The Heritage Foundation

This afternoon, Career Counselors, Heidi Vogeler and McKenzie Lawyer Davies visited with Matt Adkins, Job Bank Manager at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, DC.

As part of their outreach, they gathered information and advice to help students, recent gradates, and experienced alumni. Here are some highlights of their visit:

• Matt manages Heritage's Job Bank  that produces an extensive look at opportunities in Washington DC each week
• Heritage houses a formal internship program each season (fall, spring, summer)
• Internships at Heritage are paid and competitive (off-season internships are easier to acquire)
• Like many organizations in DC, Heritage often hires former interns for job openings
• There are often entry-level positions with Heritage (currently there are 16) and they can be found on their website (under the Careers tab)
• Matt hosts periodic "Job Seeker Seminars" and encourages students and recent graduates to attend

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Advice for Students

Matt had a few pieces of advice for BYU students and graduates interested in the Washington DC area. He encouraged students to gain experience. Period. There "is no real substitute for DC policy experience." Students should highly consider doing a semester in Washington DC and realize that interning is the perfect time to realize "I really like this." It's also often "the way in."

Matt also suggested that students volunteer while in school and after they graduate; get involved. Consider the importance of research, volunteering for campaigns, and having a well-rounded resume.

When Matt learned that almost 70% of BYU students speak a second language, he emphasized that those in that population should highlight their language abilities.

Finally, Matt encourages students to move to DC and says it's difficult to find work if you're not here. He says make to have a current and thriving resume. Volunteer. Blog. Do something.

Websites Matt mentioned included:

• policyexperts.org
• libertad.org
• heritage.org/jobbank  

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About The Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation, Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.

We believe the principles and ideas of the American Founding are worth conserving and renewing. As policy entrepreneurs, we believe the most effective solutions are consistent with those ideas and principles. Our vision is to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish.

Heritage’s staff pursues this mission by performing timely, accurate research on key policy issues and effectively marketing these findings to our primary audiences: members of Congress, key congressional staff members, policymakers in the executive branch, the nation’s news media, and the academic and policy communities.

Governed by an independent Board of Trustees, The Heritage Foundation is an independent, tax-exempt institution. Heritage relies on the private financial support of the general public—individuals, foundations, and corporations—for its income, and accepts no government funds and performs no contract work. Heritage is one of the nation’s largest public policy research organizations. More than 710,000 individual members make it the most broadly supported think tank in America.

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For more information or to connect with Matt Adkins, contact BYU Career Services via our website or call us at (801) 422-6535.