We apologize for our absence from the blogging world over the past few months. We're going to kick off our new series of blogs with a post from Erica, who just returned from interning at the U.S. Department of State during the fall. Here's what she has to say:
Hello blogging community, my name is Erica and I’m a
senior double majoring in International Relations and Political Theory &
Constitutional Democracy through James Madison College at MSU. It’s hard to
believe that I am working my way through my final undergraduate semester. These
past 4 years have flown by faster than I thought possible, but I’ve done all I
can do to make the most of my Spartan experience. With graduation quickly
approaching I've been filling out lots of applications and am trying to figure
out what my life will look like post-MSU.
As daunting as this task is I have to say that James Madison
College’s required Field Experience has provided me with a great foundation for
the career hunt. James Madison College students are required to complete a
field experience or study abroad for credit once they reach junior status.
These experiences help students take their learning outside the classroom and
apply their skills to real world scenarios. I have been fortunate enough to
complete multiple study abroad programs and internships and each of them has
been an eye-opening experience. However, my most recent experience during the
2013 Fall Semester was the internship I chose to use for my Field Experience.
I made the choice to spend my fall semester off campus in
order to complete my program. Many students complete their internships during
the summer sessions or stay in the Lansing area, but I relocated to Washington,
D.C. and took the opportunity to intern with the U.S. Department of State. The
experience was almost surreal, but it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for
my studies and academic interests. I moved down to Washington, D.C. at the end
of August, just as many of my peers were beginning their classes at MSU. During
my 14 weeks in D.C. I was still enrolled as an MSU student but instead of
attending classes I was working 40 hours a week. The shift into the work environment
was not unknown to me, having worked as a student employee at MSU, but I’ll
admit that is was a little odd not going home and having homework to complete. Instead
I stayed busy maintaining my connections with student groups at MSU while also
building numerous new friendships and connections in the D.C. area. I explored
the city on weekends and tried to soak up all D.C. had to offer…which included
a great Spartan network that bonded over MSU Football at the local MSU bar.
At the conclusion of the internship I was required to write
a couple of papers reflecting on my experience and what I have learned. While
the papers have been helpful in processing all the things I did over the 14
weeks in D.C., I think one of the biggest lessons I learned was the perseverance
of applying to internships in the first place. During the spring of my junior
year I applied to countless internship programs. I felt like all I did was
constantly edit my resume and cover letter and more often than not I would send
off my application and never hear back. However, as I return to the application
process—now for full-time positions—I appreciate the countless hours I spent on
applications last year. Now, not only do I have practice with application and
interview skills, but I can discuss the various projects and assignments I have
completed during my internships. And better yet I know that while it may take
hours upon hours of applications, success is possible.
Erica
Senior
IR & PTCD
Erica
Senior
IR & PTCD
