U.S. Department of State

Congressional Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I like going to and from work on the train, it made me feel more independent. I like attending hearings about various topics at the Capitol. And best of all, meeting like-minded individuals.

What I wish was different

I wish the workplace was more diverse.

Advice

Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

June - August 2019 • Gaborone, Gaborone

What I liked

I got to participate in meaningful work and the schedule changed every day!

What I wish was different

I would not change anything.

Advice

I highly recommend working overseas; the cultural and work aspects of the internship both contributed to making this a great experience.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

September - November 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Got to see how the government operates

What I wish was different

Wish there was more work prepared for me

Advice

Don’t be afraid to apply to internships across the country. Get out of your comfort zone.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Fast- paced, engaging, impactful work.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Global Financial Analysis Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Mentoring environment; gained knowledge of and experience with various Federal departments and bureaus and their respective responsibilities. Made personal connections with many State officials.

What I wish was different

Marketed as a finance internship; though its focus was on operational efficiency. Still some finance involved, but not as much as I initially believed.

Advice

Apply early; the clearance process is longer than you expect and can interfere with school if you don't budget the proper amount of time.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

consular intern

August - November 2022 • Doha, Qatar

What I liked

I like that there were a lot of opportunities to network.

What I wish was different

I wish they had set goals and expectations for the internship program.

Advice

Push for what you are interested in working on with your supervisor.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Public Affairs Intern

June - August 2019 • Singapore, Central Region

What I liked

I loved being able to do meaningful work and attend programs I helped plan. Interning helped me to realize that I want to work for the Foreign Service in the future.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I loved being exposed to so many different meetings and events happening around me. I felt like I was in the center of international affairs and I was able to learn and see so much from taking notes at briefings, attending conferences, and going to think tank panels. I was also fortunate enough be interning in the International Religious Freedom Office which was hosting the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, so I got to help put that together.

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to work on a longer-term personal project. Since I was assigned to different regional teams, my tasks varied a lot and were more short-term.

Advice

Take initiative and use the opportunity to attend a bunch of events and coffee chat with staff.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Public Affairs Intern

May - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I worked for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and I had the experience to work on multiple exchange programs and meet so many people. I was truly allowed to take initiative and produce deliverables for every campaign.

What I wish was different

The bureaucratic nature of the organization made some processes rather slow.

Advice

Talk about what you are passionate about in your statement of interest. Readers for each Bureau and Office respond really well to that.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

May - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I liked that it was very hands on, and I was given the opportunity to attend and take part in amazing events.

What I wish was different

The commute was a little bit difficult.

Advice

I would say that people should not refrain from applying somewhere, out of fear if not getting the job. Take a chance!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Office of the Historian Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

My work, my colleagues, my location. The Top Secret Security clearance let me read through hundreds of pages of classified documents from the 80s and 90s, some of which I was the 5th or 6th person to ever see. I had satisfying long term projects and exciting short term ones, ensuring my work continued to remain engaging. My colleagues were excellent. Very casual and personable, as well as willing to share their wealth of personal experiences and connections in the Diplomatic and Intelligence communities. Because of their connections, I was fully able to take advantage of my location. I got to visit and speak with professionals in the CIA, National Security Archive, various museums, and other State Dept. Bureaus. A very engaging experience to say the least.

What I wish was different

The summer is very chill there. Between vacations, field-work, and telecommuting, some days there were just as many interns as full employees in the building. There were only 3 interns in an office of (theoretically) 30 people. While this means you get to do a lot of independent work, it also felt slow at times. I wish the experience had more kinetic and fast-paced days.

Advice

This is a place where you need to take initiative, ask for tasks, find opportunities, and make what you want of it. There are lots of very cool people in this office, but they are also very chill and won't push try to push you too hard. You need to be the driving force of your experience.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

June - August 2019 • Quito, Pichincha Province

What I liked

Full time experience abroad over the summer allowed me to play a large role in the organization and work on projects/attend meetings that I would not have been able to attend in DC.

What I wish was different

They do not necessarily provide housing, in my case they did not.

Advice

Apply early and if possible, apply for State Internships abroad rather than at main state.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

intern

December 2017 - March 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Amazing experience where I really got to learn what it was like to work for this Government agency. I worked with amazing people.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have been paid

Advice

Take every opportunity you can to meet with people that work there. Ask them to coffee!!!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Information Technology Clerk

May - July 2019 • Vienna, Austria

What I liked

It was a very professional setting which gives an insight into working with the United States government overseas. If interning, there are plenty of friends to make.

What I wish was different

Wish the workload was more diversified, but this could have varied by position.

Advice

Help out best you can. Every department could use help, so ask what you can do for others.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Public Affairs Intern

June - August 2019 • Singapore, Central Region

What I liked

I was immersed into the work being done in the embassy. I had opportunities to learn about different sections like consular, executive, security, and econ/political. I was assigned substantial work. I helped organize events and could attend them. I was trusted to handle actual work. Interning helped me to realize that I want to work for State after college. I talked to current employees and learned about their careers. I also got to live in another country!!

What I wish was different

It is a financial commitment living in another country without getting paid.

Advice

Take advantage of all the opportunities during this internship. You get to go to so many cool events and meet some very important people. Say yes to everything.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Human Resources Intern

May - June 2019 • Manila, Philippines

What I liked

Love the environment! Work ethics! Very professional

What I wish was different

The training with the HR specialist

Advice

Better prepare for the worst scenarios in the work place.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

You get a behind-the-scenes look into U.S. diplomatic efforts around the world. The work you are tasked is truly impactful and you can see the results directly.

What I wish was different

I wish there were more events for interns to meet each other and more opportunities for networking within State.

Advice

Take initiative and ask for more responsibility. You get as much out of the internship as you are willing to put in.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Financial Analyst Intern

June - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Mentoring atmosphere

What I wish was different

More involved financial work

Advice

Be proactive in the clearance process

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Consular Intern

May - August 2019 • Bern, Canton of Bern

What I liked

The opportunity to put the skills I had to work in a capacity that would be meaningful to my section's goals. Supervisors and officers are more than open to hearing about what work you would like to contribute on in order to make this a significant internship. Everyone was very approachable at the post I worked at.

What I wish was different

Assistance in housing options would have been helpful.

Advice

Be open to projects that your supervisors may bring to you. This is an opportunity to showcase any skills you already have, even if the projects are not directly in line with work you have produced prior.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Summer Intern

June - August 2019 • Portsmouth, NH

What I liked

The opportunity to do real, impactful work from day 1 and the relatively flat (for government) structure of the office. PSRO is one of the best places to work in the federal government, from the people, to the job, to the exposure to different areas for growth.