SPP Students Urged to Start Early and Think Strategically about their Internships
SPP students gathered to hear about the experiences of second-year MPA and Mundus MAPP students and a recent graduate of the One-Year MAPP program, all of whom completed internships in 2015-16, during an Internship Roundtable organized by SPP's Office of Career Services and Alumni Relations on October 11. The panelists reported interesting learning outcomes and takeaways from their internships.
In her introductory remarks, Career Services and Alumni Relations Coordinator Marija Stojanovska Rupcic urged SPP students to approach internships as part of a larger professional development strategy. That's what Faryal Sajjad (MPA '17) did. "I know that I want to work on children's rights, so that's what I focused on when looking for an internship," she said. Armine Hakhinyan (MPA '17) targeted her search on internships that would provide an opportunity to deepen her knowledge of pension reform, recently a major issue in her home country of Armenia. Prior to enrolling at SPP, Hakhinyan had worked on this issue from within the Armenian public sector. Her internship turned out to be an invaluable opportunity to learn about the challenges that arise during the implementation stage when dealing with a specific public policy issue. Tamara Stupalova (MPA '17) took advantage of her internship with UNHCR Serbia to get an inside look at how this particular UN agency works. It was a valuable experience for her, and one that she recommended strongly to SPP students.
Dorka Zsoldos (MPA '17), who is building towards a career in international development, sought an opportunity to gain field experience in Latin America. Her internship in Colombia, which focused on financial inclusion, made this possible.
Internships can be very useful as a way of expanding one's professional network. Ann-Kathrin Beck (Mundus MAPP '17), who interned with the German Federal Foreign Office, described multiple opportunities to meet professionals working in multilateral organizations during her time at the German Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan. Beck also received strong encouragement from her supervisor to apply for a diplomatic career in the German Foreign Service, which she is considering doing after completing her degree.
Kulic's internship led to an offer of employment; she now works for HBH / Grants Europe Consulting, her internship host organization. Ann Gagliardi, Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations, pointed out that this is not the most frequent outcome of public policy internships. More commonly, internships conducted by public policy graduate students are a way to gain relevant practical experience, apply new knowledge, and connect with others working in a specific organization or area of focus.
Panelists were eager to share advice from their experiences. Some emphasized the importance of working with one's host organization in advance to make sure the internship is substantive, while others cautioned audience members not to get disheartened if the internship search proved more challenging than expected. Audience members were directed to SPP's Office of Career Services and Alumni Relations as a source of information, advice, and support while seeking an internship.