Lifecycle of a Maxwell Intern

November 3, 2015 • by Beth Gawne

Perhaps you’re a prospective MAIR student and you’re wondering what you can expect concerning any internship you might fancy going into if you come to Maxwell. Or perhaps you’re curious about the general application process for pretty much any job– especially one with a government entity. This might be a rather long post, however hopefully it can break down the process in a way that makes it seem less daunting/abstract! I certainly wish I had known some of this before I started the process!

Stage 1: Searching and Applying

You have to first find your internship/job and apply to it. Although Maxwell will help with resources to find postings, advice on resumes, etc., the process of applying is all up to you. As long as it is internationally focused, it doesn’t really matter too much what you choose. You could work for the UN, a non-profit, or even a politician who focuses on international issues. Heck, you could get a full-on paid job and reap the benefits of not going too much into debt!

For official governmental internships/jobs, such as US State Department ones, typically the application comes out 6 months or so before the day you can expect to start. For my fall internship, that was around March. For summer I believe it’s around December. You’ll have to usually apply through USAJobs for those.
However, if you’re interested in international organizations or non-profits, those internship applications typically go out anywhere from a few months to a few days before the proposed start day. A classmate of mine got her submission, interview, and response almost days before she would have had to be in Geneva with a visa allowing her to be there. It’s a complicated process at some times, but with enough gusto, forethought, and planning it can be relatively painless.

Example of the UN Internship Process:

Screen Shot 2015-09-18 at 3.49.51 PM — Taken from https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AP

Stage 2: Notification

You have to be given the internship before you can do it, and again Maxwell cannot magically give the internship to you, but make you more competitive. Assuming you’ve shown the best that you can offer and you’re a good fit, you can expect a response in a relatively timely manner. With official organizations that usually comes within a pre-determined time frame, but with non-profits or more loosely run organizations it might take some nudging to get responses.

Stage 2.5: Background Checks (For governmental internships)

Assuming you get accepted, governmental internships typically require a background check or security clearance. Mine for the US government needed a “secret” clearance level, which meant they needed fingerprints, interviews with me, and knowledge of all foreign nationals who I remain in contact with.

One tip I wish I had known earlier: If you’re in DC for any reason, get your fingerprints done digitally at the Diplomatic Security (or comparable organization) office. I had mine taken at the SU department of public safety and they were rejected due to “unreadability.” In fact, almost all of us State department interns had our clearances delayed due to fingerprints.

Stage 3: Find Housing

Again, this is something that is not a given when looking for internships, but Maxwell will still help you with as much as they can. In DC, Maxwell has housing they can provide for students, and I know in Geneva there were intern dormitories. However, depending on where you are and your budget, oftentimes you’ll have to find your own housing. Finding a roommate can help with costs, and sometimes you can get rent with utilities included. Of course, don’t forget to take a look (or get someone to take a look) first if you’re renting an apartment and are able to!

Here are other options:

Hostels and hotels can offer long-term leases if you ask ahead of time and negotiate a reasonable rate
Some universities or areas offer dormitories, apartments, or intern housing
Craigslist has some subleases, especially in the summer.
Air BnB has some good options as well if you work fast!
Utilizing the Maxwell alumni network could also prove fruitful. Sometimes people want to find sub-letters who they trust, and Maxwell tends to be trustworthy!
Sometimes you can only find a 12-month lease, in which case you can coordinate with another Maxwell student doing an internship the semester before/after you. For example, PD students have to do their DC internship in spring, so you could coordinate with them to take over a long-term lease after you leave in the fall.

Stage 4: Move and Start the Internship!

After you drive/train ride/fly to the host location, get your suit pressed, buy your transit passes, and sleep through any jet lag, you’ll be ready to go! You might have an orientation, like I did with the State Department, or you might just show up and get started. All organizations have different processes, and you’ll have to connect with your supervisor or coordinator to learn what specifically you need to do.

However, if you find yourself waiting around a bit while security clearances work themselves out, never fear! It happens all the time– heck it happened to me!– and there are usually Maxwell administration around to help you in the case of any last-minute issues.

Stage 5: Classes and Internship Credit Requirements

You might start classes before your internship starts, after it starts, or not at all. Some Maxwell programs have classes available, such as the one in DC. However, if you choose a more exotic location or one off the beaten path, there may not be classes available. Either way you’ll have to get credits for the internship, and that requires certain procedures, such as written reports about the work you do and the organization and confirmation from the internship supervisor. Sometimes there are visits as well to see how you are faring and the fit.

Stage 6: Have a Great Time!

Whether it’s exploring your host city, traveling around the region, meeting people from other IR programs, going to alumni networking events, or simply experiencing what it’s like to work in an internationally-based organization, the required internship portion of the MAIR degree is one of the best things you can do!

(Japanese-style hotpot jamboree! AKA 鍋パーティー)

Hey, you have to pay for 3-6 credits anyway to graduate, you might as well do it learning hands-on skills in the actual organizations you want to work for!

(Hidden) Stage 8: Network!

