Section I
The book that I selected to read was titled International Jobs: Where They Are, How to Get Them, by Eric Kocher and Nina Segal. What appealed to me about this book was the title. On the front cover there is a quote that states that this book is the best resource guide for the year 2000 and well beyond. After reviewing the list and searching for other titles that might appeal to me this particular one came out to be the winner. The key word that caught me eye was international.
The entire first chapter gives you key ideas on how to pick the career of your choice. It helps you identify what it is one is looking for in a job and helps analyze if one is qualified enough to take on such a position. From reading this book I have identified what I imagine is the most common mistake people make when they say that they want to do something international. Looking at the big picture it says one must be focused on one specific thing because stating international is way too broad. It gives you examples of how international can mean many things. Not limited to a job abroad but also a job in the states that is in a foreign company or a company that does business in other countries.
It points out many tips on analyzing if one has done all the homework pertaining to a job. One would think that after finishing school one would no longer have to worry about doing homework. Say for instance if I wanted to go to Europe I have to be aware of the differences in culture from country to country. Every country is different and customs differ greatly along with each one’s culture. One should be prepared and know all the necessary requirements needed to obtain a job in another country and have the knowledge of what a local people might find offensive.
The book gives synopsis and important information of many organizations. It is broken down in different categories and lets one know how to obtain a competitive edge on others applying for the same organizations. I became particularly interested what it covered on the federal government and teaching English abroad. My goal is to try and live in a foreign country a good number of years to gain experience, though, the book suggests working here first and then pursuing a job overseas. It explains how working here and then pursuing something elsewhere facilitates the transfer process by networking with the locals and making connections.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. Not just people seeking international jobs because in fact it is a good reference book to all the important organizations. It explains to you techniques on how to penetrate such markets and be successful.

Section II
My job title at the U.S. Department of Commerce was Assistant Trade Specialist. When I interviewed for the intern position I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Rochelle Williams who is a trade specialist at the commercial service. She asked me questions of what my long-term goals were and what I expected to achieve with the internship. After discussing my interests she came to the conclusion that I would enjoy working with Carrie Brooks. She is another trade specialist who focuses on telecommunications, software and multimedia industries.
On my first day Rochelle showed me around the office. She pointed out where everything was located such as office supplies; fax machine and inboxes, etc. She then introduced me to Carrie and I was well on my way. I had a brief meeting with Carrie where she explained to me her role as a trade specialist and she gave me an understanding of her position. She was very informative and reassured me to ask her any questions to make my internship run smooth.
Every time I would come to the office I was to check voice mail and deliver all messages. I was then to report to Carrie and ask her if she had anything for me. If she was not available and I had no current projects I would ask the other trade specialists if they needed help with anything. If nothing was available I was to start up the Core Competencies CD-Rom, which was a very informative tool. While reviewing the software I was remembering many things that I had once covered in various class discussions at SDSU. The CD explained detail by detail the exact process of which the commercial service operates by. Clients are easily facilitated with the many exporting options that are readily available.
Working with Carrie was somewhat fast paced and I really enjoyed it. In the beginning I must say that I was not too focused. I regret being this way because I know that I would have been more beneficial to her as I was in the end. She taught me how to look for potential distributors, clients and or consultants in other countries pertaining to the industries that she worked with. I was exposed to doing market research on various databases and doing research on various industry sectors. It seems as though one would not be able to get much information there, but believe me it was never ending.
While interning for Carrie I had various tasks. She would come to me with a list of names that she would ask me to research on the Internet and find out what they consisted of. Once the list was completed she asked me to choose two people that I would want to take on as my own; of course with her guidance. I ended up choosing NTN Communications and Animated Software, two companies that are located in Carlsbad.
My task with these two companies was to pull up information that might be useful to them if they were to choose to export their products. Upon obtaining a sample of important information I personally called these companies up with her authorization and I set up business meeting with them. In the meeting she would speak about the services available to the public and then she would allow me to present my research. I would explain to the potential clients how the information could be useful in exporting their products. This was the first time that I had ever been present in a formal business meeting and it was very exciting.
After meeting with these potential clients we would talk about how everything went and discuss how we could help them. We would brainstorm and we always managed to come up with many interesting ideas. I would return to the office and begin my tailored research for these companies and show Carrie what I came up with. Upon reviewing we would decipher what information would be beneficial and which would not be. The information would then be sent to them and we would contact them and see if it was helpful.

