<p>How does an unpaid government internship look to recruiters? Like the department of state intern program. I received an offer + I have scholarship money to take care of everything. If employers know that it is unpaid will they look at it negatively?</p>
<p>Most internships worth taking are unpaid. I was a State Department intern twice and every time an employer read over my resume after that, it’s all they wanted to talk about. You have the dream combination–a prestigious unpaid internship that someone else is paying for. You’d be crazy not to take it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I am probably going to take it, unless I receive a paid one that gets me higher $. I was just wondering how recruiters view unpaid internship experiences.</p>
<p>State Department is pretty prominent as far as government internships go. The year I applied for the summer they took like 8% of applicants. I wasn’t selected, I applied again for the fall and was chosen, but ultimately went with another option.</p>
<p>The fact that it’s unpaid isn’t relevant, IMO.</p>
<p>^But doesn’t the value of the unpaid government internship depend on what you actually did? I’ve applied to a number of paid and unpaid government internship positions but I’m not sure if I would spend a bunch of money to do menial work, even if it is at a federal agency.</p>
<p>Or am I being too negative? Do federal agency internships usually involve more interesting things?</p>
<p>When I finish the internship, should I mention on my resume that I received xxxx scholarship for $ xxxx? or should I leave it off.</p>
<p>You can have an awards/recognition section where you can mention the award, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to mention the amount it was for.</p>
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<p>I would just put that it was paid (e.g., “Full-Time, Paid Internship at Nonprofit Transitional Housing Program”). I wouldn’t flash the amount you received unless and until you’re negotiating compensation with another internship.</p>
<p>amplifiar842, has the internships with the DoS helped you get paid positions?</p>
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<p>yes, it matters what you did. That is what you can put on your resume. I don’t know how all government internships are, but mine were fairly successful. I am also very sure that my unpaid government internship got me to a paid government internship which helped me directly to my [dream] job, at one of the places I was a paid intern. It’s best if you can find people that did the internship you are considering and you can ask them how it was. For example, there is a fairly active (unofficial, I think) state department intern facebook page.</p>
<p>At an unpaid government internship, I attended a meeting between the EU and the US government agency/department where I was an intern. The US delegation was headed by the Deputy Secretary. After the meeting, I wrote (along with another intern) the official office memo for the Secretary that was the record of the meeting, detailing what was discussed. I also attended a meeting where every person sitting around the table (I was in back) was an Ambassador. I also created a database of all agency/department activity in a region of the world and a presentation in a foreign language that was given by my boss.</p>
<p>Just b/c it’s unpaid doesn’t mean you don’t get to do cool / meaningful things.</p>
<p>At my paid internships, I did normal entry level work, including project plans for how to schedule and spend 6 figure sums of money and authoring official government opinions on international issues (that were read by very senior people (read: policymakers at the political appointee level).</p>
<p>@atreen Hands down, yes. Most recently, during the presidential election, I was tapped for a mid-level campaign position at the state HQ in a swing state. I’m back in school right now, but I’ve got no doubt the unpaid internships I had with State and other government agencies will help with future employment, as well.</p>
<p>Agreed, employers could care less as to if an internship was paid/unpaid, based on my experiences</p>