The Finnish Institute of International Affairs offers internship opportunities in research, communications, event production, and administration. Open positions are advertised on the valtiolle.fi website.
To be selected as an intern at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, the following criteria must be met:
- Applicants for a university internship must be enrolled as an active (present) university student. Applicants must have studies in a relevant field. Students at all stages of their studies may apply for internships at FIIA unless the job advertisement specifies that the position requires a certain level of progress in studies. In some cases, students outside higher education may also be eligible; this will be stated separately in the job advertisement.
- University interns must be able to support their internship with internship funding or a grant. The funding does not need to cover all costs incurred by the Institute due to the internship. Applicants must indicate the possibility of internship funding already at the application stage. For the selected intern, the funding must be confirmed before the employment contract is concluded.
In addition, internship positions may have more specific and variable criteria based on the nature of the duties, such as thematic specialization, field of study, or specific language skills. These criteria are stated in the job advertisement.
The internship selection process is managed by, and the selection is made by, the supervisor responsible for the unit offering the internship. The selection process is anonymous up to the interview stage.
Selection requires that the applicant demonstrates suitability and motivation in the application and interview, and, in the case of university interns, internship funding.
A written decision is made on the selection of the intern, documenting the process, the selection made, and the discretion applied. The Institute’s Deputy Director presents the decision to the Director for approval. The Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs ultimately bears responsibility for personnel decisions. The decision is not subject to appeal, and no separate selection memorandum identifying individual applicants is prepared, as this does not constitute a formal appointment.
Q 1: Do I need to be enrolled at the University?
A 1: Yes for research positions. Some other internships might require a different educational background depending on the task at hand.
Q 2: Does the internship need to be part of my studies?
A 2: No, it does not.
Q 3: What does the financing of internship mean?
A 3: It means that you need to be able to cover part of your salary with your own funding. These are either an internship grant from your university (in Finnish korkeakouluharjoittelutuki), a scholarship or the Erasmus+ grant. The internship cannot be funded by your own means. You cannot do an unpaid internship.
Q 4: Can the internship be done remotely?
Q 4: No, it can’t be done remotely.
Q 5: Can I apply even though I don’t fulfill the criteria set for the internship, f ex I don’t meet the requirements set for the applicants?
A 5: Yes, you may apply but the application won’t pass the first inspection done by Palkeet.
Q 6: Can I do the internship at some other time?
A 6: No, the internship must be done at the time set in the call for applications.
Q 7: What if I don’t know by the time I apply if I’ll have funding for the internship?
A 7: The applicant must indicate the possibility of internship funding already at the application stage. For the selected intern, the funding must be confirmed before the employment contract is concluded.
Q 8: What are the qualities you seek in an intern?
A 8: Relevant field of studies, precise and diligent personality able to work on your own in English as part of an international working community.
Q 9: Can the application be sent by e-mail?
Q 9: No, all applications are to be filled out at the valtiolle.fi-website by the given deadline.
Q 10: Can I apply outside the call of applications for an internship?
Q 10: No.