Discovering the career option of “diplomat” through an internship at an embassy
Seigo Suzuki
3rd year, Department of Global Studies, Faculty of Global Studies (at the time of study abroad)
Destination: Embassy of Burkina Faso in Japan
Form of Internship: Global internship (short-term)
Every year, many Sophia University students study abroad in countries all over the world outside of Japan. How did they manage to find their way through the differences in languages, cultures, and lifestyles? Here are some voices of students who studied abroad.
I interned at the Embassy of Burkina Faso in Japan from February 1 to 15 in my junior year.
As someone who majored in West African regions and was working on finding a job in the private sector while aiming to become a diplomat, the three key words “Burkina Faso,” “embassy,” and “internship” were all too appealing to me. I thought there was a lot to learn, so I decided to apply.
During the training, we were accompanied by an embassy official on a daily basis and had the opportunity to observe their work in various capacities. Sometimes we were allowed to participate in signing ceremonies between Japanese companies and the Burkina Faso government, and at other times we accompanied them on errands to other embassies, enabling us to learn much about the diplomatic scene firsthand in the short two-week period we were there.
I gained a lot from my experience at the Embassy, especially in the way it has influenced my career path. Following my internship, I decided to take the exam for professional positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to confirm my desire to work as a diplomat. Ultimately, however, my two weeks at the embassy exposed me to diverse aspects of diplomacy, which in turn led to my decision to work for a global company. Still, ” career as a diplomat” remains an option in future career choices for me. I am confident that my experience at the Embassy of Burkina Faso will be invaluable to me moving forward.