Triwik at VOA Learning English

Hi all!

I am Triwik, an intern at Voice of America (VOA) Learning English in Washington D.C. I am also a student at Ohio University (OU) in Athens, Ohio. This is my first time working in the U.S. It has been a great experience to be able to work in an American working culture.

It was not easy to get an internship, especially for summer, because many other students are also applying for the same positions. I started applying for summer internships in December.

I first got an internship offer in March, but the company wanted me to start working in April. I declined the offer because I was still busy with my spring semester in April. It was disappointing, I kept hoping that another good internship opportunity would come my way.

The good news came in April. VOA Learning English contacted me and scheduled a phone interview with me. I practiced doing an interview to prepare myself. The real interview went well — and they offered me the job!

Are you trying to get an internship? Here are some tips that might be useful.

* First, you need to ask yourself: What kinds of internship do want to do? When do you want to do it? Where do you want to do the internship?

Here in the U.S., many internship opportunities are available during the summer, from May to August. Some of them are available during winter in December and January. I decided to do an internship in summer because I have no classes during summer.

It is good to know what companies that you want to work for. At the beginning, I wanted to do an internship at VOA. I checked its website and found the vacancies.

It is better to apply for an internship that matches your interest and future career. I actually got another offer from a different organization. But I decided to take an internship at VOA because it fits my future career in communication.

There are two types of internships: paid and unpaid. The competition to get paid internships might be higher. I myself did not care much about this. For me, the experience of working in the U.S. is more important than the money.

* After ensuring yourself on the internship that you want to do, you should start looking for information on internships.

You can look into the websites of the companies. You can also get the information from social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter.

* Prepare a solid cover letter and résumé

Generally, future employers will ask for cover letter, résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) and sometimes work samples. The cover letter is usually one-page long. In it, you should tell them the position that you apply for, the reasons why you are applying for the internship, your expectations after taking the internship, and your availability. The résumé (or CV) has information on your educational background, skills and work experience.

It is always good to ask a native English speaker to read your cover letter and résumé. Since English is not my first language, I went to the writing center on campus to have my cover letter and résumé checked by native speakers.

* Apply to as many as internships you can

This will increase your chance of getting accepted. I applied for more than 10 positions in various organizations around the U.S. It is also good to apply for internships as early as possible. Some employers post summer internship positions as early as November.

* Prepare for the interview

Prospective employers usually interview applicants through phone or Skype. Some of them will ask for your availability or give you an interview schedule for you to choose from. You can practice doing the interview with friends. I myself like to practice in front of the mirror.

Make sure you know your prospective employers well. At the end of the interview, interviewer usually asks whether you have some questions. You can prepare one or two questions. It could be about the employer itself or the application process.

*Don’t give up!

Other than the skills and preparations, it takes efforts, strong motivation and determination to get an internship. The most important thing is to never give up. Keep on trying and think positively. If you don’t get an internship today, you might get it tomorrow.

Have you ever gotten an internship? Share your experience here. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have! I am happy to help. – Triwik

Words in This Blog

decline – v. to say no to something

prospective – adj. likely to be something in the future

Students throw inflatable globes into the air as they celebrate graduation during Harvard University commencement exercises. (AP Photo)

Hello everyone,

I am Triwik, an intern at VOA Learning English. I am also a graduate student in Communication and Development Studies at Ohio University, here in the United States. I got a scholarship for a two-year master’s degree from Fulbright. The Fulbright scholarship is an international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

It is a challenge to get a scholarship abroad. But it does not mean that you cannot get it. Here are some tips that might help you get a scholarship abroad.

* The first thing to do is ask yourself: what program do you want to do?

Do you want to do a non-degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree? It is best to choose a program that matches your career.

My first scholarship was a non-degree scholarship to help me improve my journalism skills. Then I realized that it was not enough. After getting my undergraduate degree in Indonesia, I felt the need to increase my research skills by obtaining a master’s degree.

* After carefully choosing academic program that you want, you should start looking for information on scholarships. You can get the information from social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to newsletters or join mailing lists. For information on scholarships sponsored by the US government, go to www.educationusa.state.gov.

