Forest and Natural Resource Management (FNRM) student Steven Jaskowiak wants to eventually work for a federal land management agency. To help him gain the skills and experience he needs for that, he's completing a Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) internship. It's a program hosted by various US government agencies that can help college students supplement their educations with real-word experience.
But what exactly is a virtual internship with a federal agency like? Steven shares his experience to help us all learn more about the program.
Name: Steven Jaskowiak
Internship position: National Cohesive Strategy Communications intern with the Fire and Aviation Management office of USDA Forest Service Region 8, which serves the American Southeast and Puerto Rico.
Location: Online
Dates of internship: September - May 2024
Hours per week: Variable, 10 hours on average
Paid or unpaid: Unpaid
How did you learn about this internship?
I was part of the CFANS Mentor Program my first year at the U. That summer, my mentor reached out to me about the virtual federal internship program.
What was the application process like?
Applications go through OpenApps, [a software tool that's] part of USAJobs [the official job site of the federal government]. For the application process, you fill out a little web application and then submit a federal-style resume. If your resume is good, then you will get an interview with the team you’ll be working with.
Do you have any tips for future applicants?
If you’re interested in federal jobs, this gives you a really good picture of what the federal job application process is like. For example, federal-style resumes are different than "normal" ones: [Rather than condensing your experience into a single page], you can write as much as you like. What is important is to read the internship or job description and take every key phrase and work it into your resume. There is an internal HR review that is done before your resume is even seen by the hiring manager, so if you include all the right words or phrases in your resume, then you’ve got a better chance at getting an interview. UMN resume resources and workshops can help you to prepare.
What type of work do you do?
VSFS internships are with many different federal agencies. My internship is with the Forest Service’s Region 8 Fire and Aviation Management office, where I research and write short articles about wildland fire and fire mitigation efforts in the Southeast USA. The articles are published in internal or external Forest Service websites and newsletters, like Inside the Forest Service. Articles that don't work for the Forest Service are instead published on the Southern Group of State Foresters blog. I can also write social media posts.
Is that typical for VSFN internships?
There is a lot of variety in VSFS internships as any office that needs help can take on an intern. There are many different opportunities to work on interesting projects. If you’re local to the team you’re working with, you can even do field work with this kind of internship.
What do you like about this experience?
I like working with a real team, seeing how welcoming and eager they are to have me around, and being given assignments that are eventually published. I like researching stories and interviewing people in forestry agencies across the Southeast. I get to ask them a lot of questions and listen as they discuss the problems their communities are facing.
What has been challenging about it?
Depending on your internship, you might need to learn new skills or be able to work on your own without a lot of direct contact with your team. Each opportunity is unique, and you should ask questions in the interview to figure out exactly what the work environment will be like.
One example from my internship is having to call people out of the blue [for interviews or information]. But since I'm a communications intern, I've had to work up the courage to just get it done.
What tips do you have for others considering remote internships?
Go for it! If you want to get an internship in but don’t have the time for a regular one, this can be a great way to work with professionals on real projects in your own time. It also opens up opportunities that aren’t available in your local area.
Is there anything else you want to share about your experience?
I've had a ton of fun applying what I’ve learned in school in this forest service internship. I've been able to talk with a ton of different people across the country about topics that I’ve received lectures on. It's very cool to hear how they’re addressing wildfire and forestry problems directly and I felt privileged to be a part of the communications team making sure those stories got told.