D.C. Media

I would begin by concurring with my colleagues in the D.C. alumni universe who have already posted on this blog. First, paying ones dues as an intern in this city yields invaluable dividends -- even with the current turbulence on Wall Street. Second, I find the turnover rate in the job market in this city nothing short of amazing. As a practical matter, that means doors open all the time.

I grew up in a small town without many opportunities for a young professional with a top-tier college degree. So, I came back down to D.C. without a formal job offer and started pounding pavement. After a summer of relative frustration, I landed on my feet working as the House Committees Editor for the GalleryWatch division of the Roll Call group, part of the company that owns the iconic British magazine The Economist.

To see what that actually means, your best bet would be to log in to your Lexis-Nexis account and search for my name; my exploits writing for our subscription-based online publication CongressNow are well archived.

Back when you went through your freshman orientation, President Stewart probably gave you a copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Remember that. The ability of Hamilton students to write well is recognized in this city. Those writing-intensive courses at the 100-level in the Government department (and the History department . . . ) that you may have despised in progress really do provide a marketable skill.

Feel free to e-mail me at niels.lesniewski (AT) gmail.com with any questions you may have or if you are on the hunt.

By the way, anyone looking for an internship in political journalism this summer for the Hamilton semester in D.C. in the fall, should absolutely contact me with your resume ASAP. No promises, but . . .