* After you choose the scholarship program, it is time to get busy on the application. This can be very time-consuming.

Scholarship providers usually ask you to fill-out application forms. They will also ask for a motivation letter, which states the reasons why you apply for the scholarship; a resume or a curriculum vitae, which lists your educational background, working experiences and skills; a proof of language proficiency score and reference letter(s).

A reference letter is a letter provided by a person who can give vouch for your character and skills. For my master’s degree, I asked for reference letters from my former lecturer and employers.

As for the motivation letter, it is good to have a native speaker to check the grammar and the organization of the letter. I asked for an American colleague to check my mine.

*  The next step is strengthening your language ability.

If you are a non-English speaker who decides to study in an English-speaking environment, you will need to take English tests like TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language testing System). You can borrow study guides at the library or get them online. There are some websites that provide free test samples. To improve your speaking skills, you can ask your friends to practice English. I used to speak to myself in the mirror to practice my English. I was pretending to have conversations with somebody. It helped me a lot.

* There are some stages in scholarship application, from administration process to interview. In an interview, interviewers usually ask about your academic background, skills and work experiences; the reasons why you apply for the program; your chosen program/university, your future goals after finishing the program; your ability to handle issues/problems, and your strengths and weaknesses.

As for the number of interviewers, it depends on the program that you apply for. When I applied for journalism training in Germany, there was only one interviewer. But when I applied for master’s degree in the United Kingdom and the U.S., there were three interviewers – two Indonesians and one non-Indonesian.

* Send as many applications as you can to increase your chance in getting a scholarship.

It took me two years to get a master’s-degree scholarship. In 2012, I applied for three scholarships and I did not even get one. I sent five applications in 2013. To my surprise, I got accepted for two of them. I chose the one in the U.S. because I felt that I would learn more in the U.S., especially in the field of communication.

* Other important keys are strong motivation, determination, hard work and a never-give-up fighting spirit.

If you fail in getting a scholarship this year, you can always send other applications next year. A wise man once said that failure teaches success.

I always try to learn from my failure. When I did not get a scholarship in 2012, I improved my English ability, revised my motivation letter, and strengthened my professional skills.

So, what are you waiting for? A scholarship could be within your reach. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

Hi everyone!

My name is Triwik and I am from Indonesia. I am currently studying for a master’s degree in Communication and Development Studies at Ohio University in the United States.

Many people ask me: “Do you pay for your study out of your own pocket?”

No, I don’t, because I received a scholarship. It means that I do not have to pay for the tuition fee. I also get a monthly stipend. I want to share my experiences in applying for scholarships abroad to all of you.

Triwik at Ohio University, United States

Studying abroad has been my childhood dream. It is not cheap to study in a foreign country. Therefore, I tried to get a scholarship to fund my study. My first experience applying for a scholarship was in 2011. I applied for a scholarship to do a two-month journalism training program in environmental reporting in Berlin, Germany.

To apply for the scholarship, I had to write a motivation letter stating the reasons why I wanted to apply for it. I also attached a resume, which listed my educational background and work experience.

The German embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, later invited me for an interview. The interviewer asked about my motivations in applying for the scholarship and my working experiences in dealing with environmental issues.

I got the scholarship! The German government paid for my round-trip airfare, accommodation, and transportation costs in Germany. It was a great opportunity to meet environmental experts and journalists from Asia, Africa, and Europe.

I later decided to apply for a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree. I wanted to increase my skills in communication and media. Since English is not my first language, I had to take either TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests to prove that I could function in an English-speaking environment. I decided to take IELTS because the scholarships that I applied for required an IELTS score. I took the IELTS twice. My first IELTS score was 6.5. It was actually not bad. But I decided to take another one to increase my chance in getting a scholarship. The second time I took the IELTS, I got a 7.

In 2012, I applied for scholarships in the United Kingdom, Australia and Denmark. An institution in the U.K. invited me for an interview. However, I did not get the scholarship. I was very disappointed because I was one step closer to studying in the U.K. The disappointment grew even deeper when I did not get the scholarships in Australia and Denmark.

