Pardee Works: Danilowicz on Careers at the State Department
Jon F. Danilowicz, the U.S. State Department Diplomat in Residence for New England, visited the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University on April 12, 2017 for a discussion with students about navigating career and internship opportunities at the State Department.
Danilowicz told students that the State Department is facing a projected deficit of 900 positions for consular work overseas, and that the Consular Fellows Program would be the main channel for filling those vacancies.
“Consular work includes issuing visas, both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, and providing services to American citizens,” Danilowicz said. “Around the world, in all of our embassies and many of our consulates, we provide consular services to both American citizens and foreign nationals. In recent years, demand for consular services has gone up. More people want to visit the United States, and there are more American citizens living and working abroad.”
Danilowicz also discussed the State Department internship program, which offers internships to students in the Spring, Summer and Fall both in Washington D.C. and abroad.
“If you’re able to swing applying for an internship in the Spring or the Fall, there are many fewer applicants and your chances of being accepted are higher,” Danilowicz said.
A crucial part of applying to State Department internships is the statement of interest, according to Danilowicz. He discussed how students can make an impression on hiring managers with their statements of interest.
“What’s most important is what you are going to bring to the table, because at the end of the day while we want you to have a successful internship, the office you’ll be working in has a job that they have to do and they want to know how you are going to contribute to their ability to do that job,” Danilowicz said.
Danilowicz encouraged interested students to visit the State Department’s career website for more information.