Refugee Economic Empowerment Intern (Sprin 2027)

International Rescue Committee•Silver Spring, MD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Refugee Economic Empowerment Intern supports the International Rescue Committee’s Economic Empowerment program, which helps refugees and other humanitarian immigrants reduce barriers to self-sufficiency and employment and secure full-time entry-level jobs in the United States. The intern works under the supervision of an employment specialist and assists clients with employment planning, job searches, applications, and related services. This is an unpaid internship for Spring 2027. Interns are expected to attend an in-person orientation on January 25, 2027, from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The posting describes in-person work at the Silver Spring office. The position requires a three-month commitment and at least 24 hours per week; full-time hours of 32–40 per week are highly preferred. The posting also says that work in person and a minimum of 15 hours per week are required. Spring interns may be eligible for a $15-per-day per diem reimbursement toward food and travel costs. Applicants who are not enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and are more than 12 months past graduation may be processed as volunteers.

Requirements

Be a current undergraduate or graduate student, or have graduated less than 12 months ago.
Commit to at least 24 hours per week for three months, across three full working days per week; full-time availability of 32–40 hours per week is highly preferred.
Have strong digital literacy and the ability to learn new software and tasks.
Be organized and attentive to detail.
Be able to work independently and multitask.
Have strong verbal and written communication skills.
Work well in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to change.
Have an interest in working with refugee and humanitarian populations.
Be able to work in person at the Silver Spring office; the posting states a minimum of 15 hours per week is required.
Attend the in-person intern orientation on January 25, 2027, from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in Dari, Pashto, Spanish, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, Tigrinya, Amharic, or another language frequently spoken by the client base.
Access to an insured vehicle.

Responsibilities

Assess new clients and create individual initial employment plans.
Create individualized resumes and cover letters; help clients find job leads and complete job applications.
Research potential employer partners and conduct outreach.
Track services through electronic data entry and organize required client documentation.
Manage the distribution and tracking of in-kind donations to clients.
Perform other duties assigned by the employment team.