Intern Experience

The Basics:

Who: Naval Air Station, Patuxent River Public Affairs Office Interns

What: Summer Internship Program

Where: Patuxent River, Maryland

When: Summer, May – August; part-time or full-time

Why: To gain experience working in the field of public affairs at a fast-paced, busy test and development naval base. With the guidance of a Public Affairs Officer mentor, interns complete duties such as researching and writing articles, conducting interviews, developing communication plans, taking photographs, designing infographics, and updating websites while also observing and helping with media relations, social media, and visual information. The internship gives interns valuable insight into what it truly means to be a public affairs officer working with the media and a high-profile organization such as the military.

What You Should Know:

Hours: Hours are flexible; you are given the chance to work full-time or part-time depending on your schedule. The PAOs are very helpful and willing to sit down with the interns to develop specific schedules for each person.

Pay: The internship is unpaid but can be used for college credit depending on the university’s requirements.

Dress Code: Dress is normally business casual but can vary depending on what the intern will be doing that day. For example, if the intern is researching a story or taking pictures out in one of the fields, tennis shoes and jeans would be more appropriate. On the other hand, if the intern is interviewing a high-profile military official, formal business attire would be better outfit choice.

Base Access: Interns should pick up their base visitor/access passes at the Pass Office on the first day of their internship. They will be issued a laminated visitor’s badge that grants base access as well as access to various buildings on the base. However, you will also need a valid driver’s license in order to drive onto the base. The Pass Office will also provide a temporary parking pass for your vehicle that you put in the corner of the front windshield on the driver’s side.

Location: The “home base” for interns is the Visual Information Building, or Building 1354. It is located on the corner of Cedar Point Road and Saufley Road, on the left side after you cross Taxiway Alpha. You will need a car as interns will do a lot of moving around from building to building.