Intern Abroad

In order to improve your professional skills and apply the practical skills and concepts derived from years of hard work in college, you have to immerse yourself in the real workplace. Doing so can sometimes be far more challenging than your experience in the classroom, especially if you decide to take on the challenge abroad.  However, completing an internship abroad can be the crucial, pivotal factor needed to strengthen your resume beyond your competitors. Gaining work experience abroad will take your career to the next level, and help you gain the essential skills needed to be successful in the ever-growing global market.

View of Chicago from the top of the Willis Tower. Photo by Elsa Thomasma

No matter what your purpose for seeking out an international internship program, everything boils down to this one inevitable question:

How do you find the provider that can best cater to your professional and academic needs? 

1. Choose a Location that Best Suits your Abilities

You need to assess where you want to go and how it will fit with your interests. If you choose a country based solely on its natural appeal, you may find yourself unable to carry out the internship that will actually benefit you or satisfy your interests. You must consider which one of the plethora of internship locations and choices best fits your needs and future desires. 

Decide whether you want to intern in an urban or rural area, venture into a tropical country which is mostly hot, or explore a country which is frequently cold. Becoming knowledgeable about affordability, the currency, the exchange rate, and the cost of living in the country is also essential, especially if you are on a limited budget. Costs, setting, and climactic hopes can all help you narrow down your decision.

2. Consider your Desired Internship Field or Placement Area

Even if you have managed to narrow down your country choices, finding the perfect program provider is still often not a piece of cake if you don’t know what you actually want to do during your internship. When choosing a program, it is important to remember your academic preferences, and whether or not the program requires a particular educational background. To gain the greatest career benefits, it is worthwhile to note which providers or companies are world-renowned for the field of expertise you are seeking. Moreover, it is important to research which internships will provide the most meaningful opportunities for growth and professional development, and possibly even provide you with applicable academic credits upon completion.

3. Find Out the Additional Benefits and Activities Available to Participants

Most program providers provide cultural activities and cross-cultural explorations: trekking down the Great Wall of China, learning samba in Brazil,  trying out cooking classes in Thailand, learning to play a traditional Irish folk instrument, or earning scuba certification of the coast of Ecuador. These kinds of activities allow you to further broaden your horizons and experience an incredibly new culture, through more than interning alone. Working alongside the locals will give you the chance to hear their life stories, understand their lifestyle, and see what they want in the future for themselves. You will enjoyably boost your resume by immersing yourself in the local culture, witnessing the wonders of the land and people, and gaining a deep appreciation for the history, traditions, and customs of the nation. Choosing a program provider that offers something more than work experience, can give you a uniquely challenging international internship that can jumpstart your future career at an international level.

4. Check Out Internship Provider Reviews

To ensure the program provider not only lays out great internship arrangements and stunning travel experiences to attract individuals from around the world, but also produces satisfied participants with successful internship experiences, it is valuable to seek out reviews of the program by the alumni and participants of the program themselves. Reviews posted on independent sites, including on GoAbroad.com, publish unbiased reviews and ratings from former program participants without the influence of the organization. But checking out the providers own testimonials and reviews is also important to see the benefits most often derived from participants. This review information can be extremely helpful in determining whether or not you want to pursue a particular internship with a specific provider.