High School Internship - County of Orange

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The County Executive Office (CEO) is the corporate administrative branch of Orange County government. The CEO is responsible for providing leadership, vision and knowledge of emerging trends and issues impacting Orange County. The CEO, in turn, supports and implements Board of Supervisors’ policy and ensures that the County of Orange operates in an efficient, accountable and responsive manner. The County Executive Officer provides direction to all County agency/department heads directly assigned to him and also provides administrative oversight to those department heads who report directly to the Board of Supervisors. In addition, CEO staff also has oversight of a $4.97 billion budget.

Intern Duties/Responsibilities:

Assist staff in the day-to-day activities within a busy governmental office. Duties may include: answering inquiries by phone and through written communications; updating and creating resource material; interacting with other governmental and community-based organizations; assisting with research assignments and special projects; attending meetings or community events; entering data into reports/spreadsheets; filing, faxing and photocopying. In addition, students will observe various aspects of County government and participate in job shadowing activities.

Educational Requirements:

The internship is best suited for senior-level high school students interested in exploring career options within County government or related to public service.

Skills, Training or Qualifications:

Excellent written and oral communication skills; experience with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, PowerPoint and Excel; reliable, outgoing and able to work independently. Business attire appropriate for an office setting is required.

Time Commitment:

Minimum 8 - 12 hours per week for 3 - 6 months. Hours may be scheduled during regular business hours (Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.). A minimum two-hour block of time is required for each shift.

Benefits Available to Intern:

Although this is an unpaid internship, high school students are offered an excellent opportunity to:

• See how a large governmental organization actually operates
• Develop valuable networking contacts
• Gain real-time work experience within a professional setting
• Build resumes and broaden knowledge and skills

Application Process:

Please email a resume, letter of interest, writing sample and if available, an unofficial transcript to the contact listed below. The letter of interest is an opportunity for students to describe career and academic goals, to elaborate upon personal and academic accomplishments, to share areas of interest that relate to the internship and to identify what type of internship experience they are seeking. Please include GPA, preferred start and end dates for the internship, number of hours that can be scheduled on a weekly basis and days/timeframes available to schedule internship hours.

A County of Orange Parent/Guardian Consent form must be completed and signed prior to placement of high school students under the age of 18.

Contact:

Jane Dawson, Manager
County of Orange
Intern Resources
333 West Santa Ana Blvd.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Phone: (714) 834-7440
Email: jane.dawson@ocgov.com