Application tips by HeySuccess.com

2017 WIPO Internship program

Application tips: 2017 WIPO Internship Program One can often hear terms like copyright, patent, trademark. Have you ever thought about what is behind these terms? Are you interested in understanding how system of intellectual property works, and how protecting innovations and other creative work through policies can benefit both the individual creator and wider society? Are you as a recent graduate or an active postgraduate student on the lookout for a challenging and rewarding fulltime internship? If YES is your answer, do not miss out on the chance to apply for the WIPO Internship Program.

The Opportunity WIPO was established in 1967 and is a self-funding agency of United Nations that acts as a global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. “Their mission is to promote innovation and creativity for the economic, social and cultural development of all countries through a balanced and effective international intellectual property system.” To achieve this mission they also organize internship programs that give the opportunity to talented students and recent graduates to learn more about what WIPO does and their core values. They also aim at giving the opportunity to interns to contribute to projects and processes and to bring fresh perspectives and knowledge. WIPO defines intellectual property as creations of the mind like literary and artistic works, inventions, symbols and many others. This type of property is protected by law in the form of patents, copyright and trademarks. This is done in order to protect the interests of intellectual property creators, but also the wider public. You can learn more about different types of intellectual property and their importance here. Watch this short and interesting video to find out more about what WIPO does. Previous interns were from a number of diverse educational backgrounds and had the opportunity to work in various departments of WIPO: Conference section, WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre and many others. You can read more about interns experiences here. WIPO publishes a roster annually seeking for new interns, where you have the possibility to apply. When operational needs arise for an intern in a certain field, they go through the applications and select a specific number of interns that are then given the opportunity to learn more about WIPO and its significance, to be part of and contribute to some of their projects, while also learning skills that will help them in their future careers. If you do not have a law degree, do not worry, they look for talents from many different educational backgrounds. In your application you get the chance to indicate in which field you would like to do your internship. This is what makes this opportunity also unique is that you have the chance to through learning more about the company and its structure and activities recognize where you with your knowledge, skills and interests would fit in best. These are the fields in which internships are offered: Law/IP Law Economics/Statistics Information

Application tips by HeySuccess.com

2017 WIPO Internship program

Technology, Technical Cooperation Services, Project Administration, Administration (Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, and Program Planning), Patent/Trademark Examination Copyright and Other areas (Communication, Conference Services...). Be sure to read about different organizational sections and their activities and programs. Try to find what areas of their work interest you the most and where you see your skills and education being a good fit. Try! Your profile might be just what they were looking for! The internship will be held at WIPO office in Switzerland, in the beautiful city of Geneva. You can find some information about daily life practicalities in Geneva here. NOTE that WIPO shall not be responsible for arranging travel, visas and/or accommodation and will not cover any costs related to this. WIPO may if necessary provide you with assistance in obtaining an entry visa. You would be expected to work full time and there are two categories in which you as an applicant can fall. Depending on the category the length and remuneration of the internship will be different. Category I interns can be interns who have completed their first level (bachelor) university education or individuals who are enrolled in postgraduate studies, but still have courses and thesis to complete. They will receive 500 Swiss Francs in monthly stipend and a three month long internship with maximum length of six months if needed by the organization. You belong to the Category II if you have completed your postgraduate studies or if you have finished your postgraduate program coursework but not your thesis. These interns would receive a monthly amount of 2000 Swiss Francs and their internship would be expected to last between three and six months. According to the needs of WIPO it could be prolonged to a maximum of 12 months in total. Who is eligible? Below you can find the description of what WIPO is looking for. Qualified candidates from underrepresented member states of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged to apply. Education requirements ● You should have at least your first-level (bachelor) University degree or higher ● Graduates who completed their university and postgraduate studies can apply for the internship if it hasn’t passed more than two years since they graduated. ● Eligible applicants can be from a wide range of backgrounds with some of the key backgrounds that they look for being: Law, Economics/statistics, Information Technology (IT), Technical cooperation, Project management, Administration (finance, human resources, procurement, program planning), Translation and Marketing/Communications.

Application tips by HeySuccess.com

2017 WIPO Internship program

Skills ● Proficient computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other relevant IT programs/applications). ● Good analytical skills. Languages ● Excellent knowledge of English is required and for most internship positions excellent drafting skills in English. ● Knowledge of any of the following WIPO working languages would be an advantage: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

How do I navigate the application? Before approaching this application you need to DO YOUR RESEARCH. Read through the official website. Find out more about different divisions, projects and activities they do. Read their media page to find out more about the news in WIPO and intellectual property issues. They also have a number of social media accounts. Make sure you browse through them and understand their mission and values. You can also read the internship guide that can give you a better idea on what to expect as a WIPO intern. Make sure you understand what they do and which fields of their work are you most suited for (e.g. is it working with translations, or is IT where your talents lie?). Make a list of all skills and knowledge that make you a good candidate for this position. Do not worry, you don’t have to be a formed professional with unbelievable skills, but you should show that you have the capacity to learn and the motivation to contribute to the workplace. Once you understand what WIPO does, which field would be most suited for you to intern in and you can clearly state why you want to intern at particularly this program, it is time to proceed with your application!

