Find a Job or Internship

While securing a job or internship is ultimately your responsibility, you can take advantage of our many job search resources through Evans School Career Services.

We will support you in your search by:

• Helping assess your skills and interests so you can successfully pursue and market them
• Providing a link with employers and alumni through job postings and on-campus events
• Developing strategies with you on how to make the most of internships and networking opportunities
• Offering a one-credit course and various workshops throughout the year for developing skills in writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing, and expanding your job search

Many of our job search resources are also available online through EvansJobs. You can access EvansJobs after you enroll in one of our Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management programs, and will continue to have access as an alum.

EvansJobs services include:

• Postings for jobs, internships, assistantships, and work study positions
• Information on career fairs and recruiting events
• Dates for on-campus information sessions and workshops
• A place to post an electronic resume
• Hand-outs on tips and strategies for conducting a successful job search
• Information on specific employers
• Lists of internships completed by prior students
  

If you are a current Evans School student, find out about our internship requirements and securing full-time employment.

If you are a graduate of the Evans School, find out about career services for alumni.

You can also contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.221.7663 for more information.

Internship Requirements & Forms

If you are an Evans School Master of Public Administration (MPA) student not enrolled in the Executive MPA program or the Peace Corps Master’s International MPA track, you are required to complete a professional internship before graduating. In some cases internship waivers can be granted for students who meet a certain criteria.

An internship is the cornerstone of many MPA programs nationwide because it allows you to:

• Apply the skills you are learning in the classroom to real-life settings that directly match your career goals.
• Be a cut above your competition in the after-school job market by expanding your professional network.
• Gain practical and professional experience by using substantive analytical or managerial knowledge to solve problems related to policy development, implementation, or evaluation.

To fulfill the internship requirement you must:

• Work a total of 400 hours either paid or unpaid that can be completed full-time during the summer, part-time during the school year, or a combination of both.
• Have job duties relating to more than one area of your MPA degree skill set. Internships entirely administrative in nature will not fulfill the requirement.
• Submit an Agency/Student Contract Form within two weeks of starting the internship that describes the scope of work, your professional objectives, and the agency’s expectations. A website link will be provided to your supervisor of the completed form for their approval.
• Submit an Internship Evaluation Form within two weeks of completing the internship that describes the quality of the internship and what you got out of it.
• Remind your employer to submit the Intern Supervisor Evaluation Form that we will email to them during your last week of work.

To waive your internship requirement you need to submit an internship waiver form (27KB PDF) by October 31 for approval by the Evans School Career Services office to substitute two or more years of recent and substantial work experience that is relevant to your educational and professional goals.

Finding an internship is ultimately your responsibility, but the Evans School Career Services office is here to be your central point for guidance and information. There are various career resources available to you through the Evans School and outside organizations. (Please note that not all internships posted through outside organizations will fulfill the internship requirement.)

If you are pursuing an unpaid/low-paid summer internship we offer several awards to help assist with costs.  Please note that funding is limited and cannot be guaranteed.

For more information about internships, view our employment and internship statistics or contact Evans School Career Services at 206.221.7698 or evansinterns@u.washington.edu.

Securing Full-time Employment

While finding employment is ultimately your responsibility, Evans School Career Services will work with you from day one after you enroll to help you secure full-time employment after graduation.

While a student, three important job search steps to take include:

• Attend a Career Services orientation within the first couple of weeks of your first quarter
• Meeting with the assistant director of Career Services during your first quarter of studies to strategize on how to take advantage of the different job search resources that will be available at different stages of studies
• Attending an internship and job search information session during the winter and spring quarters of your first year

After graduation, you will only have unlimited access to appointments with Career Services for up to one year. After the one-year period you will need to schedule meetings between mid-June and mid-September. However, you will have access to EvansJobs and an open invitation to employer information sessions and workshops.

When you are ready to start your job search there are various career resources available to you through the Evans School and outside organizations.

