Internships in Russia

Yet another way to boost your Russian is to apply for an internship in Russia. The US Department of State sponsors a great number of internships. Check out their website:

http://www.careers.state.gov/students/programs.html#SIP

Get the US Department of State Student internship information brochure (large PDF): http://careers.state.gov/docs/4.0_Student_Intern_brochure.pdf

If you want to work at a Russian embassy, you need to apply for an internship at the Bureau of Eurasian Affairs (EUR) and specify the Moscow embassy in the appropriate space on the application. (You can apply to the other Russian posts if you want, but those rarely take interns.)

For getting accepted: Your major doesn't matter. Your GPA matters a little. Your language skills matter a lot. Even the intermediate level conversational Russian skills give you a huge leg up in the process. Your essays and recommendations matter the most. You must be a US citizen. If you apply and are accepted, in December or January you will get a conditional acceptance. The "condition" is you passing a formal security clearance. Be sure to fill out all paperwork and do everything they say you need to do for the clearance IMMEDIATELY. The sooner you do it, the sooner they can get back to you about your final acceptance.

Student's Testimonial

Rebecca Berkowitz, Russian Embassy in Moscow
Generally, the Russian programs do not pay wages, transportation to Russia, or living expenses. They do, however, usually provide a place to stay free of cost. Plane tickets to Russia can be a serious expense, but if you're willing to shop in Russian-speaking stores and not use a lot of expensive imported products or eat a lot of American brand food, the daily costs of living can actually be fairly cheap. In any case, once you receive a final acceptance, embassy staff will be in contact with you and will work with you on any questions or issues you might have. ( e.g., when you haven't heard anything about your supposedly "special priority" visa because it's been sitting on a desk at the Russian consulate for a month...)