Online application system – walkthrough and advice In order to apply you need to create a profile on their online recruitment system using a valid email address. Once you have registered you are able to return to the application before eventually submitting it and you can use the system in the future if you decide to apply for other positions. They have a very detailed guide on how to use their online application system to apply for the internship. NOTE that you have to fill in one section at a time to be able to access the next, although you can always return to all the previous ones that you have filled in and change them. First step is resume parsing -Here you have the possibility to use your LinkedIn profile or upload your CV as a word file to automatically fill the application. You can choose to do it manually. If you do fill it in automatically make sure you check if everything is correct.

Application tips by HeySuccess.com

2017 WIPO Internship program

Step 2 asks for personal details - Here you get to fill in your basic personal information like your address, date of birth, etc. You also get to choose your field of interests among those key backgrounds that they are searching for (e.g. project administration, copyright). This should correspond with your professional aspirations and background. Next two sections ask you to indicate if you want to be notified by email for more job opportunities and you get to choose your preferences. You are also asked to indicate where you heard about this Internship. If you click on the option “other”, you can put in how you heard about the opportunity, for example through HeySuccess.com. Information about education and certificates - Here you get to indicate your education starting from the most recent one. You can also add certifications that you find important for the internship position you would like to apply to. For example, if you are interested in working with translations and have a certificate that says you are educated to translate law terms, it is a good idea to include it. You shouldn’t add everything you have, but only certificates that can showcase your skills, experience and knowledge to work in your desired field and division of WIPO. Your work experience - You need to give basic information about the work experience you had (name of employer, how long you worked there, how much, who was your supervisor, etc). You also need to describe the duties and responsibilities you had, as well as your key achievements and the reason for leaving the position, if you did so. If you do not have a paid job experience, but have been regularly volunteering for a longer time in an organization and have proof of that, it might be good to include this as your job experience. Make sure that you are not misleading the reviewer and put that you are a volunteer in parentheses next to your position title. What is important here is to think of your application as a whole and your desired internship position. Make sure to accent the duties and responsibilities that can showcase that you have acquired skills that match what they might need. Be specific about your key achievements and give concrete examples. For example you can mention a publication you made or a fellowship you were granted as a result of your work. If possible try to present in numbers the effect you made in a workplace. For example, you recruited 20 more members in six month for your association. Don’t forget to think of the application as a whole and your goals for applying. Accent from your experience what supports that. Use the space you have wisely as the maximum is 3000 characters. Be concise and make sure all your information is accurate. Then you proceed to two sections with multiple choice questions that ask for some general and job application relevant information about you and whether you would agree with their selection policies. They ask for example if you would agree to do a medical examination if offered the internship, if any of your family works at WIPO etc. You also get to indicate in which field you

Application tips by HeySuccess.com

2017 WIPO Internship program

would like to do your internship. Choose a field that corresponds to your skills and knowledge and future aspirations. Letter of motivation – Here you get to explain what makes you a strong candidate for this position. You should be concise and concrete in explaining how your qualifications, experience and skills will make you a successful intern. You only have a maximum of 3000 characters which is about one page, so make sure you use your space wisely. You can treat this letter of motivation as a cover letter and write it in a similar structure. We have given you some tips on how to structure it below. You can find more advice by our HR expert Claire on how to write a cover letter and some concrete examples here. Introduce yourself and try to draw the reader in by stating what field of WIPO’s work you are most interested in and hope to intern in. Explain why you chose to apply for an internship at WIPO. Specify your qualifications and why you are a good candidate for this internship. Make sure you accent the skills and knowledge that are in line with the required ones for the field you would like to intern in. Think of the application as a whole! There is no need to be repetitive of the information you already gave, but try to accent the most important qualifications that shows how you match their needs! Show your passion for what you do! Accent your accomplishments! Showcase what makes you unique. Mention your future goals and how the internship will help you achieve them. Thank the reader for their time. You could use phrases like: “Looking forward to hearing from you” and others. Make sure you read through your letter and have somebody check it for mistakes and clarity! You can ask friends and family, or you could always hire a proofreader on websites like Fiverr. References – You will need to name details of 2 referees that will be contacted in case you are shortlisted for this position. These should be people who know your capabilities, are familiar with the type of education you received or how you behave in a work setting. They would prefer for the referees to be your supervisor. Before asking somebody to be your referee and naming them in the system make sure you think about a couple of things. Try to ask somebody who knows you well and who has seen your performance in various tasks and situations. If you have a good relationship with the teacher/employer who is recommending you and he/she knows your work, it will be easier for them to recognize your strengths and present them. If possible it would be good if you asked a supervisor who works in a field that is related to the field you would like to intern in. They know what this field demands and they could assess your

Application tips by HeySuccess.com

2017 WIPO Internship program

qualities for it better. It immediately also shows that you are connected to the people working in this field.

Final Thoughts The deadline to submit the application is September 15th, 2017. Check your application thoroughly before submitting it. Note that only the selected applicants will be contacted and that WIPO prefers not to be contacted with inquiries regarding the status of the application. If you would like some more information that can help guide you through your application, be sure to refer to our blog. For example, you can read about what employers want and look for when hiring, so you get an idea on what you should pay attention to when writing your application. You can also find a lot of advice on how to prepare for internships and internship selection process! Good luck with your application!