GPP Podcast: Career Coaching for Budding Advocates, Politicos, Policy Wonks & Social Entrepreneurs

2026 Updates: We no longer have the chat function for on-demand career peer support, but you can bring your writing samples to our weekly pop-ins, or ask a career peer to review it anytime M-F between 9-5. 

Many applications ask you to submit a writing sample with your resume and cover letter. What should you send? Amy and Susan discuss your options, how to interpret what the hiring manager is looking for, and how to prepare in advance so that you're ready when the application (finally) opens.

2026 Updates: This is our most popular episode! We share it un-edited. The TL; DR: the cover letter is as much about the organization you're applying to as it is about you. Do the work to take your cover letter from good to great. It's a really important way to demonstrate you're REAL and not AI.

In this episode we talk about how to make your cover letter stand out from the stack. We'll offer some tips so that your cover letter is as much about the organization you're applying to as it is about you, demonstrates your commitment to the organization's mission, and reflects holistically on how your experiences relate to the job to which you're applying. Writing cover letters is not easy! We're here to help.

Here is the resource we reference:
Resume and Cover Letter Handout

2026 Update: Careerlink is now Handshake! And the info formerly found on Canvas is now our website, where you will find these additional job boards: 

• The Rome Group 
• Work for Good 
• 80,000 Hours 
• Idealist  
• Impact Pool
• Green Jobs  
• Environmental Defense Fund's Green Jobs Hub

When you imagine yourself searching for a job or internship, you likely see yourself scrolling through listings on a job board, but surprise! This isn't the most effective use of your limited time. You should be selective about the job boards and limit the amount of time you spend on them. We'll tell you more in the final episode of our series on internship and job search strategies. 

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

• Jobs that are Left (as in left-leaning)
• GOP Jobs in the House
• Tom Manatos Jobs
• Dome Watch
• Global Jobs
• DevEx
• ReliefWeb

2026 Updates to this episode:

• Amy and Susan discuss "Success Stories." These are now called "Student Stories" on our website - where you can also learn about our Career Engagement Process.
• Also check out our recent blog on informational interviewing. 
• Handshake is the place to find opportunities and events. 

Networking! Just the idea provokes dread in the most steadfast of hearts, but networking isn't mingling. The core tool in networking is informational interviewing, which is almost like a qualitative research tool you deploy to figure out what you want to do and how to get there. It pays big dividends on the search--taking you from being reactive (looking at listings) to being proactive (hearing about positions before they are listed). In our method, your target list and networking list go together. Listen in and learn more! And remember... 

"Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow." the late, great Carrie Fisher

2026 Updates:

Our website has great resources to get you started on targeting! Also, AI is a great tool for this. Handshake is where you'll find listings - but don't limit yourself to targeting organizations that post jobs. Most of the places you're interested in will not be on Handshake!

Also, check out our weekly newsletter, which offers tailored listings that are shared with us by our alumni and employer network, or that we know would be a good fit for our students. You can subscribe on our homepage!

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In this episode, Amy and Susan detail how to create, track, and share your target list. 

2026 Updates: "Success Stories" is now "Student Stories" on our website. Also, AI means the applying without networking is even more soul-sucking these days...

Amy and Susan discuss internship search strategies for government, policy and social impact They detail the three elements of a good search strategy and how to spend your time for maximum results. Some of the resources they mention in this podcast:

• Washington University in St. Louis's Alumni & Student page on LinkedIn - find out what others have done with your major, in a particular city, or at a particular employer. Useful for expanding your target list too. Simply look up the organization you're interested in and scroll down a bit to find similar organizations. 
• CCE's Summer Internship Fund 
• Academic Credit for Internship varies by school. The Arts and Sciences policy is here. 

2026 Updates: We've changed our terminology a bit - but the process (and the point of this podcast) remains the same! There's a lot of work to be done prior to applying for things. Assess, Explore, Search and Launch are now Understand Yourself, Envision Possibilities, Prepare, Search & Apply and Engage. See our website and listen in to learn more about the phases. And, check out our blog post for more on the importance of Superfandom. 

In this episode, Susan and Amy describe the four phases of the career development process (Assess, Explore, Search, and Launch). They provide insider tips for how and when these phases unfold in government, policy, advocacy, and international affair searches. 

2026 Updates: There are some great new resources for resume formatting. We highly recommend using vmock to help with formatting and refining your resume. 

Guidelines around federal resumes are changing, and fast. Be sure to read the job description closely to understand what's required. Learn more about the changes here and refer to USAJobs and OPM for the most up-to-date guidance.

Also check out our Top 10 Tips for Resume Writing!

Susan and Amy discuss the document that's central to internship and job applications: the resume. They cover why the resume is central to government, policy, and advocacy applications, how to format it, and the difference between a resume and CV. Applying for federal positions through USAJobs? You’ll get the scoop on how a federal resume differs and a few tips on beating the algorithm. 

Come by our community pop-in hours for feedback or stop by the Center for Career Engagement anytime M-F 9-5 for more general feedback.