The Scoop on Summer State Department Opportunities: Building on Your CLS Experience with an Internship Abroad

Scott Osdras

By Scott Osdras (Beijing, China ‘10)

Last summer, I participated in the CLS Chinese program in Beijing. This past summer I was in Shanghai, interning for the U.S. Department of State. I worked in the Public Affairs Section of the Shanghai Consulate General, which is responsible for working with the press and acting as the public face of the consulate, as well as coordinating and encouraging educational and cultural exchange programs. The work was really varied, but included writing consulate event highlights, compiling schedules for official visitors, contributing to the consulate’s blog, drafting speeches and proposal cover letters, and attending briefings for visiting college groups.

I first heard about this internship when a State Department representative came to my school to present about opportunities for students. I thought it was a really good fit with what I’m studying and my background in Chinese. My best piece of advice is to try to contact the State Department Diplomat in Residence in your region. Because they know exactly what the selection committee is looking for, they can help you submit the most competitive and focused application possible.

I really enjoyed my internship in Shanghai. If you think you may be interested in working for the State Department, an internship is a perfect opportunity to find out what Foreign Service Officers actually do, learn from and network with current officers, and get a better idea of whether it’s the right career for you. The interns in Shanghai don’t make copies or pour coffee —they’re given jobs that actual Foreign Service Officers would otherwise perform and are welcomed to sit in on leadership meetings and visit all sections of the consulate to get a full picture of what goes on. I found that everyone there was willing to work with the interns to help them get what they wanted out of the experience. 

Scott Osdras with host family.

What I enjoyed most about my internship was the opportunity to converse with current Foreign Service Officers and take on some of their responsibilities. I also appreciated that what I did was meaningful, and that every day I worked on something different. Having worked on so many different types of projects, I was able take a wide range of experience and knowledge with me back to the United States.

My CLS experience was probably a major factor in being selected for this internship. Thanks in large part to my time in Beijing last summer, not only was I able to say that I can communicate in Mandarin, but also that I have experience living with a host family in China and can live and work there effectively without requiring babysitting or assistance.