What if you could get valuable experience working for the federal government, contribute to projects of global importance, build your skills, and connect with mentors in your field of interest without leaving home? While traditional federal internships require you to be on site with a government agency, eInternships allow you to gain valuable experience for your resume, and give you the flexibility to work from your dorm room, apartment/house, school, local coffee shop or wherever you choose. All you need is a computer and internet access.

A Virtual Student Foreign Service eInternship with the government offers interns the benefits of interesting and valuable work experience without some of the costs and restrictions of traditional federal internships. Not convinced? Read more to learn why you should apply!¹

So, why should you apply?

1. Get real world experience that looks great on your resume

Over 27 federal agencies participate in VSFS and offer more than 300 projects. You could work for agencies driven by a mission to improve the lives of the public, work alongside people passionate about what they do, and have access to many training opportunities at your fingertips at a huge employer!

Interns who work with Youth Engaged 4 Change (Project Code: HHS-USA-3) will have the opportunity to:

• Research and create web and social media content for youth and youth serving organizations;
• Research and implement social media improvements;
• Collect feedback from young leaders and adults who work with youth in order to identify lessons learned about youth leadership (lessons learned may be compiled into a leadership guide for youth);
•  Recruit and supporting network of youth contributors;
• And more!

These are just a few examples. With hundreds of projects available, the possibilities are endless.

2. Work from anywhere in the world

Seriously. All you need is a computer and access to the internet. Relocating to another city for an internship can be great if you have the time, money, and availability to do it. But that may not be the case for everyone. VSFS offers some of the same benefits of an on-site internship experience without the costs and inconvenience of relocation. VSFS e-interns work up to ten hours per week. You could stay in school, take care of responsibilities at home, maintain a paid job, and still make time for an amazing internship to help get your career to a strong start.

3. It’s easy to apply

You apply by July 31 through the USAJobs website where you’ll be asked to create a resume, upload a transcript, and write a statement of interest. That’s it! The VSFS team will email you if you are selected or if you were not placed (so you’re not left hanging). Since eInterns aren’t required to be on-site at a government agency, you don’t have to worry about long security clearance processes that delay you getting started on the real work. Get started on projects almost immediately after being selected.

Anything else?

Yes! There are some other important details you should know:

• You must be a U.S. citizen and part or full time university student to apply.
• U.S. students can apply to their top three VSFS projects from July 1-31 on USAJOBS.gov.
• eInternships are offered during the school year, from fall through spring semesters.
• Hours are typically 10 hours per week, but this is negotiable with the projects.
• These internships are unpaid.

Check the VSFS Frequently Asked Questions page for more information. Be sure to also visit the VSFS Facebook and Twitter pages to get a glimpse of the e-intern life. Be sure to consider the opportunity to work with Youth Engaged 4 Change (Project Code: HHS-USA-3). Still have questions? You can also email VSFS for more information.

Find Related Resources on YE4C

Looking for more internship opportunities? Get advice, apply to internships, and expand your skills with resources on our Opportunities Page. You can also find additional blogs, job opportunities, employment programs, helpful websites, and tools and resources to find and apply to federal and non-federal jobs on our Employment page.