From July through August 2006 I was given the opportunity to intern at the U.S. Commercial Service in Bucharest, Romania. My internship at CS can be summarized as a invaluable learning experience, a great chance to apply the knowledge I have gained through my studies and a wonderful time spent working together with a dedicated team of commercial specialists.
Over the course of my internship, I had the change to write various reports, answer incoming business requests from American and Romanian companies and assist the CS commercial specialists on a range of projects. My most important work consisted of two analysis reports on the dynamics and prospects of the Romanian market and the U.S. – Romanian commercial relations, in preparation of the visit made by Romania’s President, Traian Basescu, to the U.S. I was afterwards given the opportunity to expand the research done for these two reports and update the Country Commercial Guide with the present economic and commercial trends. Another major project was writing a comprehensive report on the intellectual property rights in Romania, that included researching for and summarizing the legislative framework and the piracy information in different economic sectors.
My work at CS helped me get a real feel of international trade and gave me a good insight into international economics from a governmental perspective. I learned how to write a market analysis, interpret various trade statistics, identify the best prospects for trade and foreign investment, as well as the various trade barriers. Also, I had the chance to work together with a wonderful team of professionals, whose constant availability, support and encouragement made my experience even more valuable.
In short, my internship at CS Bucharest was a great working experience and a wonderful opportunity to deepen my knowledge of the international commercial relations and the U.S. – Romanian commercial relations in particular.
For more information about my intern experience with CS Romania, U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, you can e-mail to monica.pascu@mail.doc.gov
