When I created this site two years ago (!!!), it was a small operation consisting of a handful of weekly posts and the occasional reader generated, Ask Belle column.  Over time, my little one horse blog has grown beyond my wildest expectations and with it my work load has increased exponentially.   

In an effort to keep up with the three post-per-day pace and bring some fresh content to the site, I have decided to engage in a time-honored Capitol Hill tradition and enlist the services of an intern. 

While a recent tweet generated several applications for the intern position, I would like to extend the opportunity to all of my readers and not just my Twitter followers.  If you are interested in applying, please see the information below.  If you have already submitted a letter of interest and would like to amend it based on this information, feel free to send the revised information along.

The Basics. Capitol Hill Style is looking to hire one (possibly two) interns to perform a variety of functions.  First and foremost, interns would be required to produce no fewer than two posts per week for the site.  Posts should be informative and offer a fresh perspective on fashion, beauty or style.  While I would prefer someone who works on the Hill or at least lives in D.C., I will be happy to consider all comers.  And while I can offer some flexibility, interns need to be self-motivated and hard working. 

The Ideal Intern. The perfect intern would have either journalism or social media experience, and MUST have an interest in fashion and style.  I appreciate writers who can write in “magazine style” injecting humor and passion into their posts.  A better than average grasp of grammar is required, though I would love someone with copy editor quality skills, as I have none despite years of training (oops).

Also, if you have any experience with blogging, CSS, Photoshop, graphic design or generating advertising for a website, these are all huge plusses.  In a perfect world, perspective candidates would have skills as a photographer and the free time to also do some street style posts.

The ideal candidate would also be 21, as I don’t want to worry about any underage drinking issues should he/she/we attend an event where alcohol is served.

Miscellaneous.  Because I am anonymous, Interns would be given the opportunity to be either anon or public.  If they choose to be public, they would be able to attend events (on approval) as a Girl/Boy Friday taking photos and doing interviews.  This would be a great opportunity to become a member of the D.C. fashion community and meet some wonderful local people.

While I don’t currently accept sponsored posts and only do limited advertising, in the event that this changed, interns would be required to comply with ALL federal disclosure laws as set forth by the FCC.  Interns would not be allowed to accept offers for sponsored posts without previous approval from me, and this is absolutely non-negotiable.  Interns would also be required to comply with all Congressional Ethics rules, but we can talk more about all of this legalease when I hire someone.

As for time commitment, this part will be a bit flexible.  Basically, whatever amount of time it takes you to create 2-3 posts per week will be the time spent writing for the site.  But I will work with whomever I bring on to create a schedule that works for them.  Contributors could also choose to only write for 3-6 months or pursue a longer commitment.  Like I said, flexible.

Compensation.  I created CHS for the pure love of fashion, and I receive no compensation for my work here.  Thus, my contributor (intern) won’t either.  It is possible, however, that somewhere down the road this could change and if that should happen, we would of course, re-evaluate the intern’s role in managing the site.  But for now, do not come into this internship expecting cash compensation or lots of free gifts, because I don’t get either.

The Process.  In the coming days, I will review letters of interest and narrow the field down to a handful of candidates (between five and ten).  Once these candidates have been selected, each one will have the opportunity to write a trial post for the site.  This post can be on any topic related to fashion, beauty and style and should be a standard length of 500-750 words contianing images. 

To accompany this post, I may also ask the candidate to answer a handful of questions about himself/herself to give readers a little bit of perspective on sense of style, interests, ideas, etc. There is a possibility that this may be done in person.

Following this process, I will choose an intern based on their qualifications and the quality of the post submitted.  The whole process should be completed no later than the start of August Recess. 

Please keep in mind, that it is possible (though unlikely), that I may not choose anyone.  I am very protective of this site and the content here and if I don’t find someone who I think will be a good fit, I may decide to put off bringing someone else on.  While I don’t foresee this happening based on the quality of the submissions received thus far, I want everyone to be forewarned just in case.

Most importantly, I want this internship to be a fun, enjoyable experience for whomever I may bring on.  I want you to enjoy blogging and being a part of the CHS community.  This is my hobby and I love it, and I want to find someone who will love it and be enriched by it as well. 

I also think it would be a great opportunity for a college student or recent graduate looking to pursue a career that has a social media component, but it doesn’t have to be.

If you would like to submit a letter of interest, please e-mail capitolhillstyle@gmail.com.  If you have questions, leave them in the comments.