Sometimes your internship will lead to a job. Sometimes it won’t. Sometimes you have to go back to Syracuse after all the fun is over and finish your degree (like me). No matter what you do, the experiential internship is an amazing time to network, get to know the field you want to go into, and meet all sorts of people.

Bureaucracy: How Things Get Done in Foreign Affairs

October 22, 2015 • by Beth Gawne

I’ve been thinking about bureaucracy a lot lately, especially as I hit my 4th week in the Department of State. This past summer, the MPA students took “Public Administration and Democracy,” where we learned that basically bureaucracy exists to get things done. Sure, there’s the glitz and glamor of policy and politics, but when it gets down to it, bureaucracy lies at the heart of a functioning society. Of course, back then my impression of what that meant was in terms of making sure the lights come on and the buses run (sometimes even on time). However, I never realized how that related to foreign affairs until now.

Source: http://media.fakeposters.com/results/2012/01/28/zniah5e4q3.jpg — *Not even tanks can escape the bureaucracy of the toll booth operator!*

Bureaucracy helps make US embassies safe. Bureaucracy uphold US diplomatic relationships with other nations. Bureaucracy keeps nasty weapons out of the wrong hands. Heck… bureaucracies even help us MAIR interns get to our internships when we fly! When it comes to State Department bureaucracy, there’s a lot of waiting around for clearances, for badges, and even for access to a computer. You have to check a document that 10 other people have checked, then forward it on for 5 more people to check over. I used to think this was over-kill, but then when I considered what might happen without these checks… well, those things that I mentioned in the first few sentences might not be the case anymore. International security and foreign relations might be compromised without these basic steps that so annoy all of us.

Whether it’s diplomacy, humanitarian aid, international organizations, trade, or nonproliferation, bureaucracy makes sure that policies can be put into place. It helps the right people get the right resources in order to make sure everyone can do their job. Without it, we’d just have a bunch of words and nothing being done. All of the things that people want to actually do in the world wouldn’t be able to happen if bureaucrats weren’t rolling up their sleeves and typing up some memos to an embassy. It’s just amazed me how many of the officers in DOS rely on this kind of bureaucracy to make sure things happen. International relations isn’t just a set of theories and abstract concepts about security or development work…. instead it’s filled with real people doing real work to make the world a better place. And the rules that govern them help keep it all relatively in order despite everything that’s working against it.

*(source: http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-the-only-thing-that-saves-us-from-bureaucracy-is-its-inefficiency-an-efficient-bureaucracy-is-the-eugene-mccarthy-330947.jpg)*

If it’s one last thing I’ve learned in the State Department– besides lots of foreign affairs– it’s that MAIR students learn just as much about bureaucracy as MPA students. We may not have the requirement to take the specific class on it (although thanks to Maxwell we’re still 100% able to take the class), but we sure as heck learn about it during our time here anyway. The internship has been an incredible way to take all of the big concepts we learned in the classroom in Syracuse and apply it directly to what we want to be doing in the first place. This is even more important when you consider how hard it is to get your foot in the door in some of these places.

Also, it wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the mad writing skills that Maxwell has helped me gain– I’ve gotten so many compliments on my memos!

Intern by day, student by night

October 4, 2015 • by Beth Gawne

It’s only been a week, and already I’ve gotten lost more times than I can count in the State Department HQ. You’d think Sarah Winchester designed that place!

But in all seriousness, despite all the bureaucratic hoops and craziness, interning alongside my classes has been really great so far. Not only do I get to learn about diplomacy and US foreign policy, I get to see it in action! Oh, and I get to wear a suit and pretend that I actually have a job and am making money doing cool international relations stuff:

Besides that, I think what I like best about this entire Global programs opportunity is that I get to do this while meeting all sorts of interesting interns and students from other schools around the US. The shared confusion over bureaucratic paperwork, hallways that make no sense, and a general awesome attitude toward interns (I mean, we’re not just human coffee makers? We have to do real work? What madness is this?!) all gives us a sense of bonding that I definitely didn’t expect. It’s no wonder the State Department made #3 in best governmental jobs to work at!

I also didn’t expect to go to an actual Senate hearing about the Republic of Korea and US civil nuclear energy deals. Yeah… that was pretty freaking cool. Sitting in meetings with interesting people, seeing US policy implementation in action, and even getting to know everyone has been a wonderful experience. But, what’s even cooler is learning about this while also going more in-depth in the actual background of the problem through my classes. I’m taking a course on national security and defense as well as on statecraft and soft power, both of which tie seamlessly into my internship and help me better understand the work I’m doing.

photo (2) — At CSIS talking about China-US relations!

Something else I’ve realized is just how lucky I really am to go to Maxwell. Everyone at the State thinks I had to take time off school to do this internship, especially since Maxwell isn’t located in DC. They’re even more surprised when I tell them that I’m taking actual SU classes in person. Since the internship is a requirement for the MAIR program, Maxwell makes completing it seamless so that you can get everything done without delaying your graduation date. In a sense, by coming to Maxwell, I’ve not only got the benefits of an excellent education with top faculty, but also the chances to intern at DC like someone at GW or American without the full DC price tag!

And, hey, the winters in Syracuse aren’t that bad…