For more information about securing full-time employment and Evans School Career Services for alumni contact Career Services at evansdcs@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

Career Services Events

Career development and recruiting events are held throughout the year at the Evans School.  Some of our recurring events include:

• Brown-bag information/recruitment sessions with human resource professionals, hiring managers, and Evans School alumni from local public, nonprofit, and private organizations (for a list of organizations, view or employment and internship statistics)
• Career development workshops on topics such as:
  • Searching for internships and jobs
  • Writing cover letters and resumes
  • Interviewing strategies
  • Negotiating salaries and benefits
• Student/alumni career night
• Student trips to Olympia during legislative and interim sessions
• One-credit skills workshop titled “Navigating the MPA Job Search” for students in their final year

A detailed calendar of our Evans School careers services events is available at EvansJobs.

For more information or to find out about specific career resources, contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

Career Resources

As an Evans School Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management student, you have access to numerous job- and internship- search resources through Evans School Career Services.

Evans School Career Resources

EvansJobs, an online job and internship database that:

• Lists for many public, nonprofit, and private sector employment opportunities within the United States and Canada
• Provides an online space for you to post your resume so it can be viewed by potential employers
• Displays a calendar of all career workshops, events, and employer recruitment sessions
• Holds resources and handouts to assist with job searches and applications

The International Opportunities Listserv (Intl-opps) provides information on jobs and internships outside of the United States and Canada

A career resource library in the Evans School Student Lounge with publications, brochures, handouts, and internship contracts of former students

Job and internship listings from other schools of public policy and management that have reciprocal career service relationships with the Evans School

On-campus recruitment fairs and other networking opportunities

Outside Career Resources

The Husky Career Network offers current students a searchable nationwide database of alumni offering referrals for networking and information about their career fields

The UW Career Center provides free career development and job search assistance for all students, and manages Husky Jobs (the job and internship system for all UW students).

PublicServiceCareers.org provides public, private, and nonprofit jobs and internship listings around the country from employers seeking Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) students and alumni.

Various online job and internship resources through:

• Professional Associations
• Public Sector Jobs
• Private Sector Jobs
• Nonprofit Sector and NGO Jobs
• Related Professional Associations

Classified ads in:

• Washington state newspapers
• National and international newspapers

For more information about career resources and Evans School employment and internship statistics, contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

For more information about networking and socializing with current students, learn more about our Evans School student organizations.

 

Employment and Internship Statistics

Our Evans School career services office is in frequent communication with employers to learn of job openings and promote our Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management students.

Employers advertise approximately 1,800 jobs and internships every year through Career Services with recent recruiters including:

• U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Washington State Senate Internship Program
• California State Auditor
• Navigant Consulting
• California Legislative Analyst's Office
• Dye Management Group
• Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
• Catholic Relief Services
• Washington State Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee
• MTG Management Consultants
• And many more

In 2006-07, approximately 70 percent of Evans School MPA students secured paid internships, and 93 percent secured full-time employment within three months of graduating. For more information about our current and past employment statistics, download the following reports:

• Internship statistics (41 KB PDF) of organizations and agencies that hired Evans School MPA students in 2007.
• Employment statistics (53 KB PDF) broken down by agency sector, geographical location, length of job search, and salary of 2007 graduates six months after graduating.

For more information about our employment statistics, contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

Internship Funding

The Evans School has several different fellowship awards for enrolled students pursuing unpaid or low-paid full-time summer internships. You can apply to more than one fellowship if it fits the description of your internship, but you are only eligible to receive one award.  The fellowships are variable in amount.

