To help you realize your aspirations, our career development team connects you to meaningful career opportunities. From the outset of your Elliott School education, we assist you in developing a career plan. That is followed by consistent interaction with our career coaches and participation in our support programs. Our services continue even after you complete your degree as Elliott School alumni can also take advantage of our services. Our career development team is at your disposal from admission to retirement!
Career Coach
[email protected]
Programs:
Spring 2020 Drop-In Hours:
Mondays 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Senior Career Coach
[email protected]
Programs:
Spring 2020 Drop-In Hour:
Tuesdays 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Career Coaching AppointmentsGSS career coaches work with you in person, over the phone or through virtual meetings on WebEx.
Sessions include:
Clarification of career goals
Resume and cover letter critiques
Networking tips
Job and internship search strategies
Compensation negotiation assistance
Job and internship advice for international students
Career coaching for mid-career professionals
Mock interviews
MBTI® assessments
Please note: All appointments are limited to 30 minutes, excluding mock interviews and MBTI® assessments, which are one hour long. Students and alumni are limited to one appointment a week.
Professional ResourcesResumes and cover letters are critical documents in the employment search. As such, we have developed guidelines to help you write your resumes, cover letters and other professional documents.
Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area offer a lot of internships related to International Affairs. Please see this spreadsheet that details organizations' hiring cycles as well as whether their internships are paid or unpaid.
HandshakeHandshake is an online career database for Elliott School graduate students and graduate alumni.
Among its features are:
Graduation Regalia DriveEvery year, GSS invites recent alumni to make a tax-deductible donation of their gently used caps, gowns and hoods. GSS then sells the donated caps and gowns to graduating students at a discounted price. This money is added to the funds for the International Internship Grant that helps students participate in unpaid internships abroad.
Donations can be mailed or dropped off at the GSS office during normal business hours with this completed form.
Elliott School Business CardsGSS makes Elliott School Business Cards available to graduate students and alumni. A box of 250 cards costs $20. Business card orders can be placed online through this form or in-person in GSS. Payments must be received before orders are sent to print.
Please check out this article for more information.
The career development team at Graduate Student Services (GSS)' offers information sessions and career-networking panels throughout the academic year. These resources span many sectors and industries within international affairs. In addition, career coaches are available to conduct mock (practice) interviews with students to prepare them for a broad spectrum of opportunities.
Career Networking PanelsStudent, alumni, and employer panels provide Elliott School students with valuable information that can help shape their careers. Alumni and employers taking part in the panels share insight on their organizations and industries, with topics such as:
Site Visit ProgramThis informational program helps acquaint Elliott School graduate students with organizations in their areas of interest. Site visits, which are for informational purposes (not for job interviews), provide students with an insider's view of career possibilities, required qualifications, and employment and internship opportunities.
Organizations that have participated in the program include:
Professional Development Workshops/SeminarsSessions are available throughout the academic year on such topics as:
Interview techniques
Federal government job search/navigating USAJobs
Networking strategies
Professional etiquette
Salary negotiation
Security clearance process
Mock InterviewsEmployers report that strong interview skills are indispensable. For that reason, we encourage all job seekers to practice interviewing -- individually, with company representatives or with a career coach -- to get feedback and hone their skills. Our mock interviews can also be conducted over the telephone.
Alumni NetworkingNetworking is the backbone of a career search in Washington, D.C. and beyond. We offer multiple training opportunities that address networking skills - individually and as part of a group. We also encourage students to use the Elliott School Alumni network in LinkedIn. The Elliott School has a powerful network of over 23,000 alumni around the world who are great resource for information interviews and career advice. (Please note: The Elliott School LinkedIn group is a closed group, so you must indicate “The Elliott School” under education to be accepted into the group.)
The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program is a two-year, post-graduate leadership-development initiative open to graduate students and alumni. The application process begins in the fall of your final year of graduate school, at which time you will be notified whether you have been accepted and how to proceed. Every year, several Elliott School students are selected as PMF finalists.
GSS is available to assist semi-finalists and finalists throughout the process.
Please visit the PMF website for more information.
The Elliott School strongly encourages students to integrate their studies with practical international internship experiences. To help with this goal, GSS offers a limited number of competitive grants for Elliott School graduate students participating in unpaid or low-pay international internships. Currently enrolled Elliott School graduate students may seek an International Internship Grant via the online application.
These grants are designed to help defray the costs of an international internship, not to fully fund the experience. Students are encouraged to research outside funding sources before submitting a grant proposal.
Guidelines:
You must have secured an internship or have started an internship at an organization that offers substantial opportunities directly related to your degree program and specialty.
Your internship must require at least 30 hours per week for a minimum of 10 weeks.
You must be a currently enrolled Elliott School graduate student and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
International students are eligible to apply, but the internship cannot be located in your home country or within the U.S.
The internship cannot be located in a country in which you have citizenship or foreign national status.
Application Requirements:
Only completed applications will be accepted; we will not consider your application unless you carefully complete the application steps, which include:
To apply, please go to go.gwu.edu/iig.
The deadline to apply for Summer 2020 funding is March 1, 2020.
Please email Patrick Murphy at [email protected] for more information.
GSS manages the Freeman Foundation Grant for internships in East or Southeast Asia.
This grant awards up to $6,550 to a student completing an unpaid or low-paying internship in the following countries:
Eligibility Requirements:
Application Requirements:
Your application must include the following items:
Selection Process:
Grant applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:
To apply, please go to go.gwu.edu/freeman.
The deadline to apply for Summer 2020 funding is March 1, 2020.
If you have any questions, please e-mail Patrick Murphy at [email protected].
Contact GSS
Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:30pm
1957 E Street NW, Suite 603
Washington, DC 20052
(202) 994-3788
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Enroll in our text messages by texting @esiagss to 81010.
Text 81010 with any questions!
