This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/479212500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The U.S. Department of State is the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency. We work to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world to benefit the American people and people everywhere. The Department’s employees work at more than 270 embassies, consulates, and missions around the world and at domestic offices in Washington D.C. and across the United States.
The U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program is a paid, intensive internship offering U.S. citizen undergraduate students a chance to participate in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy, working closely with representatives of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign and Civil Services. The program is both professionally and academically beneficial, providing participants with hands-on experience and insight into the substance and daily operations of U.S. foreign policy. Training modules on diplomatic history and writing skills provide additional benefits compared to the typical internship.
Students will have the opportunity to submit requests for their preferred State Dept. bureau for their first summer internship. This does not guarantee placement within any specific bureau, but it will serve as a starting point for placement. During the first internship, students will submit a list of embassies overseas in which they request to serve the following summer. No danger or high threat posts will be permitted. While USFSIP seeks to factor student preferences into internship placement, participants should be prepared to be assigned elsewhere as needed.
The U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program is not a job program. It consists of two temporary appointments for experiential learning. USFSIP does not confer eligibility for non-competitive hire to career positions in the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign or Civil Services. USFSIP is NOT a Pathways program for paid students and recent graduate trainees.
Key Requirements
09/15/2017 to 09/24/2017
$11.87 - $11.87 per hour
GS 04
Temporary - Interns serve for a period of ten weeks each during the summers of 2018 and 2019.
Full-time - This announcement is for full time internships.
04
No
USFSIP-2017-0003
479212500
The Department of State provides student interns with opportunities which are both educationally and professionally substantive in nature. The purpose of the program is to allow students to experience the formulation of U.S. foreign policy as well as the operation of the U.S. Department of State and our diplomatic facilities. The course on U.S. diplomatic history will help prepare interns with knowledge necessary to perform successfully on policy desks. The writing instruction will aid in familiarizing students with professional writing standards and practices, including Department of State style. Specific duties and responsibilities will vary according to the domestic office or overseas post of assignment.
Previous Department of State interns have summarized embassy reporting on current developments, written reports on human rights issues, drafted briefing papers for foreign policy meetings, helped review and vet proposed assistance projects and recipients, researched economic and environmental issues, monitored and evaluated media reporting, supported educational and cultural exchange activities and worked on web pages and electronic journals.
To qualify you must:
Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above.. Students must be rising juniors or seniors when they begin the program, i.e., in their sophomore or junior year when applying.
Security Clearances
All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to undergo a pre-employment background investigation for the necessary security clearance. Interns going overseas for the second summer of this internship program may be required to receive a higher level of clearance than previously required for the first summer in Washington.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) advises that routine SECRET level clearances normally require 120 to 150 days to complete. Investigations may take substantially longer if you have a history of extensive overseas travel, education, residence and/or employment; or if you have dual citizenship, foreign contacts, immediate family, relatives, and/or a spouse or partner who is a citizen of a foreign country. In addition, if DS identifies a security, suitability, or medical issue, your investigation may require additional time to process and review. These issues could include, but are not limited to, a current or past history of drug or alcohol abuse, indications of a mental or emotional health condition, or indications of financial problems. You should consult the Adjudicative Guidelines for Determining Access to Classified Information (http://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/60321.htm ) to review how these considerations could affect your application. Such issues may not necessarily preclude DS from granting you a security clearance, but they will likely lengthen the time required to complete the clearance process.
We cannot guarantee that every selectee will be able to obtain a security clearance before the May 1st deadline, if at all. Because the timeframe between conditional selection for an internship and entry on duty is relatively short (six to eight months), DS may not be able to adjudicate a non-routine case in time for the selected student to participate in the scheduled internship. In addition, where the applicant has strong foreign ties to a particular country, approval for an internship in that country or working on that country may be problematic. We therefore encourage students to seek internship assignments for countries with which they do not have substantial foreign ties.
Other Internship Opportunities
If you wish to be considered for other internship opportunities within the Department of State, you are required to complete a job application separate from the one that you must complete for the USFSIP. You will not be considered for another program without completing an application for that particular program.
Equal Opportunity
It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all of its employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination, whether that discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.
Reasonable Accommodation
This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Employee Relations, Disability/Reasonable Accommodations Division, at (202) 261-8163 or reasonableaccommodations@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
A selection panel will review the applications of qualified students who submit a complete and timely application package via USAJobs. They determine the extent to which an applicant's education, experience, and background indicates that he/she possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the internship. The merit-based selection criteria reflects the range of skills needed for success in the Foreign Service. These are tied to the following dimensions sought in Foreign Service candidates: Cultural Adaptability; Information Integration and Analysis; Initiative and Leadership; Judgment; Oral Communication; Written Communication; Planning and Organizing; Working with Others. In addition, the selection committee will take into consideration whether a student faces financial need or other adverse circumstances.
Once selections are finalized, student files are forwarded to Department of State bureaus for internship placement. Representatives from the Bureaus may contact candidates directly for more information or possible interviews. Others may make selections based solely on the quality of a candidate’s written application.
Selected students may expect to receive notifications from the last week of October until December 1st. All selections are conditional and subject to receiving a security clearance by May 1st and maintaining the necessary academic standing. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Diplomat in Residence for their region to discuss their interest in this program specifically or State Department careers generally. (http://careers.state.gov/connect/dir)
To preview questions please click here.
Part IV – Required Documents:
The fourth part of the application process is the submission of required documents. These documents MUST be included in your online application for it to be complete. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. These documents are a transcript and a Student Aid Report (SAR).
Transcripts: Your current or most recent transcript must be included in your online application per the instructions below. Usually one transcript is sufficient, but if an additional transcript is needed to document your stated GPA, you must supply it here. Both official AND unofficial transcripts are acceptable as part of the application process. However, if you are selected for an internship, you will be required to provide official transcripts by December 1st. Your official transcript must show that you are a current and continuing student.
SAR: A PDF copy of your 2017-18 Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be included in your online application per the instructions below. If you do not have a SAR, explain why in a short statement, describe your financial hardship, and upload that statement in place of your SAR.
Once you have completed the online questionnaire, including the Statement of Interest, you will be prompted to attach the required documents to your application. This can be accomplished by one of two methods:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the "Gateway to State" system. To begin the application process, please click on the "Apply Online" button to the right.
You have until 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. This includes submitting your online application as well as any required documents as defined in the Required Documents section. Candidates are encouraged to complete their applications well before the application deadline for guaranteed consideration. If you should run into any technical issues, please do not hesitate to contact the Help Desk at 1-866-656-6830 or mgshelp@Monster.com to ensure your application’s submission.
Please read all instructions carefully.
There are four parts to the online application process:
Application Status
Applicants may view the status of their application on the Gateway to State site. CLICK HEREand enter your login information. Click "Applications," under the "Application Status" heading select "More Information." On the following screen, you will be able to verify your application status.
Application Timeline for 2017-18 cycle
Application Deadline (including all supporting documents): September 24, 2017
Two References: No Later than September 27
Selectees notified of selection by Student Programs Office via e-mail: Mid-to-late October
Non-selects notified by e-mail by Student Programs Office via e-mail: Mid-to-late October
Selectees complete and submit security clearance paperwork, and submit official transcripts: Early-November
Interns Enter on Duty: May 29, 2017 (Travel is expected on Monday, May 28, Memorial Day)
Internship Ends: August 3, 2017 (USFSIP interns may continue to work up to an additional four weeks but would do so without salary or housing assistance.)
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/479212500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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