BLOG SERIES 

STATE DEPARTMENT INTERNSHIP SERIES

 

1. State Department Introduction

1. State Department Introduction

The passing scenery, the hum of the engine, and the gentle rocking of the train offer the perfect opportunity to reflect on the journey I am about to begin, interrupted, perhaps ironically, by a short trip home. Home is truly a strange phenomenon. When my parents,...

2. The Application Process

2. The Application Process

In a nutshell, the application process for the State Department is thorough; not necessarily difficult or overwhelming, but definitely and most certainly long. As a result, timing is important to keep in mind. For all terms (fall/spring/summer), the application window...

3. State Department Bureaus

3. State Department Bureaus

Choosing Bureaus and Seeking Help This week I want to focus on the question on the applications that asks you to choose a bureau, which is a difficult but important task. There are over thirty bureaus in the State Department. I narrowed down my choices by first...

4. State Department Help

4. State Department Help

When I reached out to Dr. Martinez for help with the statement of interest, I honestly did not expect for Dr. Martinez to then put me in touch with a senior foreign officer at the State Department. As these things tend to go, I waited until less than two weeks before...

5. State Department Callbacks

5. State Department Callbacks

After submitting my application, all I could do was wait. According to the instructions, the State Department would notify applicants if a bureau was interested in interviewing you by July 19th, which happened to be a Friday. Coincidentally, I had scheduled my flight...

6. Choices and Decision Time

6. Choices and Decision Time

On Monday, the weekend after my interview with the Central Europe Office, I had the interview with the Policy Office. The same day, the Policy Officer offered me a position at the office and gave me a liberal singular day to decide. Now, I was in quite a predicament....

7. First Day at the State Department

7. First Day at the State Department

Surprisingly, I, a Ukrainian immigrant who visits family in Ukraine frequently, received my security clearance before the two born and raised Americans in the cohort who also applied for internships at State. The security clearance process can be tough. A former...

8. First Week at the State Department

8. First Week at the State Department

One question that came up even during the interview was the question of availability. To show my interest in the internship, I told my interviewer that I was willing to work 40 hours per week. As far as I can tell, how your schedule turns out in the end is a...

9. Meetings, Meetings, and More Meetings

9. Meetings, Meetings, and More Meetings

Before the start of my internship, I wondered about the type of work I would do, and whether or not I would a) be really busy or b) have little to do My experience has oscillated between the two, but from my conversations with current and previous interns, the...

10. State Consultations

10. State Consultations

In the first few weeks, I worked on setting up consultations for post officers with bureau program officers. Let me explain. As a reminder, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) manages all State Department-funded exchange programs, which includes both...

11. Managing Projects

11. Managing Projects

My internship overlapped with a fall intern who had gotten a late start because his security clearance had been delayed. He did not get a chance to finish a project he was working on before he left, so I took over for him. Each year, the Secretary of State holds a...

12. Daily: Writing Experience

12. Daily: Writing Experience

As promised, I’ll finish up talking about the projects I worked on during my internship to give you a full picture of the type of tasks you might work on. If you remember that Bureau of Educational Cultural Affairs (ECA) Town Hall I participated in and the functional...

13. Oh, The People You’ll Meet!

13. Oh, The People You’ll Meet!

I have talked at length about the work I did during my internship, but have so far not mentioned much about the people I have worked with while interning. Let’s correct that. First, to get it out of the way, the only negative aspect. And one that I noticed right away....

14. My Goals

14. My Goals

So, what is the point of it all? Perhaps I should narrow that question just slightly. Coming back full circle, why did I choose State and what do I plan, keyword here is plan, on doing? Hopefully, this, along with the rest of the blog, will not just be an exercise in...

15. Final Thoughts

15. Final Thoughts

March 24, 2020 The gentle rumble of the freight train as it passes by my house does not evoke the same sense of reflection as my journey at the start of this adventure. However, in a world upturned by a crisis, the click-clack of the train cars as they whizz by...