Careers & Internships

FAQs

General Questions

Students

Alumni

Employers

Internship Scholarships

General Questions

How do I make an appointment to visit?

The best way is to use our online appointment system, found here.

Are internships worth it?

Internships are widely regarded as an essential part of building your resume, making contacts in your industry, and developing skills that you can use once you graduate. To recruiters and hiring managers, time spent at an internship counts towards those years of experience they look for in a new hire. That said, the key is to make sure your internship works for you – paid or unpaid, it’s important to make sure you get an internship closely related to your post-graduation ambitions.

If you’re not sure what you want to do, an internship can be an ideal way to try out different options and see which one feels right. Applying for an internship can also be a more accessible way “in” to a position with an organization or company that has a highly competitive application process.

Can you find me a job or internship?

Our office does not have the capacity to be a “placement” agency – students will be expected to research and apply for their own opportunities. However, we can help suggest strategies for application, help with resumes, and provide information on a cross section of opportunities through our email bulletins and newsletters. UW’s jobs and internships board, Handshake, is a great place to start.

Should I join the JSIS LinkedIn group?

We recommend it. LinkedIn is free to use, and represents not only a great way to create a professional presence online, but also a wonderful research tool. If you’re wondering how many JSIS alumni work for your dream organization, or which companies hire JSIS grads, LinkedIn can help. If you’re trying to figure out what other students are doing post-graduation, or how others have framed their Jackson School experiences on a resume, LinkedIn can help. Our Jackson School exclusive LinkedIn group also allows you to go to other alumni with your questions.

If you have questions about where to start with creating your first LinkedIn, we recommend taking a look at this guide.

When is the next Jackson School event?

We’re always happy to see our alumni at events! For full information on lectures, receptions, and other events, we recommend you check the JSIS events calendar regularly. We also organize events outside of the greater Seattle area on a regular basis.

Where are you located?

The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies is based in Thomson hall on the University of Washington campus. A full map is available here.

The Office of Career & Professional Development can be found on the first floor, in room 124. We look forward to seeing you!

Students

Can I get academic credit for my internship?

Yes! You can register for JSIS 497 Internship credit (this form can also be used by grad students to apply for graduate credits)
The necessary forms must be completed and submitted to your career adviser before the start of your internship. The course requires you to complete assignments on Canvas page and check in with your career adviser at the end of the internship period.

I’m an international student. What are my options?

When it comes to jobs and internships, international students have a few more steps they need to take. Your first stop should be University of Washington International Student Services – they will tell you what you need to do and how employment law applies to you as a JSIS student. We also have this dedicated page for International Students on the Jackson Careers site. The FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) office also acts as a great resource for international students on campus, and their HUB offices are well worth a visit.

Alumni

I’m looking to use a JSIS faculty member as a reference for a job or graduate school. What should I do?

Our faculty are always thrilled to hear from alumni, no matter what the circumstances! Contact details for our faculty are available on the JSIS website or through the UW directory. However, there are a few things you can consider when making a request so that faculty can help be a good reference for you. For full information, please see our guide recommendations here.

Can I still use career services even if I have graduated?

Yes – Jackson School alumni are welcome to use the services our office provides no matter when they graduated. We’re here to help with the following:

  • One-on-one career coaching, resume review, and cover letter services available by appointment. We do ask that because the academic year can get busy, that alumni try where possible to schedule appointments while school is not in session. (Please see the UW academic calendar for more details)
  • Networking opportunities, through on-campus events and online.
  • An annual mentor program that connects current students with alumni in their preferred fields. This is a valuable way to keep connected to the Jackson school and pass on what you’ve learned from your career to future generations.
  • Collaboration with the UW career center to promote access to skills workshops and meet-the-employer events.

Employers

I have an opportunity I think might be of interest to Jackson School students. How do can we get the information to them?

We’re happy to promote your organization’s job and internship opportunities to our students through a combination of UW’s jobs board, our departmental mailing lists, Jackson social media groups, and/or our physical bulletin board. UW’s job and internship board, Handshake, is a powerful recruiting platform enabling students and alumni to connect with employers, both domestic and international, for their next incredible internship or employment opportunity. Employers are invited to create an account on Handshake and connect with the University of Washington and the Jackson School students. If you want to send your opportunities directly to our department listserv, please email them to jsisjobs@uw.edu.

Our office recognizes that experience through which our students can apply their academic experiences in a professional setting are a vital component of education. While we prefer that our students be fairly compensated for the work that they do, we recognize that this is not always possible for smaller organizations who have the ability to give our students substantive experience but lack the budgets to institute a paid internship program.

In general, our primary concern will always be the welfare and development of our students; as such the Jackson School’s position that to be fairly considered as an internship, the experience should be for the benefit of the student, that students not be used to replace regular employees, and that students receive appropriate supervision and feedback during the course of their work. An internship should be a learning experience, not simply an operational work experience that happens to be conducted by a student.

This position is outlined by both the NACE (National Association of Colleges & Employers) position statement on US Internships and the US Department of Labor. We thank you for your understanding on this matter.

What are your expectations and policies relating to employers?

The Jackson School office of Career & Professional Development seeks to adhere to the NACE principles of professional practice (outlined here) – this provides a framework of professionally accepted recruiting, interviewing, and selection techniques that protect student interests and ethical industry practices. The basic precepts are:

Maintain an open and free selection of employment and experiential learning opportunities in an atmosphere conducive to objective thought, where job candidates can choose to optimize their talents and meet their personal objectives;
Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable;
Support informed and responsible decision making by candidates.
This includes, but is not limited to, ethical approaches to equal opportunities employment, protection of confidential student data, and an adherence to state and federal labor law standards.

 

Internship Scholarships

I am not a Jackson School student. Can I still apply?

Only JSIS students may apply for the Fathi-DiLuck, Fosdick, and Taylor awards. Non-JSIS UW students with a global health focus who are pursuing an international internship are invited along with JSIS students to apply for the Leslianne Shedd Memorial Fund. Please apply through the main JSIS scholarship application form and indicate in your personal statement that you are applying for the Leslianne Shedd Memorial Fund.

Can the internship scholarships be used for practicum, thesis, or dissertation field research?

No, the scholarships cannot be used for these purposes. It must be connected to an official internship.

Can these scholarships be applied to a study abroad program or exploration seminar?

Generally, no, unless there is a significant internship component to the program. 

What is the minimum internship duration?

While there is no official number, past recipients have interned full-time for 2-3 months and part-time for up to 6 months.

Does the internship need to be finalized in order for me to apply for a scholarship?

No, students can apply while the internship application is in process. However, the internship does need to be finalized before any money is distributed.

Are students graduating in the spring eligible to apply for funding for a summer internship?

Graduating students are welcome to apply for summer internship funding, however it is the intent of the scholarships for awards to go to continuing students, and they will be given priority.

If you have received an award in the past, can you apply again in the future?

Yes, but the nature of your internship work should be substantively different from the internship work done in connection with previous awards. Awards will not be made to participate in the same internship on a repeat basis.