Section III
In the duration of my internship at the commercial service I can recall a number of times when I can say that I honestly used the valuable information I learned while in school. The first time once again when I was reviewing the Core Competencies CD-Rom, to me it all seemed like a review from when I was at SDSU. I would be reading about a certain topic and I would retract in my mind what class that particular subject was covered in.
I recall reviewing a lot of information that I learned about in my global marketing strategy class. First question: Is there an existing market for my product in the particular country that I have in mind? Second: Has the market been fully penetrated? Third: Will I have a competitive advantage over the competition? Fourth: Will the people of the country accept this product, let alone the name by what I title it? These were important things that we as a group had to discuss when we did our project in exporting to another country. Of course it is not everything, you also have to consider how it will be wrapped, shipped and marketed, etc.
I also recall various times when Spanish-speaking people would call and I would answer their questions. We would have a series of questions that we would ask them in order to narrow down the likelihood that we would or would not be able to help them. I had the opportunity to study in Spain so I learned many words that I had never heard of before. I know that I would have been able to explain myself to the people that I was speaking to but knowing the proper words made me feel good. Taking commercial Spanish also came in handy when trying to address certain in-coming calls.

Section IV
The ideal person for the same position that I took on would be a person that has patience to learn. The position can start off slow because there is just so much information. Believe it or not though the CD-Rom was long. It is great to review because it refreshes your memory of what was learned in past semesters. This helps facilitate on what you will be doing at the commercial service. It is an environment where you are given a task and you complete it on your own. You present the information obtained to your supervisor and review it. You will find yourself working on your own with very little supervision.
The things that I found useful in doing this internship is looking close for detailed information. When researching for information you are looking for very specific things. You should have knowledge on how to operate a computer. Being able to navigate the information superhighway is a valuable asset. You should be able to use the various software that are in Microsoft Office. When you send information to a client it is always professional to send them a cover letter stating what it is they will be receiving. You should know basic information on how to use a copy and fax machine. Basic clerical skills are a plus when thinking about pursuing an internship with this firm.
As far as educational background is concerned well I guess that is up to everyone solely. Though having knowledge of business in a broad spectrum is really useful. Knowing business terminology to understand what people are saying to you and how to respond to them properly. Possess good phone etiquette when answering the phone and trying to address questions properly. Be very organized because you will not be the only person there printing information at the same time. Organize your research accordingly so that you can present it to your supervisor in an efficient manner.

Section V
The career potential in this field is endless. Once again as the book I chose stated, one has to be specific on what type of job one wants. During my internship I have learned that before one jumps into something you should do your homework. Research can only be beneficial before making a crucial decision. From this position I have been exposed to endless possibilities of where I can pursue my career. I have been advised that I have the opportunity of extending my internship to other branches of government agencies. I know that in the past they have hired people for various positions but with budget cuts they are not able to offer anything at the present time.
I have spoken to Carrie about how I plan to move to Mexico City in the future. She has advised me that she could give them a heads up on my intentions and that she can see the possibilities of maybe interning for the U.S. Consulate for a short period of time. This would in turn allow me to make further contacts out there and make some connections. I have had a long conversation with her and she has explained how she never knew that she would end up working for the government. By her telling me this, she is letting me know that there are many open doors available and opportunities are endless.
My best advise to everyone is to explore different avenues and do not feel that you have to stay with something that you are not happy with. Some of you might not like this internship the way I did and that is perfectly OK. What I am trying to express is that because I make the internship sound appealing you still have to try it for yourself. Close to completion of my internship I really got involved in my various tasks at the commercial service. After completing the internship I have returned a number of times without any obligation to do so. I plan on continuing to return and help Carrie if at all possible. It has been a great pleasure being her intern for this short period of time.

Bibliography

Kocher, Eric and Nina Segal. International Jobs: Where
They Are, How to Get Them (5th ed.). New York: Perseus
Books, 1999.