Week Six: Navigating the Capitol and Informative Tours
It’s easy to get lost roaming the Capitol and the House Office Buildings. Getting lost isn't something to be ashamed of, it helps to get more familiar with the surroundings. Risking getting lost is brave because locating an unknown destination can be an adventure. For example, Hill interns understand what flag duty means. I would have never discovered the short cut to the flag office if I didn’t take a chance to see where an elevator might take me.
Getting lost in the Capitol can be overwhelming. People often expect interns to be unsure of where they are going. Asking questions is okay. It is better to learn as an intern than when in a permanent position where it is expected to know where things are and how to navigate the Capitol.
Interns are given a crash course of where everything is and how to get from A to B. The fact that someone was chosen to be an intern on the Hill means it’s expected that if shown something once they will retain that information. Retaining everything from the first week is essential. But, it is quite a challenge.
Interns in House and Senate offices are expected to conduct constituent tours. It is vital to remember all that is learned at the intern tour training, as well as the many items that are specifically modified for that House or Senate office. Tours should be exciting, informative and filled with fun knowledge. Most offices tailor their tours to their constituent base. A tour will not be the same every time, staying flexible will cause less stress. Going with the flow and reading the people on the tour are good habits to keep. There is so much information that it’s easy to customize the tour to suit the traveling audience.
Getting lost a couple times in the Capitol will happen, but always have a badge in case security officials ask for credentials. Learn the tour information and be able to describe it to constituents by heart. Remember that being here is an adventure, and every task outside the office is a journey in itself.