Internship
FAQs
To
whom should I address my cover letter?
Please address your letter to Meredith Pierce, Intern Coordinator.
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What
information must I include in my cover letter?
In your cover letter, you must state clearly:
1.
Which internships you want to be considered for and why.
2.
Where you heard about the internship. (i.e. "idealist.org"
or "my university's database,").
3.
An acknowledgment that the internship is unpaid.
4. Your dates and hours of availability. Be as specific as possible,
and also note if your schedule is flexible, or if you will be
taking classes.
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What
does the intern coordinator want to know about me, personally?
Aside from the information above, we want to see that you meet
the basic requirements of the position, and that you are interested
in your subject area. Tell us about your relevant course work,
international experience, office experience, language and computer
skills, etc. Discuss your opinions on the issues covered by the
program to which you are applying.
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How
long should my cover letter be?
The cover letter should be no more than one page.
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What is the intern coordinator looking for
in my resume?
1. Attention to detail (i.e. Grammar, spelling, word usage, etc.)
2. College GPA. Please include it even if you're sending a transcript.
3. Content. Your resume should demonstrate that you meet the qualifications
for the position. We want to see your foreign language skills,
computer proficiency, some sort of office experience, international
travel, and a demonstrated interest in topics related to the program
(i.e. if you helped plan a conference on US/Cuba relations, spent
a semester in South Korea, interned in a congressional office,
etc.).
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How important is it that my writing sample
be five pages or less?
We ask that samples be no more than five pages because of the
high volume of applicants.
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What
is the intern coordinator looking for in my writing sample?
We are looking for a) proper citations; b) grammar, spelling,
word usage, and punctuation; c) organization and comprehension;
and d) clear, concise thoughts.
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What is the best form of submission?
We prefer submissions of applications by email to meredith@ciponline.org. However, mail,
email, fax, and personal drop-offs are all acceptable.
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Does it matter when/how close to the deadline
I submit my application?
No. Technically, no final decisions can be made until after the
deadline, but in rare cases an exceptional candidate may be accepted
early.
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What if I'm applying for a grant
or program that requires me to know before CIP's deadline?
Sorry, to be fair to other applicants we are unable to adjust
our deadlines.
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Should
I call to check the status of my application?
Due to the number of applicants, we ask that any inquiries be
sent via email to meredith@ciponline.org.
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Generally speaking, what is the intern
coordinator looking for?
This varies depending on the internship, but in general, here
are some of the things that can make one application stand out:
1. Attention to detail. If you're applying for the Colombia/Demilitarization
internship, be sure to spell the county's name correctly.
2. Knowledge of CIP's work. We expect candidates who are serious
about CIP internships to spend some time on the website and put
the knowledge they gain to good use. For example, if you are applying
for the Asia internship, its good to note that the program has
a strong focus on South and East Asia and may not be a good fit
for someone interested in studying in the Chinese economy.
3. Organization and coherence. All the sentences in a paragraph
should go together. Make your points as succinctly and clearly
as possible.
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I
don't meet all of your requirements. Should I even bother?
In some cases, a personality stands out enough in an application
that we can overlook the fact that you've never worked in an office
or you don't speak Spanish or your GPA isn't quite a 3.0. Don't
underestimate the strengths you DO have, and feel free to be creative
in construing those strengths to make them appear to meet our
standards (i.e. "as a baby-sitter, I answered phones and
held a leadership position").
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What level of students are generally accepted?
Is it okay if I've graduated?
Although we accept applications from anyone without consideration
of age or academic level, undergraduate students in their third
or fourth year of studies generally benefit most from CIP internships.
Students beneath that level may lack the experience and polish
CIP requires, and applicants above that level may feel frustrated
with some of the clerical aspects of the internships.
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Do
you accept international students/non-US citizens?
Absolutely. Diversity is important to CIP, and obviously it makes
sense to have, for example, a native Colombian in the Colombia
internship, so YES we accept and encourage international applicants.
However, be advised we can provide NO financial compensation,
housing or travel arrangements for any of our interns, and are
unable to help with visa issues. Also, many of our internships
require complete English fluency, since interns are expected to
answer the phones, write emails, draft publications, and so forth
all in good/perfect English.
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When will I find out whether or not I'm
being considered?
Due to the volume of applications we receive, we ask that you
be patient and wait until you hear from us, which will usually
be within two weeks after the deadline if you're being considered. The intern coordinator
sends out rejections via email within four weeks of the deadline.
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How will I be notified?
Internship notifications will be sent via email.
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What
is the general process?
Within two weeks of the deadline, you should receive an email
requesting a phone interview, usually scheduled within one week
of the email. After your phone interview, it may be an additional
two weeks before final decisions are made.
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Please
direct additional questions to the Intern Coordinator at meredith@ciponline.org or cip@ciponline.org