I did not give up. In 2013, I applied for five scholarships. One of them was a program to study in the U.S. funded by Fulbright. The Fulbright program is an international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. I sent the application forms, a motivation letter, and a resume. I also attached three reference letters from my employers and a former lecturer.

Fulbright invited me for an interview in Jakarta. There were three people interviewing me. They asked about my motivations in studying in the U.S., my chosen program and universities and my goals after finishing my study. A few weeks later, Fulbright offered me the scholarship!

But the process did not end there. I still had to take the TOEFL iBT (internet-based TOEFL) and GRE (Graduate Record Examination) tests to enroll in universities in the U.S. The GRE is an admission test for graduate school.

I studied hard for the tests. I had to juggle study and and my work at The Jakarta Post, an English-language daily newspaper based in Jakarta. I usually studied in the morning because I had to work in the afternoon. I also bought the TOEFL iBT and GRE study guides, which were expensive. I took the TOEFL iBT test twice because the first score was below the required standard. The second score was much better. The entire process – from sending application, doing an interview and taking English tests – took about eight months.

No pain, no gain. After going through the long process, I finally received an offer from Ohio University to do a two-year master’s degree in Communication and Development Studies. Fulbright paid for my flights, tuition and health insurance. It also gave me a monthly stipend.

Besides being able to study abroad for free, I also have the opportunity to work in the U.S. as an intern at Voice of America. I am excited to learn more about the media in the U.S. and on how international media works. I hope that this internship opportunity will enhance my communication skills and build a network that will be useful for my future career.

So, if you really want to study abroad and get an internship, go for it! If I can do it, you can do it!

If you are interested in studying in the U.S., you can log on to: http://educationusa.state.gov

Words in this story

tuition – n. the money that we should pay to go to school

stipend – n. a regular payment, as an allowance 

eligible – n. qualified

enroll – v. register

juggle – v. to do several things at the same time

no pain, no gain – a motto which means that hard work will give you greater value

Triwik at Ohio University, United States

Hi all!

My name is Triwik, and I am a summer intern here at VOA Learning English. Every week, I will write a blog post here about my experiences as an international student in the United States.

I am from Surakarta, Indonesia. I am currently studying for my master’s degree at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. This is my first time studying in the U.S. I received my bachelor’s degree in economics in Indonesia.

I began my master’s degree program in the fall of 2014. I have already noticed many differences between universities in the U.S. and universities in Indonesia.  It has been a challenge for me studying in the U.S. because Indonesia has a different academic culture than that of in the U.S.

Here are a few things that have surprised me:

*One major difference is class participation. Here in the U.S., students are encouraged to be active and involved in discussions. You are free to share your thoughts and opinions in class. University students in Indonesia, on the other hand, somehow tend to be “passive” as they only listen to the lecturers.

*Second, in terms of lecturer-student interaction, the relationship between lecturers and students in the U.S. is less formal. My professors at Ohio University, for instance, asked me to use their first names instead of using “Professor” or their last names. In Indonesia, it is a different situation. To address your lecturer, you have to call him/her “Mr.” or “Mrs.” It is considered impolite to use only first name.

*As for the clothing, Indonesian students have to dress “properly”—no flip-flops, no shorts, and no sleeveless tops. In the U.S., you can wear all of those in class! One thing that I like in the U.S. is that you can eat and drink in class! I cannot do that in my home country because eating and drinking in class would be considered impolite.

*Writing research papers and keeping up with the readings are the most challenging tasks for me. A professor might assign 100-page of reading materials per week. At first, it was hard for me to do all of the readings. But better time management has helped me keep up with the reading requirements.

*Since English is not my mother tongue, writing research papers in English is not easy either. I went to the university’s writing center for help. The center provides tutors to help students with writing research papers or essays.

It has been nine months since I started studying in the U.S. In that short time, I feel that I have adjusted myself to the active-learning system of American academic culture.

Do you have any questions for me about studying at U.S. universities? Have you studied in another country before? Write to us in the comments section!