Summer 2024 Employment Services Intern (IINE Boston)

The International Institute of New England is a 501(c)(3) non-profit serving refugees and immigrants in Boston, MA, Lowell, MA, and Manchester, NH. The Institute offers internships to students, graduate students, and recent graduates with demonstrated interest or experience in supporting refugee, asylee, and immigrant populations. Each internship includes an educational component, through which interns contextualize their experience and reflect on their service.

All internships are unpaid and correspond roughly with the US semester system:

• Summer Internship: late May/June through August 2024
  (Applications requested by March 31^st, considered thereafter until positions are filled)

First consideration is given to applicants that can commit at least 16 hours per week over the course of the semester outlined above. Applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of whether their schedule fits the semester system; IINE makes exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Slots fill quickly and candidates are encouraged to apply earlier than the requested date above.

Please note that this internship will be a hybrid format, meaning that some in-person hours at our Boston, MA office are required.

Career Services Internship Overview

IINE’s Refugee Employment Services program enrolls newly arrived refugees into Employment and English Education programs once they have accessed case management services, either at IINE or a different refugee resettlement agency in the area. Interns meet one-on-one with clients to provide resume and cover letter writing support, submit job applications, practice for interviews, and to answer questions clients have once they start new jobs and learn more about U.S. work culture.

Reports to: Employment Services Case Specialist

Location: Boston, MA (hybrid format)

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist clients in developing resumes and applying for jobs
• Provide feedback to clients working on resumes, cover letters, and job applications
• Practice with clients ahead of interviews and follow up with clients about their applications and interviews
• Teach work readiness trainings and tutor clients who require additional English practice
• When needed and appropriate, accompany clients to job fairs, interviews, and job shadows
• Provide general administrative assistance to the Employment Services team

Qualifications:

• Passionate about international, refugee, asylee, and/or immigrant issues
• Patience speaking with non-native English speakers/non-English speakers
• Professionalism and discretion when handling confidential information
• Tutoring or teaching experience, especially in small groups or on a one-on-one basis
• Previous work experience in industries where clients often apply for first jobs: retail, customer service, food service, or production is a plus.
• Experience editing and formatting, especially resumes and cover letters
• Experience with US job application process
  • Previous work and/or internship experience with an HR department or recruiting firm highly desirable
• Language skills in Haitian Creole, Dari, Pashto, Arabic, Swahili, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Somali, Russian, Ukrainian, preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Highly organized with great attention to detail
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint

Learning Objectives:

1. Build and strengthen employment acquisition skills such as creating appropriate resumes and cover letters, preparing for strong interview performance, and performing job market research
2. Successfully navigate the application, interview, and orientation processes typical of recruitment systems used by US employers
3. Hone administrative office skills in editing, formatting, documentation, file review, and data maintenance
4. Develop familiarity with the availability of public services such as food stamps, Medicaid, work training programs, rental assistance and others.
5. Understand the immigrant integration work and the US Refugee Resettlement program, as well as what part VOLAGs and resettlement agencies like the International Institute of New England play in receiving and integrating refugees.