#Internship

Tag: #Internship

Internships and Fellowships with the U.S. State Department

For the many Lawrence students interested in our growing International Relations program, getting field experience is a very helpful complement to what is being taught in the classroom. If one is seeking that experience in Government, the U.S. State Department is the place to look.

The Department of State has numerous options available to students looking for hands-on experience in the world of international affairs. But the wide array of options can be dizzying to look through and understand. Luckily, the State Department recently added a page to their web site that groups all of their fellowships and internships in one place.

The State Department Internships/Fellowships page is divided into three sections.

The Programs section provides brief overviews of how the internship process works and a summary of the Pathways Program and Foreign Service Fellowships. The more robust Internships section is for current college students and provides a great deal of detail on the Pathways, Department of State, Foreign Service and Virtual Federal Service internships. The Fellowships section is for graduates and some current students and provides details on long-running programs like the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship as well as newer programs like the Colin Powell Leadership Program.

Details on both internships and fellowships include descriptions of the positions/programs, eligibility requirements, compensation and benefit information, the application timeline, deadlines and more.

Be sure to bookmark the U.S. Department of State Internships / Fellowships webpage and refer back to it when looking for field experience in International Relations!

State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program

Every summer, the State of Wisconsin offers internships for students across culturally diverse groups, so they can experience the professional work environment of Wisconsin State Government. Since the inception of the program, the program has placed close to 4,000 students in internship positions across more than 30 state agencies and university campuses.

​The Student Diversity Internship Program provides students with valuable, paid work experience and training in various branches of state government over the summer break. Many interns have gone on to​ obtain employment in state government as limited term or permanent state employees.

To participate in the Student Diversity Internship Program, students must be 18+ years of age and be attending, have plans to attend, or recently graduated from a two- or four-year college or university, graduate program, or a vocational/technical school program.

Visit the State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program web site to see this summer’s openings!

American Bar Foundation Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship

Undergraduate students considering a career in law already know that it’s hard to get hands-on legal experience such as internships if you’re not in law school. Luckily, there are a few programs that are designed to provide undergrads with the experience they seek. One such program is the American Bar Foundation (ABF) Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship.

According to their web site, the American Bar Foundation (ABF) looks “for students students who demonstrate a strong work ethic and intellectual curiosity and who take initiative with mentors by asking questions and expressing a genuine interest in their research. Preference is given to candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, including but not limited to first-generation and low-income students and students of color.

This fellowship introduces undergraduate students to the rewards and demands of a research-oriented career in law and/or social science. It also provides guidance about the many career options under the umbrella of the legal profession. Each Fellow will be assigned an ABF Research Professor who will involve the Fellow in their research project and act as a mentor during the Fellow’s tenure. In previous years, Fellows have supported faculty members’ work by conducting archival research, creating literature reviews, and coding qualitative data collected from interviews and newspaper reports. In addition to partnering with a faculty mentor, Fellows will meet with other ABF faculty and affiliates.”

For more information, including pay, eligibility and the program application, visit the ABF Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program web site. The annual deadline to apply is in late January or early February.

Video: Your Guide to a High-Impact Summer (2021)

The summer months are an excellent time to explore your interests, deepen your learning, and gain experience beyond the classroom. In this session, Jacklyn Fischer & Mandy Netzel (Career Center), and Peter Blitstein (Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of History) will help you explore the many options you have to gain meaningful hands-on experience this summer. Topics covered will include internship programs, funding for experiential learning and research, and more! They will also help you walk through the timeline and process for successfully mapping out your high-impact summer!

“Thank you for the interview opportunity!” How to follow up after interviews and write thank you notes

Following up after job interviews and writing them a quick “thank you” note after the end is a good way to ensure that you still remain in the interviewer’s mind and demonstrate your interest in the role. You should also follow up with a “thank you” note after networking conversations/informational interviews, as they are a great way to show your appreciation and strengthen your existing connections. But how does one write a good “thank you” note?
There is no single right way to pull it off but some general conventions still apply when writing thank you notes following a job or informational interview. When sending a note, be sure to:

  • Send the thank you/follow-up email to the interviewer within 24 hours of the interview. Hiring processes can be done quickly, so hand written cards to follow up on job interviews might not be feasible. However, for informational interviews, sending a written thank you note within a week is a good way to stand out and show your extra appreciation (this can be done in addition to the 24-hour email).
  • Refer to when the interview occurred.
  • Refer to important parts of your conversation with them, such as highlighting a specific piece of advice that resonated with you.
  • For job interviews, reaffirm your interest in the position and why the interview made you even more interested in that position.
  • End with an invitation for further follow up.