• The Hubert G. Locke Fellowship in Social Justice supports students pursuing an internship with a domestic organization that deals with problems, issues, and needs confronting the poor and dispossessed. A total of two awards are given each year in honor of Dean Emeritus Hubert G. Locke and his concerns for justice in our society.
• The Excellence in Public Service Fellowships support two types of internships through the Evans Endowment for Excellence in Public Service.
  • Internships with a nonprofit or public agency focused on environmental, international, social, educational, or community development policy issues.
  • Internships with a nonprofit or government agency in Washington, D.C., that will provide students with new opportunities for field experience and developing professional connections at the national level.
• The Elaine Chang Fellowship for International Peace and Development supports students pursuing international internships with nonprofits focused on peace and development issues. The fellowships are funded through the Elaine Chang Endowment. Preference is given to students with internships outside of the U.S.
• The Nancy Bell Evans Center Nonprofit Fellowship supports students pursuing domestic or international internships at nonprofits or philanthropic organizations focused on: the arts, community development, education, the environment, health, sector research, social justice, or social services. The fellowships are funded through the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.
• The Class Gift Fellowship supports students pursuing internships at environmental, community development, international, or social and educational development nonprofits or public-sector agencies. The fellowships are funded through gifts from Evans School alumni.

Fellowship eligibility requires that you:

• Be enrolled at the Evans School
• Will graduate the December after the summer internship or later
• Work full-time over the summer for a minimum of 400 hours
• Submit two copies of your application by April to the Special Fellowships Committee,109 Parrington Hall.  Applications are available starting in January.

To apply you need to submit:

• A narrative no longer than three pages that describes:
  • The tasks you will complete during the internship
  • How these tasks relate to the goal objectives outlined by the fellowship
  • The goals of the internship for you and the organization
  • The proposed dates of the internship
  • The organization’s contribution to your internship, including: salary, stipends, subsidies for transportation, in-kind contributions, and other forms of support.
  • Any outside sources of funding (i.e. grants or scholarships) you have received to offset the costs of your summer expenses.
• A written promise of employment with descriptive materials about your internship’s agency or organization.
• Your current resume
• Current Evans School transcript, unofficial copy accepted (Chang Fellowship only)

Please note that preference for most fellowships will be given to students who have yet to complete their Evans School internship requirement, and whose internship costs are offset by the organization or other secured funds.

You can also download the following fellowship descriptions:

• Hubert G. Locke Fellowships in Social Justices (35KB PDF)
• Excellence in Public Service Fellowships (36KB PDF)
• Washington D.C. Excellence in Public Service Fellowships (36KB PDF)
• Elaine Chang Fellowship for International Peace and Development (37KB PDF)
• Nancy Bell Evans Center Nonprofit Fellowship (41KB PDF)
• Class Gift Fellowship (42 KB PDF)

For more information contact Evans School career services at evansinterns@u.washington.edu or 206.221.7689.

City of Seattle Mayor's Fellows Program

Through a competitive process that included applications and interviews, eight students were selected in 2008 for the opportunity to obtain a 13-week paid summer fellowship, working on carefully screened policy projects aligned with Mayoral priorities or key city initiatives.

Project Assignments

Neighborhood Plans project
Department of Neighborhoods

Assist with the selection and implementation of public engagement strategies for the first sector of the city to have its neighborhood plans updated. Responsible for collecting, organizing, and distributing information on under represented groups in Seattle.

Seattle Animal Shelter project
Department of Executive Administration

Responsible for the research, coordination, facilitation, and development of a five-year strategic plan. Identify long-range program goals to include fundraising and capital campaign related to the creation of a regional training and education center at the shelter.

Race and Social Justice Initiative Survey project
Office for Civil Rights

Responsible for the development of a survey plan to obtain a baseline measure of city employee understanding of the Race and Social Justice Initiative and work that has been done since the initiative's inception. Also responsible for the creation and assistance with implementing the survey.

Green Fee project
Seattle Public Utilities

Responsible for designing a consumer awareness program and a reusable bag voucher program for low income citizens prior to the Green Fee going into effect.

Transit Parking project
Office of Policy and Management

Responsible for researching best practices in other jurisdictions that have new transit lines coming on line, analyzing the findings, writing a report, and presenting the findings to the Inter-Departmental Team as well as the community.

Parks and Recreation Public/Private Partnerships project
Office of Policy and Management

Responsible for developing options and recommendations for city policies and best practices regarding partnerships between the Department of Parks and Recreation and private partners.

