administration

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States House of Representative

United States Naval Research Laboratory

United States Senate

University of Maryland Security Operations Center

US Department of Education

US Senate, Senator Barbara Mikulski

USA Today

USAID

Vocus Inc.

Weltchek Mallahan and Weltchek LLC

Wilson Center

WJZ-TV

WTOP Radio

And many more!

University Career Center @ BSOS

Skills Developed as a GVPT Major

Skills lead to jobs. Which skills do you possess?

Sample list of skills developed in class by Government & Politics majors.

“Must Have” Career Readiness Competencies, according to employers - NACE Finding.

o Accumulating and interpreting information

o Analytical skills

o Contending analytical and theoretical approaches

o Oral and written communication

o Presentation

o Proactive and display initiative

o Quantitative methods

o Research

o Understanding of basic political science concepts

Review the Skills Inventory list to examine soft skills to highlight on your resume and within interviews.

University Career Center @ BSOS

Job & Internship Search Links for GVPT Major Applying for an advertised position on a large board is an ineffective job/internship strategy, but it can be helpful in researching what

the typical qualifications are for a field or positions. Government & Politics majors work in many different fields so the list below is

only a sample of resources for you to utilize.

Federal, State, & Local Government (preparation tips)

Federal Government Jobs, list of federal government agencies and their hiring websites

Federal Job Search, search for federal positions by profession or location

Job wonk, DC Jobs & Internships, DC opportunities listed as global, U.S., business, and society categories

State and Local Government on the Net, directory provides websites of state agencies, city & county governments

State of Maryland, position openings in Maryland

Student jobs, with the federal government

Nonprofit

AmeriCorps, post-graduation service based positions at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, etc.

Corporation for National and Community Service, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund

Human Services Career Network, positions advertised in the Human Service Jobs, Social Service Jobs, etc.

Idealist Job Board, list volunteer, internship, and job opportunities across the country in the nonprofit field

Riley Guide: Nonprofits, Associations, Foundations

Law Related Links

FindLaw, positions listed across the country for paralegals to lawyers

National Federation of Paralegal Associations, career center and information about certification

U.S. Courts, country wide position database

UMD Pre-Law Advising resources

WashLaw, Maryland law & government resources

International

Devex, international development field, jobs and information

Foreign Policy Association, internship positions

Global Service Corps, program for volunteering abroad

Intern Abroad, advertised internship in many different countries

International Jobs Center, current international vacancies

YPFP Job Link- features international affairs, foreign policy, etc. positions

THIS for Diplomats, volunteer opportunities

United Nations, offers news on peace and security, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and international law

U.S. Department of State, Pathway programs

Public Policy

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, job opportunities

Global Policy Forum, internship opportunities

Jobs in Think Tanks, listing offered by the U.S. Department of State

Policy jobs and internships, listing

Political

Add your resume to a sortable resume bank on DemCom, the official intranet for House Democratic staff

HillZoo, Jobs on Capitol Hill

RC Jobs, your Capital Job Source

Aggregate search engines yield more advertised opportunities because of the algorithm used to search the entire web. Examples:

Indeed.com, Linkup, Simplyhired. Learn more about search strategies at http://go.umd.edu/internsearch.

University Career Center @ BSOS

Employers of GVPT Undergraduates (sample from May 2015 graduates)

Abt Associates

Akola Project

Amazon.com

Arlington Law Group

Artech Information Systems

Bank of America

Bergmann and Moore

Bernie Lowe & Associates

Booz Allen Hamilton

Capitol Counsel

Center for Law and Social Policy

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Chemonics International

Children's Law Center

Citizens United

Consero Group

Cornerstone Research

Council on International Educational Exchange

Creative Associates International

Deloitte

Discovery Communications

Dynamis

Endowment for Middle East Truth

Epic Systems

F&H Solutions

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Reserve System

Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility

Gibney, Anthony & Flaherty

Howard County, Maryland Government

ICF International

iHeartMedia

Investigative Group International

Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel

Ketchum

KPMG

Lockheed Martin

Martin O'Malley for President Campaign

Maryland General Assembly

Maryland Government

Maryland United Football Club

McAllister & Quinn

Minikon Law

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Japan

MINT Health Club & Studio

Morgan Stanley

Mountaire Farms

Municipal & Financial Services Group

Nathan Associates

National Council of La Raza

National Institutes of Health

National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program

National Security Agency

Northrop Grumman

NVR Mortgage

Pakistan Ministry of Health

Pew Charitable Trusts, The

PNC Financial Services

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Professional Economic Growth Group

Proskauer Rose

Provincial Government of Sucumbios - Ecuador

Southeast Asia Globe Magazine

Squire Patton Boggs

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Take Back Our Republic

Transportation Security Administration

Under Armour

United Service Organization

United States Department of State

United States Air Force

United States Department of Energy

United States Department of Homeland Security

United States Department of Justice

United States Department of the Treasury

United States Food and Drug Administration

United States House of Representatives

USA TODAY

Voice of America

World Bank Group, The

WTOP Radio

Plus many more!

University Career Center @ BSOS

Connect and Grow Your Network Use these sample opportunities to meet professionals in your field of interest to learn about the field, establish new

networking contacts, and conduct informational interviews.

Sample Engagement Opportunities

Career Shuttles - a half day, group experience to visit an organization of interest

DC Link Tank- find citywide events, organizations and people engaging on topics that matter to you

DEM LIST, a free calendar and resource information connecting Democrats nationwide

Employer networking events - attend to meet professionals and gain knowledge of openings

Intern - make the most of your internship by requesting informational interviews

Intern for a Day - one day shadowing experience that allows students to forge connections

Meetup- locate people in your area with similar interests or within your industry of interest

Online Events Calendar- for the state of Maryland

Terrapins Connect - connects students with UMD alumni

UMD University Career Center Event Calendar of employers and panelist visiting campus

Washington Business Journal, all upcoming business events

Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, DC events (membership required for some events)

Social Media

Join LinkedIn groups

Connect with other BSOS alumni in the UMD College of Behavioral and Social Sciences LinkedIn group

Tips for using LinkedIn to make industry specific connections

Need help starting your career exploration or job search? Schedule a career consultation appointment with the University

Career Center & The President’s Promise. Get started mapping your career action plan today!

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences @UMDCareerCenter | www.careers.umd.edu | http://go.umd.edu/UCCBSOS

CAREER the Turtle…because SUCCESS starts here.