I went to the “Navigation Job Fairs & Landing an International Internship – A Panel” led by four International Affairs Scholars former interns on Monday, September 9, 2019, from 7-8 PM in the Glass Classroom inside of Smith-Steeb Hall. This panel was assigned to the Professional Development event category. The event shed some light on the possibilities out there for me to intern, which is something I plan on doing this summer to boost my experience, knowledge, and resume. Panelists spoke of the application process, how they discovered the program, daily activities (both at work and outside of it), and their workload and its intensity. It expanded my options, introducing me to opportunities I had not considered before. The panel relates to the topic of International Affairs because all four panelists were either abroad (and embracing the culture and dealing with the issues those countries face daily) or in the United States, with a focus on another region of the world and the correlating American foreign policy. I gained a better personal understanding of what employers will ask of me when I am their intern. Academically, I learned about how I can incorporate my internship into my studies, potentially earning college credit. Professionally, I realized how many connections Ohio State has made over the years that I can utilize in networking in my field. This panel relates to internships I heard about through my research, inside the class from professors and guest lecturers, and through communication with friends.
If I could choose any internship, I would like to participate in the FBI Honors Internship Program. I would be working in one of the Bureau’s field offices around the country, alongside current agents in a ten-week paid program. I want to work in counterterrorism, specifically within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and so this would be right up my, and international affairs’ alleys! I am studying Arabic for this very reason, with hopes that it can help me in the future. Making connections within the intelligence community early on could only boost my chances of making my dream a reality. I aspire to assist in ending the conflict after it has plagued the region with violence and distrust for almost a century.