University of Wisconsin-Madison
Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program

Internships

An internship can be one of the most valuable experiences an aspiring professional can undertake. Not only does an internship look great on a resume, reflecting your interest and dedication to a field, it also provides you with irreplaceable actual experience in the field, fosters long-lasting and crucial contacts with established professionals, offers the opportunity to test the waters before embarking on a full-time career, and gets you away from the academic side of learning your trade. While being an intern may help get your foot in the door of that ideal organization, often times that six-figure salary will have to wait.

Most internships are not paid at all, or offer a very modest stipend, and those which pay at a salary level are extremely competitive. You must consider the cost of living and transportation along with the idea of learning the inside scoop of the organization. Grant money can be secured to fund internships, which can alleviate the financial drawbacks (see Grant section). Many internships will also require a percentage ofyour time to be spent on routine clerical duties along with the tasks you may be hoping to accomplish. While clerical duties will always be less than 50% of your job, consider your willingness to stuff envelopes before beginning. Nonetheless, an internship is an invaluable experience, and one which can be highly negotiated with your supervisor depending on experience and need. Likewise, your responsibilities will certainly grow as you devote more time to the organization. You may also want to contact last year's intern when deciding.

There are several guides to internship possibilities, but you may simply want to contact the organization you are interested in and go from there. Most groups will gladly take on a free worker! Opportunities to volunteer your services extend beyond an internship within an organization. You could easily travel to the country of your choice and work with any number of organizations, generally in development work, health care, or English language training. While the benefits mirror those of interning, the costs can be prohibitive, as many groups require you to pay your own way, and most pay you nothing upon arrival. If it is feasible for you, however, volunteering your efforts to help those less fortunate, establishing lasting friendships with people in other cultures, and watching the progress your efforts can produce will almost certainly be greater than any financial compensation you may desire. Again, there are numerous books to help you locate the volunteer options available.

In cooperation with LACIS, the Madison Center has worked extensively with the Wisconsin Department of Development, Bureau of International Development (DOD) in recruiting top-notch Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies majors to participate in the international internship coordinated under DOD's auspices. Kirk Rossi, the Head of the Western Hemisphere wing of the DOD, has often noted how better equipped our students are for the internship than those students with solely a business background. Since 1994, seventy-two interns have been employed through DOD's auspices. In many cases, language skills and extensive cultural and historical training acquired through our Program have prepared undergraduates to succeed in a rigorous internship program that focuses on assisting Wisconsin companies in marketing their products to Latin American customers. Interns help lead companies to international trade events, conduct product-specific and country-specific market research, assist companies with international pricing, financing and shipping issues, and provide one-on-one counseling for companies interested in entering the international arena. Much of the intern's work is related to GATT and NAFTA. Mr. Rossi notes that "the majority of interns find employment in the international arena upon completion of the internship." Due to the successful efforts our program has had in recruiting interns to the Madison-based DOD, the Wisconsin Trade Office in Mexico (WTOM) has recently contacted our office to establish a similar internship program in Mexico City.

Sources and Resources

• Alternatives to the Peace Corps: A Directory of Third World and U.S. Volunteer Opportunities,4th ed. San Francisco, CA: First Food Books. 1990. Available at Memorial, College and Steenbock Libraries.
• Baker, Barbara and Bridget B. Millseps. The National Directory of Internships. Raleigh, NC:The National Society for Internships and Experiential Education. 1991. Available at Memorial and College Libraries.
• Cantrell, Will and Francine Moderno. International Internships and Volunteer Programs. Oakton, VA: Worldwise Books. n.d. Available at Memorial Library.
• Cohen, Marjorie Adoff. Volunteer! The Comprehensive Guide to Voluntary Service in the U.S.and Abroad. New York, NY: Council on International Education Exchange. 1988. Available at Memorial and College Libraries, and the LACISP Office.
• Internships 1993: On the Job Training Opportunities for Today's Job Market, 13th ed. Princeton, NJ: Peterson Guides, Inc. 1992. Available at the Career Center.
• Luten, Thomas D. Directory of International Internships: A World of Opportunities. East Lansing, MI: University of Michigan Press. 1990. Available at Memorial Library.
• Muldoon, James P., ed. Internships and Careers in International Affairs. New York, NY: United Nations Association of the United States of America. 1989. Available at Memorial Library.
• Parness, Jeffrey Marc, ed. Complete Guide to Washington Internships. Brooklyn, NY: JMP Enterprises, Inc. 1988. Available at Memorial Library.