International Trade Administration - US Commercial Service - DC Student Internship Program
The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Internship Experience
As part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS) is the premier federal agency that helps U.S. companies export goods and services, resolve market barriers, and promotes foreign investment into the United States. CS is part of a global network of 106 domestic offices and 119 international offices in 78 markets across the globe. As trusted intermediaries with extensive public and private sector contacts, credibility and influence in foreign markets, CS effectively assists U.S. businesses and partners in entering and expanding international markets, addressing barriers to accessing foreign markets, winning foreign government procurements and attracting inward investment.
What can you expect from this internship?
The Office of Strategy & Engagement (OSE) within CS is looking for undergraduate or graduate interns to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of CS; help senior management make informed decisions and solve organizational problems; and advocate for CS customers and employees (i.e. OSE operates as an internal consultancy/think tank for the organization). OSE accomplishes this by facilitating strategic planning, collecting and analyzing data, coordinating performance reporting, conducting and managing program evaluations, identifying and implementing business process improvements, and managing the customer experience across the organization.
OSE’s internship program is designed to provide real world experience to compliment academic lessons in statistics, economics, international trade and business, international affairs, marketing, and communications. Through hands-on experience, interns will come to have a solid understanding of:
- Problems confronting small to medium sized companies in the international marketplace
- Problems that confront policy makers as they attempt to open international markets for U.S. products
- Statistics and econometrics
- Data visualization
- Social media and marketing communications
Though the internship is unpaid, the valuable experience gained during the program can prove to be very beneficial in the future, especially if the intern is interested in working for the federal government. Please note that due to COVID-19, this position will be remote (i.e. teleworking from home), and will not be required to work in Washington, DC.
Eligibility requirements
- You must be a U.S. citizen.
- You must be at least a half-time student pursuing a bachelors or graduate degree.
- You must be able to work 40 hours a week.
If you are a student interested in pursuing an internship with us and meet the eligibility requirements, please email your resume and cover letter to John Seo at john.seo@trade.gov.