Thank you letter

To my supervisor:

I wanted to thank you for taking me on in the role of trade specialist intern for the
Summer of 2014. Five years since the last intern anywhere in the embassy meant it was far from a given that someone would occupy that role and the ease you made it with transitioning into the office made it a memorable experience. You trusted me to take on projects that I would only have dreamed about before I arrived and made the internship so much more valuable than simply shadowing and making coffee. You aided me in understanding a system that I was not at all familiar with and created a potential career path I had not previously considered. On top of all that you opened up your personal life and your friends to me to make my stay all the more enjoyable. Hopefully one day I'll find myself back in South Africa, for business or pleasure and we can catch up.

Best Regards,
Thomas

Most Important thing I learned

I think my biggest takeaway from the internship looking back was the exposure to federal government, especially while in a foreign country. I have job shadowed and had various other internships and each brings with it the exposure to the practices and standards presents in each industry and field. In a sense then, I gained the insight that I could completely make a career out of working for The U.S. Department of Commerce in many different capacities. 

free write 2

Interviewing for a job in a different state or country? Does anyone else feel like it is nearly impossible to give a good impression and account of yourself via a telephone or Skype interview? Perhaps its just me but I feel far more confident and connected in person and I believe it shows up in the interview process.

There is an obvious lack of personal communication that is absent in those two forms of interviewing and I never walk away feeling confident of my chances, regardless of my experience level. I have read online about reactions similar to mine that come from the hiring manager as well. They talk about feeling awkward talking about the position and completing numerous interviews online, and often don't feel like the person they select is always the same person who walks in the door on the first day to sign paperwork.

Is there a better way to do online interviews? Should they follow a different style than the interviews done in person to compensate for the lack of human interaction?

free write 1

I was wondering how valuable internships were in various sectors. Sure the internship has proven success for both the intern and the company in standard industries such as field research, business, and the arts, but for some industries I'm not sure what the intern gains. To be sure its hard to find a reason that any company, regardless of the industry shouldn't look to get a few interns in, as they represent (generally) cheaper labor options that are paired with individuals eager to impress. So what does an intern in, lets say the IT industry or retail industry, gain by completing an internship? Sure experience is an easy answer, but to be worth more than a position where you can gain experience and be paid in the same process with the chance to receive more benefits, the internship has to provide a different type of experience. Simply making coffee for administrative officials at Macy's headquarters wont net you any more valuable experience than being hired to be the clerk at a similar location. My two cents.

career services

I attended a career services conference in Seattle about a month ago. It was put on by numerous colleges in the Seattle area including but not limited to: The University of Washington (all three campuses), Seattle University, and Saint Martins University. Of interest were a few the speakers, all former professors and long time local government officials. In between speeches there was information settings and time to chat with others who attended.

Unlike other conferences of this type that I have attended, the demographics of the conference were mostly of college aged young adults and not career individuals. It provided that chance to gauge how others in similar situations were going about making themselves known in their careers, a series of chats that was worth nearly as much as the conference itself.

Overall it was a conference well worth attending.

organizational strength

I think The U.S. Department of Commerce as an organization would be described by most as a strong organization. The branch I worked for in particular was small but successful in what they were tasked to do. Clients thought so as well, rating each of their interactions with the office as meeting or exceeding expectations.

I'm not sure anything stood out as things I would change. If pressed I would perhaps look for a better office space. The physical appearance and style of The U.S. Department of Commerce's offices in the embassy were very plain and basic. It always felt like a outside location would make a better impression on clients, but as our job was to create meetings and act as an intermediary for the client and their potential partners, our office's appearance does not represent a huge area of concern.

Free Write: Challenges of an Internship during the World Cup

Laugh if you must but I found it tough to stay focused during the World Cup this summer. To some like myself, The World Cup represents the highest of all sporting events, easily beating out The Super Bowl, Olympics, and The World Series. During the most recent incarnation, which happens every four years, I was living and working in South Africa, a country who love soccer and get World Cup Crazy ever since they hosted it in 2010. Thanks to the time zone changes between South Africa and Brazil, the games were live after 7:00 pm to midnight, ideal for those who were working 9-5. I'd meet up with friends on Long Street (Cape Town's version of Bourbon Avenue in New Orleans) for drinks and to watch the games. Much later on I'd taxi home and prepare for the next day of work but after four weeks of games it began to take a toll. Not that I'm complaining, I love the World Cup and can't wait for the next one in 2018 in Russia.