Where Are They Now?

 

April 2012

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Emily Beardsley, former EMILY's List Marketing Intern

As I neared the end of my senior year of college, still unsure about what was next for me, I decided an internship with an organization I could really stand behind would be a great way to test the professional waters. I applied to a series of non-profits and mission-based organizations, but had never considered a political organization. While I took the necessary prerequisites in school and gone to a few political rallies and events in my college town, the world of politics seemed like a mystery.

 

Because I had always been very interested in women’s rights and admired women like Hillary Clinton and Kirsten Gillibrand, I was intrigued by EMILY’s List. I knew the history of the organization, and found it pretty incredible that a single organization could change politics in the way that EMILY’s List had. On a whim, I applied to an internship in the marketing department at EMILY’s List. During a conversation with a family friend, I mentioned some of the organizations to which I had applied, and learned that she was a member of EMILY’s List.

 

My family friend was kind enough to bring me to an EMILY’s List event in Florida, where I lived at the time, where I had an opportunity to hear from the President of EMILY’s List and interact with energized members. I was so inspired by the power, poise, and leadership I saw in the women around me. Quickly after, I called EMILY’s List to follow up on my application, and was scheduled to interview with a member of the marketing team. I heard from EMILY’s List soon after that I had been selected for the marketing internship. I packed a suitcase full of clothes, rented a room in D.C., and flew from Florida to D.C. right after graduation to start my internship.

 

I learned so much through my internship at EMILY’s List. I watched as departments that all had very different daily goals worked together and collaborated. I saw staff members organize every aspect of their day to provide campaigns and candidates with the services they needed. In the marketing department, I got to watch as our team created materials that energized and rallied our members, using targeting and strategy to reach the best groups of people in the most appropriate and smartest way. I also gained many tactical skills: a deeper understanding of tools like Outlook and Excel, an ability to work with members and provide them with a positive experience of EMILY’s List, a knowledge for working within a fundraising database, the organizational skills necessary to stick to a schedule with hard and fast deadlines, and the ways to communicate with coworkers to get a project done. I also got an incredible opportunity to learn firsthand how campaigns get the job done on election day when EMILY’s List sent me to volunteer to Get Out The Vote in New Hampshire for Anne Kuster in both her primary and general elections.

 

Needless to say, when my internship ended, I was sad to leave EMILY’s List. I felt passionate about the work EMILY’s List did, and I felt like I would eventually love to find my way back. As I interviewed for permanent positions in D.C., I found myself writing and speaking about the work I had done and how vast and transferrable the skills I’d gained were. I worked for a short time at a membership organization, but when a position for which I was qualified opened at EMILY’s List, I turned in my application and, when hired, happily came back.

 

Now, just over a year after my internship ended, I’m still at EMILY’s List, using the same skills that I was lucky enough to gain as an intern. I feel that an internship at EMILY’s List immediately after college absolutely set me up for career success. EMILY’s List made an investment in me, taught me necessary skills, and gave me a true understanding of the professional and political worlds. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today had I not had such an exciting and rewarding internship!

 

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I first heard about EMILY’s List when my high school government teacher made us do a project about an interest group and one of my classmates picked EL. When I came to Washington, D.C. the following year for college, former Clinton White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers came to speak on campus and she mentioned how great EL was. That talk jogged my memory and I decided to look up more information about EMILY’s List online and that's when I decided to apply for an internship.

 

During my internship, I worked in the Political Department, specifically on the Campaign Services side. Day to day I managed the EMILY's List Job Bank -- ranking and organizing resumes, answering inquiries from job searchers, compiling the weekly Job Distribution List, and helping to place job applicants on campaigns across the country. Working with the Job Bank was a great experience because not only did I learn quickly what a good resume looked like but I was able to find people actual jobs. I also tracked the races of pro-choice Democratic women running for federal and state-wide offices and compiled information for the Political team. I loved reviewing quarterly fundraising numbers, tracking polls, and reading up on the major issues of each campaign.

 

The skills I took away from the internship were too many to count! For starters, I really ramped up my Excel knowledge - which is an important skill set to have in this field. I also learned how important it is to be observant of the people around you. You can learn a lot if you just pay attention. And of course, working in a fast-paced environment like EMILY’s List teaches you how to think on your feet, take initiative, and problem-solve.

 

My most memorable experience as an intern was when I was lucky enough to be able to travel with a team of EL interns and staffers to help "Get Out The Vote" for one of our candidates during her primary and general election. It was an incredible experience to see how excited people were about our candidate and the work that EL was doing. People were so fired up!

 

My internship at EL gave me the skills and experience I needed to get an internship at the White House. During that internship, I often used knowledge that I had learned at EL.

 

In the future, I'd love to do something where I can combine my passions for reproductive justice and gender equality with my love of politics. EMILY’s List has prepared me to do that.

 

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I first learned about EMILY’s List through my former boss and EL candidate, Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI). Governor Granholm is a great supporter of EMILY’s List, so it was only natural for her to encourage me to apply for an internship. Choosing to intern at EMILY’s List was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. First and foremost, the staff at EMILY’s List is one of a kind. I learned a tremendous amount from the incredibly knowledgeable and experienced people around me. Working with women who are constantly defying all odds was truly inspirational and made me glad to go to work every day.

 

Interning in the Political Department at EMILY’s List helped broaden my understanding of the campaign world. I learned firsthand about the candidates that EMILY’s List endorsed and what their campaigns were all about. By working with the different campaigns, I was able to learn more about what makes winning candidates successful, and I was also able to expand my network, which has proven to be very beneficial. This internship program was very different than any internship I previously had; it was fast paced from the outset with demanding tasks and a wide variety of projects. No two days were alike at EMILY’s List and I believe that is what made my internship experience so unique.

 

Within two weeks of completing my internship at EMILY’s List, I was offered my first salaried position as a Staff Assistant for Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI), a current EL candidate, on Capitol Hill. I stayed in this position for a little over a year before I was promoted to the position of Senator Stabenow’s Deputy Scheduler and Executive Assistant for our Chief of Staff. My current position demands that I multitask while remaining efficient and getting things done in a timely fashion. Interning at EMILY’s List laid the foundation for my ability to survive in the fast paced environment of Capitol Hill. I’m very grateful for the opportunity that EMILY’s List gave me to intern with them. I would strongly recommend interning there if you’re looking for a challenging and competitive internship program that will help you grow as a professional and a person.