When I got an offer to apply to The Institute of World Politics through The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), I wasn’t sure. National intelligence was a little out of my field, and that’s how it worked in my favor. It’s all about stepping out of your comfort zone.
My professional experience has been limited to writing newspaper articles and PR writing assignments, so it was amazing getting hands-on experience in social media and writing copy for posts. My supervisor, AJ, gave me detailed feedback on my descriptions for a podcast series about African affairs on how to interest people, not just summarize. A question and call to action is sometimes all you need.
Yet the international relations aspect of the internship has also been eye-opening. It forced me to engage with topics I’m unfamiliar with, from researching them thoroughly to explaining them within two minutes — all while confidently speaking to a crowd who may ask for more information. Some skills, like public speaking, are useful in many fields.
Giancarlo Picanco
California State University, Northridge, 2027
Multimedia Intern