Archive for internships

UNANY Summer Scholars 2019 Winners

Our second-year MPA-DP ’20 students Fatène Ben-Hamza and Emily Boytinck were invited to the annual 2019 UN Day Humanitarian Awards Gala Dinner. The event commemorating the work of the United Nations has also became an elegant celebration of the work of our UNANY  Summer Scholars 2019 Winners.

Fatène Ben-Hamza spent her summer working at the UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office in the ADAP section (adolescent development and participation) in Amman, Jordan. During summer she focused on developing materials for improving the engagement of young people in humanitarian settings, an analysis of young people participation in social movements and finally on building a case for participatory budgeting in Jordan.

Emily Boytinck, had her summer placement at UNFPA country office in Dakar, Senegal. Under the authority of the Representative and the direct supervision of the Reproductive Health Program Officer, Emily worked with the reproductive health team to advance Senegal’s country program. As a UNANY Summer Scholar, she collaborated with office staff and national partners, and contributed to data collection, analysis and produce reports related to reproductive health (RH) with a focus on the topics of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and menstrual health in emergencies.

Emily’s and Fatène’s achievements while working in country offices located in Jordan and Senegal immeasurably added to a deeper appreciation of what UNFPA and UNICEF do towards a more just and sustainable future.

Learn more about the MPA-DP Program:

Tips for making the most out of your internship search

Applying for internships can be daunting. Here are a few tips to make it more manageable:

  1. Look through the OCS Internship Report Database on SIPAlink

In order to fulfill the internship credit, all students need to complete a comprehensive questionnaire about their internship experience. I found the OCS Internship Report Database on SIPAlink a great resource to get a better idea of what other students have done. (SIPA’s Office of Career Services, or OCS, is dedicated just to SIPA students.) Before I started applying for internships, I filtered through the different career fields and looked at what organizations or companies students interned at. If you see an internship that you’re extremely interested in, you can reach out to the student or even maybe the supervisor.

  1. Attend OCS’s concentration/specialization career panels and info sessions

Every week or so OCS sends out an email with all the career panels and info sessions they planned. Make sure to look out for the email and register for as many of the events as you can. It’s a great way to learn more about the field, talk to alumni, and make connections. I recently went to a resume workshop that an alumni led. He went through our resumes one by one and provided great advice.

  1. Reach out to Alumni on the Linkedin page

We have a “SIPA Alumni and Student Network” group on LinkedIn that, as of today, has over 8,000 members. I recommend reaching out to alumni to set up an informational interview. Alumni generally are very responsive and willing to help our their fellow Seeple. Please note that incoming students will be approved as group members beginning the week of orientation.

  1. Make a list of interesting places

We often have guest speakers in our classes who are doing amazing work around the world. I started making a list of organizations and companies I found interesting. When I was looking for internships, I started with that list.

Best of luck with your internship search!

How to find an internship (or job) like a Seeple

Internships are an integral part of the student experience at SIPA. They open exciting new doors for our students and expose them to paths they may have never discovered if left to their own devices. While the incoming class doesn’t have to worry about finding an internship (or even a job) right now, it never hurts to learn the tricks to finding your ideal one. And SIPA offers several resources to make the job hunt easier. So one of our program assistants, Tinsley Corbett, MPA ’15, decided to share her job-hunting strategy with all of you. Thus, making it her farewell post on the SIPA Admissions Blog. (While Tinsley writes it from the vantage point of finding that post-graduation job, the tips are still applicable to new students looking for an internship upon enrolling at SIPA.)

Read More →

Careers in International Affairs

Prospective students often ask questions about the types experience we look for and the types of careers graduates of our programs pursue.  One great resource related to this topic is the book Careers in International Affairs.

It is quite common for career services offices at colleges to carry the book so if you are still in school I would recommend dropping by to see if it is available. If not, ask them to order it.  If you are out of school you might check public libraries or it is available in book or digital form via Amazon.com.  Below is the very robust table of contents – it is a great book no matter your age or experience level.

Part I: Strategies

1 INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS JOB MARKET
Maria Pinto Carland

2 INTERVIEWING
Maria Pinto Carland

3 NETWORKING
Maria Pinto Carland

4 FINDING AND WORKING WITH A MENTOR
Maria Pinto Carland

5 CHOOSING A GRADUATE SCHOOL
Candace Faber

Part II: Types of Employers

6 THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

Careers in the U.S. Government
Matthew McManus

Careers in the U.S. Foreign Service
Maura Harty

Reflections on Joining the Foreign Service
Yvonne Gonzales

Careers on Capitol Hill
Denis McDonough

Careers in Intelligence Analysis
Volko F. Ruhnke

Introduction to the Presidential Management Fellows Program
Robert F. Danbeck

A Presidential Management Fellow Looks Back
Beth Flores

7 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Careers in International Organizations
Jorge Chediek

Starting Out at the United Nations
Alf Ivar Blikberg

8 BANKING

Careers in Banking
Jeff Bernstein

Getting Started in Banking
Jae Lee

9 BUSINESS

Careers in Business
Karla Sullivan Bousquet

10 BUSINESS-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS

Careers in Business-Related Organizations
Jonathan Huneke

Getting Started in Business—Government Relations
Stephen Ziehm

11 CONSULTING

Careers in Consulting
Lindsey Tyler Argalas

12 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF

Careers in International Development
Kristi Ragan

Careers in Relief
Patricia L. Delaney

13 NONPROFIT AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Careers in Nonprofits
Denis Dragovic

14 RESEARCH INSTITUTES

Careers in University Research Institutes
Elizabeth Gardner

Getting Started in Research Institutes
Emile El-Hokayem

Career Services – Recruiters’ Guide

When describing SIPA to prospective applicants I will often say that SIPA is not an employment agency, however it is our job as a school to produce graduates that are prized in the policy marketplace.  Our curriculum is designed to equip graduates with the tools and skills that are desired by organizations in all sectors – public, private, and nonprofit.

The Office of Career Services (OCS) plays an important part in the development of our students.  OCS is responsible for running our professional development classes and assists students with resume and cover letter writing along with interview training.

The OCS mission extends beyond student development and includes extensive outreach to employers.  This includes site visits to employers, setting up recruitment opportunities at SIPA, hosting an annual career conference in Washington DC, and posting internships and jobs available to SIPA students and alumni.

Newly admitted students will have the opportunity to begin working with OCS during orientation.  As a short preview of the outreach that OCS performs, click here to view the OCS Recruiters’ Guide (PDF document).

"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."

—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

Boiler Image