Here’s an example format of email to guide you:
Subject: Thank you for the interview opportunity

Dear Mr./Ms./Mx. [Interviewer’s Last Name],
Thank you for speaking with me yesterday about my interest in the [job position you are applying for] role at [organization name]. I sincerely appreciate the time you to took to explain the position and all that it would entail.


I enjoyed our discussion on [add specific references to the conversation]. It only further reaffirmed my interest in the position, as it [explanation of why you are interested in this position]. I am confident that my prior experiences have prepared me to jump right into the role, especially [very brief explanation of why you think you are qualified for the job].


Thank you again for your consideration and for providing me the opportunity to meet with you and your team. Please let me know if there is any other information I can provide as you move forward in the hiring process.
Sincerely,
[Name]


You can find examples here and find more here. If needed, the Career Center has thank you cards available for your use. And, as always, if you need help writing a follow-up note or anything else, you can always make an appointment there!


Raisa Fatima ’23, Career Peer Educator

Hiring Timeline and Internship Programs Series Part 2: Rotational Internships and Educational Programs

While summer is great to enjoy your time off, it is also a good time to start searching or applying for internships. There are many programs for anyone interested in a career relating to the #BE community. We have already covered many summer internships and their hiring timelines in Part 1, which you can see here. This week, we have Part 2 which covers Rotational Internships and Educational Programs.
Rotational Internships require you to work in multiple roles. Some of these types of programs are full-time jobs geared towards new grads. Educational or Training programs involve the participant’s learning.
Most applications for Rotational and Educational Programs open around July or August and the deadlines are usually in September or October for the following summer. It would be wise to plan ahead as during Lawrence’s academic year, you may find yourself busy with classes when these deadlines arrive. Here are some internships to start your search over the summer categorized by when their applications open to help plan out your application process.


Applications opening in July:

  • Cigna: Sales Academy – Deadline in October. For graduates who have had their Bachelor’s for 0-3 years.
  • Cigna: Actuarial Executive Development Program (AEDP) – Deadline in November. For graduates who have their Bachelor’s degree and professional experience for 0-4 years. Successful completion of minimum one SOA examination strongly recommended.

Applications opening in late August or early September:

Ongoing Applications:

Others:

  • Spotify: FAR Program – Deadline is in mid-February. This program is for recent graduates who identify with one or more underrepresented groups.
  • Glaxo Smith-Kline: Future Leaders Graduate Program – This 2-3 year program includes various opportunities in business, marketing, R&D and more!
  • Northern Trust: Opportunities and Student Programs – 12-18 month program for recent graduates. 3.0 GPA preferred.

Educational and Training Programs :

  • JP Morgan Chase: Winning Women Program and Advancing Black Pathways Program – Chase’s Winning Women Program is for currently enrolled female undergraduates that is open from May 2021 and closes by late June. Advancing Black Pathways is for students from underrepresented groups, first generation college students and others facing significant barriers when entering the financial industry. Applications are currently closed but if this interests you, feel free to keep an eye on it for next year!
  • International Monetary Fund Research Assistant Program – For recent graduates with a GPA of 3.5 and higher.
  • Disney: International Exchange and College Programs – The International Exchange program is for currently enrolled undergraduate students while the college programs are for both students and recent graduates.
  • Harvard Business School (HBS): Summer Venture in Management – Not to be confused with HBS’s CORe business classes, this management program is geared towards students who are from groups currently underrepresented in the corporate world, are first generation college students, or from schools whose graduates are underrepresented.

Once again, the majority of internships open during August/September and end up closing in the middle of our fall or winter terms, which makes it difficult to apply while handling all your other responsibilities at Lawrence. You can schedule an appointment with Grace, our #BE advisor (she’s available all summer too), or with Raisa, our CPE, to get help in planning ahead and preparing your applications!
Raisa Fatima ’23 Career Peer Educator