Josef Korbel School of International Studies - Graduate Students

• Resumes
• S.T.A.R. Method
• Cover Letters
• Personal Statements
• Interviews
• Networking
• Negotiation & Benefits

• Resumes should clearly reflect your skillset and experience while focusing on your future career goals. Each resume will eventually need to be tailored to fit a specific internship or job, and for this reason we do not recommend using a template. To get started with a general resume, check out our video library for the resume basics video. You can also find formatting and content tips, sample resumes, and a list of suggested active verbs in our resume toolkit in resources. Also check out our brief video and guide to the S.T.A.R. format so that you can write strong, effective bullet points to best highlight your experience.
• Whether you are writing resume bullets, cover letters, or preparing for an interview, it is critical to effectively communicate and demonstrate your strengths and accomplishments. S.T.A.R. (an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result) provides a valuable outline to concisely communicate a specific story that shows, instead of just tells, employers about your KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities). S.T.A.R. is sometimes called CCAR for Context, Challenge, Action, Result, but the approach is the same. Watch this introductory video to learn more about how S.T.A.R. works, and why it’s important. Then check out this resource for specific examples on how to improve your resume bullets, cover letter paragraphs and interview questions using the S.T.A.R. method.
• A well-written and targeted cover letter is a critical part of your application. It should demonstrate how you are uniquely qualified for the position and organization for which you are applying. You will likely need to draft a unique cover letter for each position to which you are applying. Start by watching this short introductory video. In our resources, you will also find a cover letter writing guide and a sample cover letter outline to help you get started. Also check out our brief video and guide to the S.T.A.R. format so that you can write strong, effective cover letter paragraphs to best highlight your KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) as relevant to the position. Finally, our video and Writing T.R.A.P.S. resource will help you avoid common writing mistakes in your cover letters.
• Personal statements (or statements of interest) are required for many government internships and fellowship applications, including State Department internships. They demonstrate how your interests and skills make you qualified for the position or fellowship, while highlighting your relevant future career plans. In our video library, you can view information sessions with State Department Diplomats in Residence for tips on your State Department internship application. Finally, our Writing T.R.A.P.S. resource will help you avoid common writing mistakes in your personal statements.
• We have resources available for both informational interviews and interviews for internships and jobs. An informational interview is defined as talking with people currently working in the field to gain a better understanding of an occupation or industry, and to build a network of contacts in the field. Doing this is an important part of your career journey, and you need to be prepared to make a good impression! Check out our informational interviewing guide in our resources for sample emails on reaching out, questions to ask, and much more. We also have a webinar on informational videos in our videos. Similarly, interviews are a critical part of the job and internship search process. Learn how to prepare for interviews, find out the types of questions managers are likely to ask, and practice talking about your knowledge and skills. We also have a guide to federal interviews from OPM in our resource section. Finally, check out our video and guide to the S.T.A.R. format so that you can provide real-world examples of why you would make a great hire! You can also schedule an appointment with an advisor for a mock interview.
• More than 70% of jobs are found through networking. Increasingly, this means using tools like LinkedIn to connect with others in your field. The Korbel LinkedIn Group provides an opportunity for current students and alumni to network with each other and stay connected with the school. Linktank lists events, workshops, and jobs for students and professionals in the Washington DC area. Denver area networking groups include: Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, Mile High Young Professionals, Net Impact, Posner Center for International Development, and Women in Sustainable Energy. The LinkedIn official blog has great information about networking, and be sure to attend OCPD Career Center events with alumni to expand upon your Korbel network. We created a video about using LinkedIn as a search tool, and in our resources you can find sample networking emails for every step of your career journey.
• Congratulations on landing a job offer! Now it’s time to think critically about the offer, and where you might have room to negotiate with salary or benefits. In our resources, we have a quick introductory video and a more detailed resource about employee benefits to help you understand your job offer. We can also help you through this process in an individual meeting.

Internship and Job Data

• INTERNSHIP DATABASE: Detailed information about where past Korbel students have interned. You can sort by location, degree, and certificate. This is a great place to start your internship search! You can also look at the past 3 years of internship data by degree, location, and how much money we’ve given to students doing internships.
• INTERNSHIP REVIEWS: Read what Korbel students did at their internships, including tips on how to get the internship, and whether or not past interns would recommend it.
• EMPLOYMENT DATA: On average, 93% of Korbel alumni are employed or continuing their education in the field within 12 months of graduation. Check out the many jobs and organizations around the world where you can use your Korbel degree!
• Find internship registration polices and procedures on the Korbel MA portfolio page.