A degree and a high grade-point average are seemingly not enough to set students apart in the increasingly competitive job market. An internship is one of the ways students gain marketable skills for their resumes, but most of them can be extremely costly after paying for housing, transportation, work wear and other necessities.
The Virtual Student Foreign Service eInternship offers students a chance to work on projects of global importance throughout the U.S. government from the comfort of their own home, no outside expenses needed.
Applications for the 2017-18 VSFS program are being accepted until July 26 on USAJOBS.gov. Applicants are required to submit their resume, transcript and a statement of interest.
Administered by the U.S. Department of State, this is a unique opportunity that allows students more freedom to work around their class schedule all while gaining real job experience and obtaining meaningful connections.
Students have the chance to work on projects from more than 32 federal agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Created in 2009 by the Office of eDiplomacy, a branch of the State Department responsible for using technology to make government's diplomacy efforts more productive. It is the world's largest internship program and offers students the chance to use their foreign language skills along with other in demand qualities such as coding, data analysis, graphic design, political analysis, videography and social media management.
Continue reading below...
Students are eligible as a U.S. citizen, and they must be enrolled full-time or part-time as an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. candidate, any major is welcome. Students may select up to three positions and those accepted are expected to work 10 hours a week from September through May.
Brandeis University student Jake Silverman '17 interned with VSFS during his semester abroad in Beijing, China and published pieces in the Huffington Post while reading interviews with diplomats and learning the ins and outs of diplomatic lives he said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot, the Brandeis student newspaper.
According to the VSFS website, Sabre Moore was pursuing a masters degree in museum studies at John Hopkins University and when interning with VSFS had the opportunity to work with the Smithsonian Office of International Relations.
"My supervisor has done a wonderful job of showing me how the department works and making me feel like a part of the team," Moore said. "I love my internship because I can see the direct impact of my projects. I am thrilled to have this chance to fulfill a dream of working for the Smithsonian Institution."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
