A great opportunity to gain experience and build skills through a nine-month remote internship with the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS). Opportunities are open to U.S. citizen students, college-level and above, who are interested in sharing their talent, fresh ideas, and digital excellence to make a difference in the work of the U.S. government. Since 2009, thousands of eInterns have expanded the efforts of the U.S. government, working remotely from their school, dorm room, apartment, local library, or coffee shop – wherever they happen to be!
Virtual interns work only on unclassified projects. They report to their mentors at the Department of State and other federal government agencies in the U.S. and around the world by email, phone, or video chat.
VSFS is managed by the Office of eDiplomacy in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Information Resource Management.
How it works:
Every year, employees from across the federal government register as “mentors” on the VSFS website. They submit projects from May 1st – June 24th. Students #ApplyinJuly. They choose three of the hundreds of projects and introduce themselves – virtually – to those mentors by writing a personal statement. August is matching month, when mentors get to see all the students who have picked their project. Through interviews and emails, mentors make their selections and work begins in September. Students work approximately ten hours a week for the academic year (September – May). Keep in mind that these are unpaid internships, but are great opportunities to build skills and connections within the federal government.
How to apply:
The VSFS vacancy announcement is open July 1st – July 31st on the USAJOBS.gov website. During that time, students may find the listing by searching for “VSFS” or “Virtual Student Federal Service” on USAJOBS. Students may apply to up to three projects.
