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&lt;p&gt;If done right, an internship is a great opportunity to launch a career.  Internships are a great way to test drive a career, figure out if a workplace culture is right for you, and get a TON of hands-on experience you won&#39;t get in a classroom.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In our annual &lt;i&gt;College Career Bible&lt;/i&gt;, Vault offers some advice for how to make the most of your internships.  Be there first, we say, so that you can meet your co-workers and managers before everyone else and get dibs on the best projects--and desks.  Networking is another big to-do; talk to the higher-ups about their experiences and what they do, even if they aren&#39;t in your assigned department.  And, finally, don&#39;t complain if you&#39;re stuck getting coffee and making copies because whining is a surefire way to make sure you&#39;ll be doing it all summer long.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our advice is universal, applicable in almost every internship program, no matter what industry or employer.  But what if you need something a little more specific?  Government internships, for example, are competitive, prestigious and great experience for aspiring politicos.  According to our &lt;i&gt;Vault Guide to Capitol Hill Careers&lt;/i&gt;, an internship is &quot;the best way to begin a career in Washington, D.C.&quot;  So it&#39;s important not to make a bad impression.  Following our &lt;i&gt;Career Bible&lt;/i&gt; advice will help, but navigating an internship in D.C. seems to be its own beast.  Lucky for you, dcist, a blog about goings-on in Washington, D.C., has some advice for new interns on the Hill called &quot;How Not to Be   Here are a few choice tidbits:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;2.  You are never going to out-drink a Hill staffer or a lobbyist&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;3.  Don&#39;t hook up with co-workers or fellow interns&lt;/b&gt;  &lt;i&gt;[ed. OK, this one is also pretty universal.]&lt;/i&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A Vault insider and former D.C. resident confirms the relevancy of dcist&#39;s advice.  She also recommends checking out Spotted: DC Summer Interns, a blog &quot;dedicated to those DC residents who dread intern season.&quot;  Clearly, the &quot;Spotted&quot; interns are &lt;i&gt;those&lt;/i&gt; interns.  And you don&#39;t want to be him or her.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, current interns, former interns and anyone who&#39;s hired an intern before, what&#39;s your advice?&lt;/p&gt;

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