Question for the panel: internships.

[MetroShadow]

Hello all,

This is a simple, yet complicated question, and it'd be best to address it to this group:

I'm a sophomore political science/public administration major at Northern Illinois University. My main focus in public administration is in urban management--and that includes transit planning.

(here comes the life story) I have made Chicago Transit my hobby since I was 4 (sometime in '89, no doubt), and that it was to be my dream to work for a department like the CTA. I have been searching around for potential internships for the summer; preferably paid, but more importantly, I would want to get a feel of what its like working for the CTA. Its something that I would like to accomplish (fixing it or otherwise).

My main question to you guys is how do I contact someone in the higher ups about summer internships with the CTA?

Thanks in Advance,

Dave

[trainman8119]

One of the best ways to get into the CTA or Metra is to find a politician. Politics plays such a big part in getting hired with these organizations (especially Metra) that it is not what you know, but who you know. If you know a congressman or alderman who is willing to work with you and pull some strings, that may be as good a way to get in as anything.