CS Portugal Intern Profiles

Intern Lauren Denny
International Relations Masters Student at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Summer 2008

"Interning at the CS Portugal Office was a great opportunity to learn more about international trade and also gain exposure to a variety of Foreign Service and federal agencies. The Lisbon team is extremely supportive and energetic. I really enjoyed spending my summer with them and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in international affairs.

I initially became interested in the internship due to a prior internship with the Commercial Service in Texas. I had liked the work and projects from the domestic end and thought it would be beneficial to also see it from a foreign perspective. Also, having been enrolled in an international relations masters program in Portugal during the year, I wanted to apply some of my classroom knowledge while continuing to learn more about Portuguese economics and politics.         

During my CS Portugal internship I primarily assisted with market research reports. The research covered industries from green building construction and microgeneration technologies to medical equipment or agricultural products. These reports gave me a good introduction to upcoming Portuguese and world markets, and in addition to collecting trade data and statistics, I was even given the opportunity to interview sector experts. Especially since Portugal is a country at the front of renewable energies, I particularly enjoyed learning more about this market segment.
 
Other projects that I was involved with included, International Company Profile requests, and updating and creation of website content and database contacts. Also, mediating with Portuguese companies for a successful Gold Key Service arrangement was a valuable experience. Lastly, since the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon is relatively small, I was often exposed to the work of other departments. For instance, participating in the Office of Public Affairs’ embassy presentation for a group of university students, or attending the July 4th Ball were both memorable events!     

Again, I strongly recommend the CS Portugal internship. It was a fun, challenging, and very worthwhile experience that I am sure will contribute to future professional endeavors."

For more information about my intern experience with CS Portugal, U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, please feel free to email: Ldenny6@N0SPAM.gmail.com