Do I take an internship or study abroad?
I got an internship with the State Department in DC over the summer, however, I also got accepted into a study abroad program in Chile.
The DC internship is exactly what I want to do: consulate affairs, but it’s unpaid and DC housing is NOT cheap. Additionally, to be pessimistic, I’m afraid this shutdown is bigger than what we all anticipated, and if the government is shut down by the summer, I’m afraid I won’t even have a job. I can’t even email the intake representatives to talk about the internship details because the office can’t afford it.
There’s really no downside to studying abroad, in fact, I have a chance at a thick scholarship that would pay for it, and I would be able to finish my Spanish minor, meaning I could graduate early.
Both are great opportunities, I just don’t know which one is more beneficial. Any advice?
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Hi! Nice to see you back.
Both sound great. I was leaning towards the DC gig, but as I read through it became much less clear.
I’m eager to see what others think.
I think the Chile program would be amazing. It’s a place you may never get to go to again and to explore all the possibilities from there. You already know what is going on over here and if I was in your position, I would stay away from this administration. There is so much fall out and hate there now, you will have a bad taste for government work. Good luck with what you decide!
Abroad! DC will be there in a few years.
I would go with the study abroad, particularly at this time. Having spent time overseas on your resume will help in the long run when applying for consulate work.
Interesting. I was thinking anyone can travel any time abroad and spend time in another country. Getting an actual job/internship in exactly what the OP is interested in is probably harder to come by I would think.
The Chile gig will probably be more fun though, and the scholarship is nice.
Let us know what you decide!
Hi friends,
I thank you all for your input. After long deliberated thought, I think I’ll take the opportunity to go abroad for numerous reasons; it’ll be more worth my money, and I just found out the program I applied for also has internship opportunities with organizations I’m interested in. So it’s overall a win win in getting class credit, cultural experience, and work experience in a field I care a lot about.
I thank you all for allowing my brain to flex a little about what’s best for me :)
Sounds great! Let us know how it goes.
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