Frequently Asked Questions – Internships
We hope the questions below give you the information you need during the application process for a World Affairs Council internship. With additional questions, please contact Magda Davis at mdavis@world-affairs.org.
APPLICATION PROCESS
What qualifications do you look for?
Our internships are a good fit for those with demonstrated interest (such as major declaration, coursework, work, or volunteer experience) in international relations; foreign affairs; international development; global history, culture, religion, languages, literatures; economics; nonprofit management; global public health.
Are internships only for students? What ages are you looking for?
Our internships can be tailored to anyone, and we often have applicants from all backgrounds. Recent interns have included high school students, undergrads, graduate students, law students, recent graduates, and professionals looking for a career shift.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen?
No. Because our unpaid internships are volunteer opportunities, applicants do not need to be citizens or have authorization to work in the United States.
INTERNSHIP DETAILS
Can I work remotely?
In-person work is preferred due to the nature of our programs, however we can support a hybrid schedule.
What are the hours?
Most of our internships are part-time and our office operates during business hours, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Interns are expected anywhere from 12-20 hours per week. Once selected for your internship, you will work with your supervisor to create a weekly work schedule that works for you both.
What is the start date?
Internships will start in January for winter internships, March/April for spring internships, May/June for summer internships, and August/September for fall internships. Your specific start and end dates are flexible and can be tailored to meet your schedule.
What does a day in the life of an intern look like?
It depends on the program!
Community Programs and Fellows Program intern tasks will be heavily research-focused. These programs require a high level of public policy and current events research and writing on a range of global topics in order to create comprehensive reports that serve as moderator preparation for our events. This is a great way to turn academic research and writing skills into a professional product.
Global Classroom projects will be similarly focused on research and writing. Teacher training workshops require in-depth curriculum guides that provide educators with background information, resources, and activities on a range of global topics.
Global Leadership Exchange interns will assist staff in arranging meetings and logistics for visiting international youth and professionals, alongside work in communications and marketing. These tasks include drafting and posting to our online blog, drafting posts for social media, researching our partners in the community, and brainstorming new ways to tell and share our stories with the public.
Communications and development work involves projects in our customer database Salesforce, drafting and posting web content and newsletters, and supporting communication with high-level members and donors.
ABOUT THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Why are there so many results when I search World Affairs Council? I see organizations in cities all over the country.
The World Affairs Council of Seattle is a member of a larger organization called the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), but each member organization in cities around the country is a completely independent nonprofit. Think of the World Affairs Council of Seattle as the Woodland Park Zoo and WACA as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. We may know our peer organizations and collaborate from time to time, but we are all completely independent nonprofits. That means that the World Affairs Council of Seattle is not a branch or satellite office and our organization has its own board, President and CEO, as well as its own sources of funding and programming.