Anyone here have any first hand knowledge about the Student Internship Program with the State Department Foreign Service? Son is thinking about applying for an embassy internship and is having trouble learning much about it.
Let me know if you find out anything more about this program. Is there really such internship?
It says so on the State department careers website. Applications open in May, so he probably has to wait until the positions open up to see what’s available. The drawback is that it’s an unpaid position and the student has to pay transportation costs, but my son is interested in becoming a Foreign Service Officer so it seems like an invaluable peek into the life.
Depending on what programs he’s looking at, he may be looking at applications opening in May for the following year. They expect it to take a year to gain the security clearance necessary for some of those jobs.
No question that the application is long and difficult to get through, just wondering if anyone has done it and has experiences to relate.
Would be worthwhile just to get the security clearance.
My daughter applied and got couple of offers but did not take them. By the time the offers were received she has already signed up for a different internship. I believe she applied for specific Embassies and the offers came directly from the people working there. She did not have interviews, just received an email with a response deadline of next day! Security clearance takes 60-90 days with a simple background but can take much longer if you have extensive international travel background/relatives abroad, dual citizen,etc. It seems if you are a dual citizen you cannot be posted at the Embassy in the country of your second citizenship.
As correctly stated above there is not pay, they only provide accommodation and transportation to and from work.
Tanbiko, thanks so much for the information, that is very useful. I have one question for you, was there a foreign language requirement for the internship?
Honestly, I do not know. In one country she was a heritage speaker of the language, in another country her language could be considered secondary. I assume she did not apply randomly, she targeted positions that she had more chances to get.
I appreciate the information, thanks.
son did one thru State. Was a Russian major, so he got to hang in Moscow and work with the Ambassador for a term. Very cool. (His biggest disappointment was that they spoke English in the Embassy. Duh!)
fwiw: I remember the app being rather straightforward, but detailed as any Federal job is.
Thank you, bluebayou, that sounds like a great experience! My son is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, which might limit his opportunities and increase the competition. He could still have a great experience at an embassy even in a country where he didn’t speak the local language since as you say they speak English at work. He’ll see what’s what when the applications open up, but am I right in assuming they want to have interns that speak the language of the country where they are posted, or does eager, adaptable and smart count for something?
yes, they definitely prefer an applicant who has local language skills, as the Embassy’s hire a local of local staff (for non-secure jobs). My son’s Ambassador might receive a fax/wire every so often from local (whatever) and it would be in the local language, so son would interpret transcribe for Embassy staff.
Pro tip: competition is fierce for these internships over the summer, so if your kid could do an off term, chances are much higher.
Thanks again, bluebayou!
S had a State internship, but it was working in DC with the people that train FS officers. He worked with the person in charge of teaching the language he was majoring in.
Consolation, that sounds interesting. What did he think of the experience?
@bopambo - your son is in the same boat as my D. She is graduating this year, is fluent in Korean and had been looking forward to one of these programs - especially since she spoke a “critical” language. In the current state of the State Department, these programs are just not there. We have called and worked our network to no avail. Though friends of mine in the State Department are telling me that they wouldn’t recommend that my D go there to work now. Too much in flux.
Tperry1982, I hear you. It’s such a shame. Korea might be a little nerve wracking at the moment.
@Tperry1982, what is your daughter thinking of doing now that the State Department is in such disarray? I’m thinking that at some point, hopefully not too many years from now they will rebuild and need energetic internationally focused young recruits to help. What are her plans after graduation now?
@bopambo - she is waiting to here from Fulbright and hopes to teach in Korea for one or two years. She has also applied to a two year grad program in Communications that the first year is at the London School of Economics and the second at USC. If neither comes through, she will work for a while and reapply to grad programs. Hopefully that will take her beyond the current administration and she can then look back to the State Department at a future date (if she is still interested).