Name: Alex Neuman

Year: Junior

Major: Political Science

Minors: Gender and Legal Studies

CFS Class: Field Studies in Civic Engagement

Employer: 270 Strategies

I’m interning at 270 Strategies, a public engagement firm founded by Obama campaign alums. We help campaigns, corporations, and causes improve their capacity to engage people at the grassroots level with a focus on digital organizing. I’m loving the work so far because it combines progressive politics and a values-driven mission with interesting work across a variety of fields. It’s always been important to me that the work I’m doing connects to the values I believe in, and it’s been incredible to work in an environment where everyone shares that same sentiment. Even though much of the work we do is not directly political, it’s clear in staff conversations and the way staff approach the work that everyone shares a commitment to progressive values and making the world a better place. In the previous campaigns and causes I’ve been involved in, the work is typically single-issue or single-candidate oriented and everyone is focused on the same one mission. It’s definitely exciting to be in the field working on one specific issue, but working at 270 has shown me how individuals from different personal and professional backgrounds can contribute in different ways to various fields. My work is comprised mostly of being assigned to 3-4 project teams, and each consulting team is designed intentionally to bring together individuals with relevant personal backgrounds and professional experiences. Another element of the internship I’ve really enjoyed is the firm’s commitment to the success of their interns. They provide you with extensive on-boarding and professional development resources to ensure you’re prepared to jump right in to real, substantive project work and then use your experience at 270 to reach your professional aspirations in the future. Moreover, 270 encourages you to schedule coffee outings with all of the staff in both Chicago and DC to get to know the people around you and learn about their backgrounds. From younger associates to founding partners, everyone at the firm has been eager to take the time to get to know me and offer career advice. Most employees have extensive experience in politics and campaigns, the fields I’m most interested in, so I’ve been able to gain invaluable academic and career input from these conversations.