So I Got Offered An Internship In Europe. But I Don't Think I Can/Want to Go. Help!

[shopgirl15]

So a few months back my mother sent me an advertised UN internship opportunity with the OSCE in Vienna, Austria. I wasn't to keen on it because even though its pretty much my field and a cool opportunity, I didn't think I could afford to go even if I got it. But I applied pretty much to shut her up.

Well long story short, I got the offer for it. My reaction: "Well, crap." Not that its not a nice opportunity, but it just seems so impractical to me. Its a three month internship with the possibility for expanding to six months. It is, of course, unpaid. I probably have enough in my savings account to cover the three months of living there for the most part, but I'm not keen on the idea. My mom on the other hand is very enthusiastic and offering financial support (probably living out her missed chance to travel to Germany when she was around my age, something she never shuts the hell up about). Plus they would want me to start within the next month.

What makes it worse is that currently I'm being sponsored for a security clearance with a gov agency (which will likely not be completed until spring next year) and possibly being further interviewed for another agency that would offer it - and this is somewhere I really want to work. And I know that traveling abroad makes that take even longer if not thwarts it - (has anyone here ever held a security clearance before? Please advise).

I am also waiting to hear back on a possible full time position (not related to my field either but would cover student loan payments and such for a while).

I was secretly wishing I would't get the internship - but now that I have I feel on one hand I could be wasting a good opportunity for the future or wasting a lot of money on something that's not even guaranteed to pay off in the future.

Help please.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Having had to go through a security screening myself before I started my current job, I know that going abroad does make the clearance take longer to process, because they have to contact other agencies for more information. Ditto for any members of your immediate family that may have traveled abroad in the last seven years. (My sister did a few weeks' study in Jordan while she was in college, for instance.)

Then again, I've lived a fairly boring, humdrum life, all things considered, and my clearance went through in about six months, which is close to the minimum, so my experience may not be typical.

[houdini]

I think there's a few points to consider:

- If the job within the security clearance field is something you'd want to work in, this is your ultimate goal. However, you won't be able to start that until your SecCl [I'd normally abbreviate to SC, but that has a slightly different meaning here...] is complete, which is January onwards. Therefore, you have a few months spare in which you could do the internship.
- Your mom has offered to pay some expenses for the internship (although find out what she's offering...), and you have savings, so it sounds like you would potentially be able to afford it. Therefore it's not an economic choice, more an opportunities choice.
- I agree with J2KW - I don't think travelling abroad derails the SecCl procedure much, but it might be worth contacting someone about this and asking. I think as long as you're going somewhere sensible and to a good organisation (ie. not off on a random camping trip in Afghanistan for no given reason) then it shouldn't make much difference.


So I suppose my advice would be: choose between the internship and the full-time job. If the internship is a good experience, and would benefit you more than the job, then go for it. If you don't think it would, then take the job until your SecCl comes through and then go for those jobs.

Also remember that you can always leave after the three months are up - you don't have to stay for any potential extension.

[shopgirl15]

Thanks for the advice guys, but my biggest issue is the possible second round of interviews with an agency I really want to work with. If I leave for the internship, I'm essentially forfeiting further interviews and my chance to begin a career there. That is my big issue.

But then again I don't even know if they're going to call me back for a second interview...thanks to the stupid shutdown that decision has definitely been delayed.

[Krivak]

Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, you could potentially do the 3 month internship and still be back for the interview. It's been my experience with any govt agency that they tend to do the hiring process slowly, over months and months. And restarting everything from a near standstill that is now, might take a long time, especially if they have to do any budget cuts.

[Seshat]

Don't go because your mother wants you to. Put that reason completely out of consideration. If you go for that reason, you'll end up miserable and resentful.

Now write down 'why' and 'why not' on a piece of paper. Or on the computer. Whatever. All the reasons except any 'someone else thinks it's a good/bad idea'.

If they have a reason for it to be a good/bad idea and you agree with the reason, you can put that down; but don't put 'so and so wants me to/not to'.

Once you can see your reasons, you can more easily think about them.

Also, with regard to both the potential local opportunities: why not contact the hiring managers?
Just ask them how long it is likely to be before they need you; and tell them why. That you have this short term opportunity, and you really really want their job, and don't want to miss out. But if it's going to be months before they need your attention anyway, you may as well take up this short term opportunity.

And tell them 'besides, if I do this, it'll make me more valuable to you because <reason that applies specifically to them>'.

[cindybubbles]

Maybe ask your mother why she thinks it's a good idea for you to go, if you haven't already. If she knows the place well, maybe she can help you out with things like culture and customs. But whatever you do, it has to be your decision in the end.

[shopgirl15]

Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, you could potentially do the 3 month internship and still be back for the interview. It's been my experience with any govt agency that they tend to do the hiring process slowly, over months and months. And restarting everything from a near standstill that is now, might take a long time, especially if they have to do any budget cuts.

Possible, but I doubt it would take a three full months to restart interviews. And its a risk I'm very hesitant to take.

Now write down 'why' and 'why not' on a piece of paper. Or on the computer. Whatever. All the reasons except any 'someone else thinks it's a good/bad idea'.

