Student Intern in Foreign Commercial Service Office

U.S. Embassy Sofia
Foreign National Student Intern Program
# FCS2- 2024

Note:    This program is entirely on a volunteer basis; there is no compensation attached to this internship and no benefits, nor any future employment rights.  
Service is not creditable for leave accrual.

Open to: Foreign National Students, non-U.S. citizens

Internship: Student Intern in the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service 

Opening Date: August 6, 2024

Closing date: August 26, 2024

Work Hours: 24-32 hours per week 

Agency/Section: U.S. Department of Commerce/Foreign Commercial Service, Sofia

Duration of Internship:  At least four (4) months. Expected start date – mid October 2024

The U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service Office at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia is looking to recruit student interns to support office day-to-day activities. Upon successful completion of the internship, a certificate and a reference letter may be provided. 
The Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce assists U.S. companies with their efforts to enter the Bulgarian market through representation, direct sales, licensing agreements, or joint ventures. FCS assists Bulgarian companies in forming business relationships with U.S. companies by representing U.S. products, importing U.S. goods or services, or through joint venture and licensing arrangements, to name a few. FCS analyzes information about the Bulgarian market, facilitates contacts with local businesses, promotes U.S. products in the Bulgarian marketplace, and advocates for U.S. business interests. It assists trade missions to Bulgaria and provides logistical support to U.S. companies holding product launches and exhibitions. The Sofia office works in a close cooperation with four other countries in Southeast Europe – Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Greece. 
Interns will be collecting, analyzing and drafting/writing market intelligence reports, assisting with the timely and informative response to inquiries from U.S. companies and from our 100 U.S. Export Assistance Center offices, assisting with a wide range of tasks and responsibilities in preparation of trade events and trade missions; assisting with USDOC/Commercial Service fee-based programs, assisting in preparing presentations, PPTs and other marketing pieces.
For more information, please visit our website at https://www.trade.gov/bulgaria. 
Skills and Abilities: Applicants must have strong interest in international trade, be knowledgeable in MS Office, have good customer service skills, excellent English language command (speaking, reading and writing) and be fluent in Bulgarian. Applicants must demonstrate the potential to accomplish the type of work to be performed.

Eligibility criteria: 
•    Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of participation in the program. 
•    Bulgarian citizen or permanent legal resident of Bulgaria. 
•    Must meet the definition for a student, as defined in 5 CFR § 308.101: 

“Student is an individual who is enrolled not less than half-time in a high school*, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university or other accredited educational institution. An individual who is a student is deemed not to have ceased to be a student during an interim between school years if the interim is not more than 5 months and if such individual shows to the satisfaction of the agency that the individual has a bona fide intention of continuing to pursue a course of study or training in the same or different educational institution during the school semester (or other period into which the school year is divided) immediately after the interim.”

*NOTE: To be considered for the Foreign National Student Internship Program, students must have graduated from high school or equivalent secondary school prior to beginning the program and must be at least 18 years old. Also, there is not a break of service for purposes of this requirement if an individual is receiving academic credit for the internship, even if not otherwise taking classes. 

•    Be able to work 32 hours per week.
•    Applicants must be in good academic standing at their current educational institution and must provide a certified transcript verifying this and that they are currently enrolled.
•    Selected applicants must pass a background check and receive security and medical certifications before commencement of the internship.

How to Apply:  All applicants are instructed to address each selection criterion detailed above with specific and comprehensive supporting information. Interested candidates must submit a current resume or curriculum vitae in English, and a proof for their student status. Providing recommendation letters is a plus. 

Applications received after the closing date of this announcement will NOT be considered. 

The Human Resources Office will contact the short-listed candidates only.

Applications will be collected by the end of the day August 19, 2024 at:
[email protected]