Interns
Fargo Internship Program

Fargo Internships

Intern with the U.S. Commercial Service - North Dakota

The U.S. Commercial Service is the export promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its goal is to help small and medium-sized companies expand exports. Trade Specialists in the United States help prepare companies for the export process, while overseas staff help companies enter the market. U.S. Commercial Service’s Fargo office serves the entire state of North Dakota and nine counties in Minnesota. We will be happy to assist the student in receiving academic credit. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to apply. There are opportunities for graduate students to earn a tuition waiver and stipend. Our internship program is designed to provide real-world experience to complement academic lessons in international trade, international business, economics, and international affairs.
Through hands-on experience, interns will come to have a solid understanding of:

  • Problems confronting small to medium-sized companies in the international marketplace
     
  • Role of international trade in a regional economy
     
  • Problems that confront policymakers as they attempt to open international markets for U.S. products

Interns help to develop and prepare market research, match local companies with international opportunities, and answer export-related questions from a wide variety of sources. Additionally, interns will also have the chance to work on special projects. Interns schedule appointments for the visiting staff and accompany the visitors to the meetings to provide assistance. Interns are often given the responsibility of representing our office in a variety of venues. We believe in giving interns responsibility for projects and mentoring them as they develop. 


Requirements  
  • Must be U.S. citizen 
  • Enrolled in an accredited school 
  • 3.0 + GPA 
  • 20 hours a week 
  • Strong interest in international trade 
  • Business skills and experience are a plus 
  • Agribusiness and knowledge of agricultural equipment are a plus 
  • International travel experience / foreign language proficiency is helpful 
  • Good interpersonal and phone skills 
  • Excellent oral communication 
  • Strong writing skills 
  • Knowledge of Word, Excel, and the internet. Comfort when using a computer is essential.  
Responsibilities  
  • Conduct market research using the tools provided by the U.S. Commercial Service. This includes internet market research and literature review 
  • Research regulatory, documentation requirements, country issues, commodity classifications, etc. for North Dakota companies 
  • Assist in event management – ordering supplies, calling companies, designing invitations, logistical setup, etc. 
  • Help prepare for state-sponsored Trade Missions 
  • Assist in managing the database of exporters through the export process  
Application instructions  

Please submit a resume, a 1-2 page writing sample, and references to:  

Heather Ranck at Heather.Ranck@trade.gov


 

 

 

Former Student Spotlights
North Dakota students have pursued careers in many interesting areas including international sales and marketing, small start ups, research, and more. Many found creative ways to apply skills learned during their time with CS / ND to help advance them in their field!
Read Former Student Spotlights

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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