United States of America: Economic Empowerment Direct Services Intern

BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope, the IRC leads the way from harm to home. Domestically, our 26 offices across the U.S. ensure new arrivals have food, shelter, and clothing, and work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency.

SCOPE OF WORK: The Economic Empowerment program assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient by providing early employment and career development services. Early employment places recently arrived refugees in their first job; career development assists employed clients in securing job upgrades that improve economic conditions and align with career history and/or career objectives. The intern will work closely with the Economic Empowerment team, promoting client self-sufficiency.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work directly with IRC employment specialists to implement and monitor performance on Road to Self Sufficiency, Targeted Assistance Program, Match Grant Program, or SNAP
• Work with employment specialists to develop employment opportunities through research and targeted outreach
• Provide direct services to refugee clients including creating resumes, cover letters, and job applications
• Provide group and individual trainings aimed at successful workforce integration
• Accompany clients to job preparation activities and interviews, coaching clients so they can attend these events independently in the future
• Support the economic empowerment team in creating career path documents that will guide future refugees with a specific career objective
• Other duties as identified by Employment Specialists

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Intern will learn to create effective resumes and cover letters
• Intern will learn to communicate effectively with clients across cultures and with interpreters
• Intern will learn individual coaching techniques to engage and empower adults
• Intern will learn effective outreach strategies for building strategic relationships

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Self-motivated and able to work independently
• Excellent communication and writing skills, including cross-cultural communicative skills
• Works well in a fast-paced environment and adapts quickly to change
• Strong interest in refugee and asylee issues as well as in workforce development
• Language skills in Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Farsi, French, Kinyarwanda, Spanish or Swahili are a plus
• Three month minimum. Required 15+ hours/week. Preferred 35+ hours/week
• Preference to current students and recent graduates*

*Note: This is an unpaid internship; school credit may be received depending on your program and institution.

*Candidates applying who are not currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, or are outside 12 months of their graduation will be processed as volunteers.

Please include your resume, a cover letter, a list of references, and your tentative availability (including start date and weekly schedule) with your application.

This position is for the fall 2018 semester beginning in August/September and requires a 3 month commitment. The internship will be posted until filled.

To protect our clients, the IRC requires all selected applicants to complete background checks. We ask that you make a $55 donation to help us cover the associated costs. Currently, 92% of our funding goes directly to programming to support our clients, and your help to cover this cost will ensure that no funding is directed away from serving our clients. Instructions will be provided after you have been selected to intern or volunteer.

IRC leading the way from harm to home.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

If you need assistance in the application or hiring process to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact Talent Acquisitions atIRC.Recruitment@rescue.org. As required by law, the IRC will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with a known disability.**

Please follow the link below to apply directly on our website, or visit rescue.org/careers and narrow your search to Silver Spring, MD

https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/search.aspx?site=1&c=rescue