Working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a common dream for students in the Department of International Relations. However, not everyone can have this opportunity. Karina Devira, or better known as Ciput, a student from the Department of International Relations batch of 2017, is one of the lucky few to have this opportunity.
At the beginning, Ciput was still looking for the Indonesian embassy abroad that suits her best. In the end, she chose the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Bangkok. She chose Bangkok due to its proximity to Indonesia and its relatively affordable living cost. As the capital of Thailand, Bangkok also offers an abundance of tourist attractions.
Ciput admitted that she had to wait in order to be accepted into this internship programme. She initially registered to do her internship on January 2019, but due to the high number of applications, her internship programme didn’t start until July. While waiting for the announcement, Ciput prepared her budget, passport, accommodation and transport needs for her stay in Bangkok. Her internship programme started from the 1st of July and lasted until the 30th of July.
In this internship programme, Ciput has earned numerous new experiences. She worked in the economics division of the embassy. She believed that her studies correlated with her job, since Ciput minored in International Political Economy. Ciput conveyed that she participated in this internship programme because she wanted to learn from the real world as well, not just from the classroom.
Ciput advised that anyone that is planning to do a similar internship programme should state their preferred division when registering. Ciput, who is also an avid supporter of animal rights and PETA, recommends this internship programme for those who wishes to earn a hands-on experience before entering the workforce.