The Office of Governor Mark Dayton Internship Program is a great opportunity for undergraduate students, graduate students, law school students and recent graduates interested in serving their state and working toward building a better Minnesota.
 
Internships are split into three trimesters, Fall (September through December), Spring/Legislative Session (January through May) and Summer (June through August).  Minimum number of required hours per week varies by department, but is generally 15-20 hours in the Fall and Spring and 20 in Summer.  Internships are unpaid but we work with professors and advisors to obtain college credit for interns. 
 
The Governor's Office is now accepting applications for Fall internship positions. The deadline for applications is Monday, July 1, 2013 by 5:00p.m.

We offer internships in six areas:

Citizen Outreach/Constituent Services and Appointments

The Citizen Outreach and Appointments Department of Governor Mark Dayton is seeking dedicated, intelligent, and hard working interns with a strong interest in public service for the Citizen Outreach and Constituent Services department.
 
The Citizen Outreach and Constituent Services department works to ensure that the Governor’s Office is accessible to the citizens of Minnesota. The Citizen Outreach staff provides personal assistance for citizen questions, comments, requests and concerns. The Citizen Outreach staff also attends, or provides support for the Governor and his staff, at public meetings and events to help maintain a strong relationship between the Governor’s office and the community.   This department also handles all Gubernatorial Appointments to Boards and Commissions.
 
This is an excellent opportunity to learn the daily functions of a professional office at the highest levels of government.


Communications

The Communications Department for the Office of Governor Mark Dayton is seeking a team of dedicated and savvy interns to join our fast-paced communications shop.
 
Duties include assisting communications staff with daily operations, such as tracking media coverage, maintaining press contact lists, writing press releases and briefing papers, creating social media content, blogging, and other administrative tasks.
 
Successful applicants will possess strong writing, research, communication and social media skills.
 
This is an excellent opportunity to learn the daily functions of a professional communications operation at the highest level of state government in Minnesota.
 

General Counsel's Office

The General Counsel of the Office of Governor Mark Dayton is seeking a hard-working, intelligent and conscientious intern with a strong interest in public service.

Duties and responsibilities will vary day to day. The Office of the General Counsel serves as the legal advisor to the Governor, Lt. Governor, and the Executive Office of the Governor. The Office advises the Governor, Lt. Governor, and staff on the complex legal issues that the Executive Branch faces on a daily basis. Primary job functions include: legal research and writing projects in a variety of areas of law, attending various public hearings and/or public meetings and providing a written or verbal summary of the proceedings, and special projects that may be assigned. Students applying for this internship should possess strong legal research and writing skills and an ability to produce a high-quality work product in a short amount of time.

Legislative and Cabinet Affairs

The Office of Governor Mark Dayton is seeking diligent, passionate, and knowledgeable interns with a strong interest in public service for the Legislative and Cabinet Affairs Department.

The Legislative and Cabinet Affairs Department works to advance the policy agenda of Governor Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon.  The Legislative Affairs staff provides policy advice and support to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and executive departments.  The staff also coordinates agendas and negotiates concerns with members of the legislature.

Duties vary heavily by season and vary heavily day to day.  Rarely will an intern work on the same project two consecutive days.  Duties include, but are not limited to, monitoring public hearings and committees, researching policies, interest groups, and individuals, and tracking legislation.  Interns will concisely and accurately summarize complex issues for briefs for the Governor. Interns must have a strong work ethic, great attention to detail, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing situations.  Basic computer skills, note-taking skills, excellent writing skills,  and reading comprehension are a must.  Knowledge of applicable policy areas, and experience in policy areas and/or the legislative process are not required, but are an advantage.  Applicants should include in their cover letter which issue areas of state government interest them the most.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor

The Office of Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon is seeking organized, professional, determined, and charismatic candidates with an interest in public service and a broad skills base to serve the Lt. Governor’s Executive Assistant and Policy Aide.

The Lt. Governor’s Office is an office within the Office of Governor Mark Dayton. The Lt. Governor’s Executive Assistant and Policy Aide manages all of the administrative, policy, and scheduling needs of the Lt. Governor. Primary job functions include: managing meeting and event requests, setting up meetings with stakeholder groups, assisting the Lt. Governor’s Executive Assistant and Policy Aide in preparing for public events, interacting directly with constituents, using a scheduling tool to enter events and track event progress, prepare briefs for the Lt. Governor’s Executive Assistant and Policy Aide as appropriate, and assist the Lt. Governor’s Executive Assistant and Policy Aide with various other administrative tasks.

Note: You may apply in more than one department, ranking your preference of department with 1 being the most desirable.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should e-mail, mail or fax a completed Internship Application form, cover letter, resume and a writing sample to Kathryn Troyer.
 
Kathryn Troyer
130 State Capitol
St. Paul, Minnesota 55115
 
Fax: (651) 797-1882
 

Specifics
Internship Application form: Download and fill out this form.
Governor's Residence Internship Application form: Download and fill out this form.

Cover Letter: Please include a one-page cover letter outlining why you are interested in interning for the Governor's office and the specific department(s) you applied for. 
 
Resume: Please include resume. 
 
Writing Sample: Please include a writing sample that is no longer than four pages double-spaced that you believe to be most pertinent to the department you are applying for. Those applying to the Communications Department should submit two writing samples.