I did that, and the 'cons' very much outweigh the 'pros." Actually the only 'pro' I got was the experience of working for a known organization abroad. But its not like I haven't lived abroad before and I do have other local work experience in my field.

Also, with regard to both the potential local opportunities: why not contact the hiring managers?

Um, these are government agencies. I'm not sure who the hiring manager is.

Maybe ask your mother why she thinks it's a good idea for you to go, if you haven't already. If she knows the place well, maybe she can help you out with things like culture and customs. But whatever you do, it has to be your decision in the end.

Basically...its BECAUSE EUROPE! (emphasis hers, not mine). No, she's never been there. She's nuts about Europe in general...I'm really not.

[Moirae]

You can say no if you want to. Your family doesn't run your life, you do.

But I want to relate something that happened when I was in my early 20's.

As I grew up, the one thing I loved more than anything was dinosaurs. When asked, I always said I was going to be a paleontologist.

When I was 17, I met a boy. And he was cute, and sweet and funny. When I was 18, I nearly destroyed my computer and called him to beg for help. He came over and fixed it and within a few days, he kissed me. He was my first boyfriend and we did eventually get married (and divorced but that's another story).

When I was 19, we decided to go on a little vacation (only a few days) and head out to the Royal Tyrrell Museum (one of the biggest and most awesome dinosaur museums in the world), then drive back through Devil's Coullee to see the hadrosaur bone bed.

I had alot of fun but he was bored most of the time.

When we went to Devils Coullee, we stopped at the museum. The local paleontologist (an idol of mine, I'd always wanted to meet her. She was orignally going to university for Archealogy but found the bone bed so switched to Paleontology instead) wasn't on site but her dad gave us a tour of some of the bone beds.

After the tour, we went through the museum and I had a chance to talk to her assistant. I was so excited and expressed to her that I wasn't sure about being a paleontologist due to the massive time and money commitment. She asked me to give her my phone number and she'd have my idol call me to chat.

So I'm thinking "yeah right" but I gave her my number.

And guess what... that's right, my idol called me. And not only did she call, but she said "I know it's a hard thing to commit to if you haven't had the experience so here's what I'll do. You come live with me for a year with free room and board, and you can work in the field with me. I'll teach you everything I know about the work that's possible in that amount of time. At the end of the year, you can decide if you want to go to school".

I couldn't breath for a second. But I knew I had to talk to my mother (and of course my boyfriend) before I could make that kind of commitment. So I got her phone number and told her I'd call her back.

I ran to talk to my boyfriend and I was so excited he could barely understand what I said. Once he did understand, he said "If you go, I'm leaving you". And at this point, that was a horrifying prospect. We'd been together quite a while and I didn't want to lose him.

So rather than telling him to kiss my shiny hiney and taking the once in a lifetime opportunity that presented itself, I told her no.

I love my current husband with all my heart and life wouldn't be life without him in it. But that is probably the one single thing I regret in my life. I do know though... if I hadn't been with my first husband, I never would have met my second, and that would be just horrible.

Just remember... maybe a handful of times in life, you will have things come up. Things that will change your life completely. They are a crossroads, and they are your choice. Don't let fear make your choices for you and don't make the decision lightly (or as I did, because some stupid boy threatened me).

These are the kinds of things you won't see very often. And that one chance is probably not something you will see again. Oh, there will likely be others, but never this one. And turning it down is something you may regret.

[shopgirl15]

These are the kinds of things you won't see very often. And that one chance is probably not something you will see again. Oh, there will likely be others, but never this one. And turning it down is something you may regret.

Wow, that's an amazing story. Thanks for sharing it.

But with my situation, its not so much fear as it is indecision. I'm caught between two options - one in Austria that will be a great experience for sure but will only be temporary, and the other here but could lead to a lifelong career that I really want. The former is a sure thing but will cost money (plus finding a place there is proving very hard) and require me to give up the position I've spent several months applying and waiting for, the other potential position is not even a guarantee yet.

[sms001]

Don't go.

The cons clearly outweigh the pros. Tell mom you can both vacation in Austria someday once your career is firmly on track. If things weren't rolling along on your current track, the internship would have far greater weight, but as things stand now it sounds like more of a sidetrack.

[Rock Lobster]

The reason for visiting the country and the country itself can delay your investigation. Certain countries are triggers. If you went for tourism and or study then it shouldn't be held against you. If you are going to another country to collaborate with terrorists or other illegal things then your clearance can be denied. Austria is not a 'trigger' country.

Go enjoy your life now. I lived in The Netherlands for a year and never regretted it. Great life experience and I learned a whole new language. It is important to travel and explore the world.

I still got my clearance for my current job.

Don't give up this opportunity of a lifetime.

[shopgirl15]

The problem is, I have what could be the opportunity of a lifetime here at home too.

[Sheldonrs]

I agree with what everyone has said here. It should be your choice.
But also ask yourself, "How many chances will I get to go to Vienna like this?" and "How many chances will I get to get the security clearance and job I want?" too.