Foreign Government Procurement Intern at U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
What are some of your responsibilities as a foreign government procurement intern?
My responsibilities include taking in advocacy questionnaires from U.S. firms. I enter and track the cases in the advocacy center’s database to create and analyze reports on the advocacy center’s activities across the world.
Is your internship remote?
Yes. I work remotely from Chicago along with other interns and full-time staff who are working in Washington, D.C., across the U.S. and around the world. Additionally, we have one-off meetings throughout the week with executives from U.S. companies who are seeking advocacy in the MEA region, U.S. government employees (USG) within the International Trade Administration, and USG employees from other agencies, such as the State Department.
How did you find this internship? Did it take long to find?
I discovered my internship via
Handshake. I was looking for internships over the summer, and in mid-July, I found a remote opportunity that matched my interests in government/international affairs and my post-graduation goal of working in D.C. It took a little patience on my end to find something that matched my interests and allowed me to intern remotely with a D.C.-based government agency, but it was well worth the wait.
Do you have any advice for students looking to find an internship?
Handshake has a lot of options for internships, which can seem overwhelming, but I utilized filters, such as location, job type and industry,
to find one that met my criteria. Additionally, apply to as many internships as possible, both in and outside your interests. You never know what you may find when searching for internships but be open to all opportunities.
Why are you majoring in Economics?
I enjoy the courses offered in the international economics focus area, with Chinese studies as a minor. I knew I wanted to study how nation-states interact in the global economy with a particular focus on how China’s growing global economic influence will impact the economic and political system of the world.
What job do you hope to get when you graduate?
After graduation, I plan on attending graduate school in China in the fall 2023-2024 academic year. However, I am open to returning to the advocacy center or other sub-agencies within the International Trade Administration before starting grad school. After grad school, I am interested in applying to the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service within the State Department and serving as a federal law enforcement officer overseas at U.S. diplomatic posts. I am also interested in working for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and serving as a policy analyst/researcher to understand the implications of growing trade and economic ties between the People’s Republic of China and other ASEAN countries in the Asia-Pacific region.