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.