IPACS RANEPA student shared her internship experience at the Mexican Embassy
Organizing internships in foreign embassies to gain new competencies for students of the Presidential Academy is an important area of work for the Academy’s International Development Directorate. 4th year student of the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service (IPACS) of RANEPA Polina Gololobova shared her experience gained during her internship at the Mexican Embassy in Moscow.
– Polina, how did you get an internship at the Mexican Embassy?
– I learned about the internship from my Spanish teacher. As a child, I lived in Mexico for four years and fell in love with this country, so I decided to apply for a competitive selection. In accordance with the terms of the competition, I wrote a motivation letter and compiled a resume in Spanish. Next, Embassy employees assessed the work and selected candidates for internships. Fortunately, my preparation met the required level, and I was accepted for practice.
– Did you have any expectations from your internship at the embassy?
– Yes, I did. But instead of the expected monotonous office work, we learned new skills and learned some of the cultural characteristics of this country. We were told about the traditions and life of Mexicans, introduced to the life and work of the Embassy.
– Tell us more about the internship process: what seemed the most interesting, what was especially memorable?
– The internship was divided into several blocks. During the first of them, Embassy staff gave us lectures on various topics related to their field of activity, including relations between Russia and Mexico on economic issues. At the same time, the classes were taught, among other things, by the head of the Diplomatic Mission, Eduardo Villegas Mejias.
The second block was devoted to project management. We worked on a project in which we developed a form of checklist that makes it easier for the Wikipedia audience to adjust corrections if there are inaccuracies in the information. We are planning to hold a marathon in Moscow and St. Petersburg on editing articles in Spanish using a developed checklist. In addition, thanks to our work at the Embassy and the study of a large amount of data about the country, we have revised the stereotype of Mexico as a state with a high level of danger.
– What are the main results of your internship?
– Firstly, we gained some experience in project activities. Secondly, it is the practical application of networking and building effective communications. Thirdly, experience working with large amounts of information and acquiring prioritization skills, as well as drawing up official documents. And, of course, I managed to improve my Spanish skills after communicating with native speakers. I liked it all very much!
– What are your impressions of your internship at the Embassy?
– The month flew by unnoticed, in a warm, friendly atmosphere. The Embassy staff managed to create the most comfortable and pleasant environment for our development, including the feeling that we were in Mexico, although in fact we did not leave the territory of our country.
