U.S. Government Internship in Greece

By Joanna Apergis
USDA Co-op and former USDA International Intern

March 14, 2005

Looking forward to your next vacation in Greece?  For most of us there is never enough time to do or see it all in these short summer trips. But if you’re an undergraduate or graduate student, you may have an opportunity to extend your trip without abandoning your career. A summer internship in Athens, though often overlooked, is an important option for students in many fields.

For five years, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the foreign service branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has selected a handful of interns to work in some of their 90 overseas Foreign Agricultural Trade Offices located in U.S. Embassies around the world. These paid internships offer the experience of a lifetime, working for the U.S. government in a foreign country.

At any U.S. embassy you will find a number of interns, both foreign and American, work alongside Greek and American employees of various agencies and backgrounds. In this setting, students benefit by networking while gaining real work experience. In the summer, the Athens Embassy formally hosts parties and events almost weekly, and informal gatherings are often planned between interns. Weekend trips to the Greek islands are quick, inexpensive and easily planned between new and old friends.

As with other federal government international internships, American students of all backgrounds can apply. However, since the student is responsible for airfare and housing Greek-Americans are particularly well suited, often already having arrangements for both. Fluency in the country’s language also serves as an advantage in the application process.

Students majoring in fields such as marketing, public administration and international business are encouraged to apply. Assigned duties will depend on events scheduled for the duration of the internship, but will likely include:

· Research on the local food and beverage retail and foodservice markets

· Preparation of market reports for U.S. exporters

· Support of Agricultural Trade Specialists in marketing duties

So if you are a student interested in public service and enjoy visiting Greece, apply for the USDA International Internship. You could spend next summer as an intern in Athens!

· For more information on the USDA’s International Internship Program visit: http://www.fas.usda.gov/admin/newjobs/newjobs.html

· In addition to the USDA, the State Department and the Department of Commerce also hire interns to work in the U.S. Embassies around the world. Visit their websites for more information.

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