“No Parking” Easels project
Customer Service Bureau

Responsible for mapping the current processes, engaging end-users of the service, and re-engineer the process to provide for a more predictable and cost effective service.

Homeless Census project
Office of Housing, Office of Policy and Management, and the Human Services Department

Responsible for developing a statistically valid methodology for conducting a homeless census within Seattle city limits.

Career Services Terms of Use

The terms that follow apply to your search for employment as conducted through Evans School Career Services. By adhering to these terms, you will project a positive image of yourself, your class and the school. Career Services has a positive reputation with employers, and we do not want it tarnished through questionable conduct. By using the EvansJobs website and/or any other of the Evans School’s Career Services, you agree to adhere to these terms as detailed below.

Website

EvansJobs is ONLY for Evans School students and alumni. Students are expressly prohibited from sharing their accounts with anyone. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their profile information is accurate and up to date. Students are also responsible for keeping the interview appointments they make with employers and following through on commitments. Students who violate the terms of service or otherwise behave, in writing or in person, in a manner that jeopardizes The Evans School's reputation with employers, may lose EvansJobs privileges. The Evans School does not endorse or guarantee any job or internship posted in EvansJobs.

Interviewing

Present your qualifications and interests accurately
Falsifying data, such as GPA, date of graduation, degrees obtained, institutions attended, prior work experience, and/or eligibility to work in the United States is unethical and is ground for immediate dismissal with most employing organizations.

Learn about the employers and their positions
Employers expect their candidates will make an effort to learn about their organizations. Failure to do so indicates a lack of interest and reflects poorly on the candidate and the school.

Interview only when genuinely interested in the advertised position(s)
Do not interview for practice; this will cause the recruiter to feel his/her time is being wasted and takes away valuable time from fellow students who may have a sincere interest in the organization. If you are concerned about your interviewing skills, mock interviews through Career Services are available. When signing up to attend an employer-sponsored event/information session or Career Services event it is expected that you will be on time and remain until the conclusion of the event (if you need to get to class/work please notify Career Services staff before the session).

Participate in the interview
Employers take the interview process seriously and expect students to honor their agreement to arrive on time and participate in the interview. Not showing or canceling late (defined as canceling less than 24 hours before an interview, or 72 hours if the interview is scheduled on a Monday) reflects poorly on the candidate and the Evans School.

Accepting or Rejecting Offers
Notify organizations of your acceptance or rejection of offers as soon as your decision is made and no later than the deadline prescribed by the employer. Candidates should expect offers to be confirmed in writing, and likewise, should notify the company of accepted or rejected offers by telephone first, and follow up with a letter or email. Requests for extensions of decision deadlines should be made as early as possible, not at the last minute.

Honor an accepted offer as a contractual agreement
Upon accepting a position, candidates should withdraw from interviewing and notify Career Services of a decision. Continuing to interview after accepting an offer or reneging on an accepted offer is unethical.EventsIn order to be fully prepared for and knowledgeable of events hosted by Career Services, students must attend all mandatory student meetings (Career Services Orientation for New Students and Welcome Back for Returning Students, both in the beginning of Autumn Quarter) and sign up for events on JILeS by the designated deadline.

Internships

Students accepting internship must complete and submit an online student/agency contract within two weeks of starting the internship. Upon completion of the internship, the student is required to submit an online evaluation form and the supervisor is required to submit an online evaluation of the student intern. Internship forms must be submitted to meet graduation requirements.

By using any of our career services or the EvansJobs website, you agree to have read and understand these terms of use and agree to abide by it for the duration of your stay at the Evans School. Due to the potential harm that the violation of these terms of use could cause to other students and important employer relationships, you understand that violations can result in severe sanctions (e.g., termination of some or all career services, referral to the Director of Career Services or the Assistant Dean's office).

If you have any questions, please contact us at 206.616.1609 or evansjob@u.washington.edu.