To start, read through the job posting for the internship(s) you’re interested in. You will gain insight into the division and the work you’ll be doing during the summer. You’ll also see any minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet those minimum qualifications, we encourage you to apply! Take your time, go through the application thoroughly, and attach an updated Resume and Cover letter.
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Yes! The 2023 pay rate was $20 per hour.
The program is 12 weeks long and runs from the first week of June to the last week of August. When necessary, we are flexible with start and end dates; some of our interns are college students and we will work around those schedules as best we can.
This program is full time hours (40 hours per week). Most departments are Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30. However, some positions have different schedules, and any special hours will be listed in the job posting (IE. Four 10’s, or 6:30-3:00, etc.).
The Summer Internship program is a 12-week, paid internship. Every year the intern positions that are available are different. The interns work in their departments about 80% of the time and spend the other 20% of the time with the cohort, doing professional development activities. These activities range from training to site-tours to mock interviews. The cohort also works together throughout the summer to create a video presentation for the Pierce County Council.
The work varies, depending on which departments apply, and are selected to host an intern. The work is real and hands on, we do not have our interns' making copies or taking coffee orders. Each intern will have a specific project or set of tasks that assigned by their department. See the “past internships” portion of our webpage for an idea of the different positions we’ve had.
The Intern Cohort is comprised of all the summer interns, the intern coordinator and an HR representative. The cohort meets weekly and attends training, professional development activities, check ins, and site tours around the county together. This is designed to act as an additional support system for the interns throughout the program.
See our Pierce County Careers page to apply Pierce County Careers | Pierce County, WA - Official Website. You can also set up job alerts form our careers page. That way, as soon as the internship are open, you will be notified.
Yes! However, you can only work in one of the internships at a time.
Congrats! You’ve applied to be a Pierce County Summer Intern. Now… you wait a bit. The review process can take a little time. You should hear from us within a couple of weeks of the position closing. Keep an eye on your email inbox (spam and junk mail as well), as much of our communication is via email. Please reach out to [email protected] if you have not heard anything after several weeks.
If a candidate is moved on in the application process, the first round of interviewing is a phone screening. This is a brief phone interview, in which the hiring manager will ask about basic questions or technical skills. If a candidate moves on, the next step is a 30-minute panel interview. This is generally in-person or via zoom, and the panel consists of 2-3 department representatives or human resources staff. We highly recommend practicing for interviews and getting familiar with the STAR method of interviewing. How To Use the STAR Interview Response Technique | Indeed.com
Yes, of course! In fact, we have had candidates who haven’t made it through the process one year, but have applied again, and been selected.
Pierce County wants to hear from you. Please select one of the following to talk to elected officials and staff, or to report problems in our community.