"What will I do as an intern abroad?” is truly one of our favorite questions to answer, so we’re glad you stopped by! While many people view internships as sort of a “light” way to get work experience, this couldn’t be further from the truth—especially for international interns. What used to be basically optional job shadowing and assisting on easy tasks is now a prerequisite for any type of solid career path. You get to be way more hands-on as an intern abroad.
You won’t be alone in your cubicle, and you’ll have plenty of intern brethren to lean on.
Working full-time for a summer or semester at a global business plus living abroad, also known as interning abroad, truly makes for an unbelievable adventure. With all the hustle and bustle of working and exploring, it's no wonder you want to sign up for internships that push the envelope even further to have a more unique, transformative international work experience.
What do interns typically do while abroad?
In a nutshell, interns can do anything. Gone are the days of interns only being there to fetch coffee and take conference call minutes. Nowadays, most companies recognize that just because you’re young doesn’t mean you’re worthless, and offer their interns actual projects to accomplish and meaningful ways to get involved. This is particularly true for specialized fields...the more skills you have, the more you can contribute to your internship employer!
The typical workday can vary from intern to intern depending on the type of work and employer, but all interns can expect to have expectations set for them and to work hard to accomplish them. If a manager from halfway across the world is taking a chance on you, then it’s time to impress them! Beyond the 9-to-5, a lot of internships placements include extracurriculars within the field, such as trade shows and events or even some travel opportunities, so get yourself involved in anything you can.
[How to Get an Internship Abroad]
Which leads us to the next, and perhaps most important question: What do interns do to make the most of their experience abroad? There are a few key ways to maximize the learning potential of your internship—and this video outlines all of ‘em.
Interns abroad aren’t bored, that’s for sure. You won’t be sitting around in a cubicle waiting for someone to give you a menial task or send you on a pointless errand. At the same time, you are an intern, so you won’t exactly be leading corporate take-overs or overseeing major projects. More or less the global expectation for interns is that you can provide some type of service or skill (including, probably, foreign language skills!) that can help the company, but overall, you are there to learn. Most employers recognize that you have something of substance to offer but aren’t ready to be totally left to fend for yourself. Don’t sweat!
How can I be a little different?
You're a creative individual and there are absolutely unique internships abroad for you to consider! Think broadly about what the experience can look like—transferrable skills can show up in the most unlikely of places—or turn to one of the top-notch programs listed below that serve internships up a little differently.
You’ll get to take ownership of a project or two during your internship abroad.
Check out these unique internships abroad
1. Help Pick Between Fabric Samples in Paris
Does the world of runways, couture, and Vogue excite you? Head to the fashion capital of the world with Fashion Week Internships! Based in Paris, this provider is the only specialist fashion industry internship provider and offers placements with leading brands, designers, retailers, and event companies from around the world. Placements are available year-round and offer interns an up-close look at one of the largest (and most fun!) industries.
- Read Fashion Week Internships reviews
- Browse all fashion internships abroad
2. Gather Data on Adorable Sea Turtles in Costa Rica
Calling all Dr. Dolittle wannabes! Help the sea turtle world by participating in an internship through Global Nomadic! While most sea turtle conservation efforts focus on nesting environments, this program focuses on in-water habitat studies and collecting data about population structure, genetic origin, and in-water habitat use. You will also be part of a team running a rescue and rehab center, so get ready to hang with some turtles up-close!
- Browse all marine conservation internships abroad
3. Promote Travel and Plan Itineraries for Visitors in Dublin
Are you a travel fiend and the go-to person for planning all of your friends’ vacations? Why not turn this into a job? ELI Abroad offers tourism and hospitality internship placements in beautiful and exciting Dublin, where interns get custom placements in tourism marketing firms, visitor information centers, and tourist offices around the city. No better way to become immersed in a new city than by marketing it!
- Read ELI Abroad reviews
- Browse all hospitality internships abroad
4. Speak Up for Those in Need in Barcelona
Become the next Elle Woods with a law internship abroad! Connect-123 offers law placements in sunny Barcelona, where interns can pick between working at a human rights agency, law office, legal center, or public policy organization throughout the city and surrounding area.
While you obviously need to be a lawyer to give any type of legal advice, interns can develop legal skills by researching human rights legislation, assisting paralegals and advocates, and working at legal aid clinics.
- Read Connect-123 reviews
- Browse all law internships abroad
5. Take Care of Business in Beijing
Does the Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates lifestyle appeal to you? Time to get your foot in the business door with an internship abroad! Go Abroad China offers paid (yes, you heard us right) internships all over the global business hub of Beijing. With over 600 partnerships and 2,000 internship placements to choose from, business interns are sure be matched with a great company and come away with solid work experience. Whether your style is more Don Draper or Michael Scott, a business internship in China is sure to help you climb that corporate ladder!
- Read reviews of Go Abroad China
- Browse all business internships abroad
6. Design for the Future in Australia
Are you both right and left-brained and intrigued by mash-ups of the art and science worlds? Sounds like you’re destined to be an architect! World Internships offers architecture internships in both Sydney and Melbourne, which are both unique environments to study building design given the new and developing scenes. This provider places interns in architecture firms and design agencies all over both cities to assist with modeling, designing, and client relations.
Architecture is more than just designing visually-appealing buildings...it’s about combining human emotion and practicality to create spaces that are both functional and evocative. So, if you want to develop skills on both sides of the fence in an up-and-coming region, get an architecture internship down under!
- Read World Internships reviews
- Browse all architecture internships abroad
7. Document South American Life in Buenos Aires
Do you have an eye for capturing the beauty in life and feel most comfortable with a camera in your hands? Connect-123 offers photography and videography internships in “the Paris of the South”, Buenos Aires! Interns are placed with leading design agencies, production companies, documentary filmmakers, multimedia studios, or newspapers throughout the city to document various aspects of porteño life.
The opportunities range from providing production assistance to marketing and advertising activities, and there are even options to train local journalism students and disadvantaged youth about life behind the lens.
- Read Connect-123 reviews
- Browse all photography internships abroad
8. Engineer Worldwide Solutions and Innovations in South Africa
Calling all engineers across all disciplines! VACorps offers customizable engineering internship placements throughout South Africa with top firms. With the South African economy growing at a rapid rate and continued work that needs to be done, all types of engineers are needed now more than ever.
This provider will work with you to place you in the best discipline, including robotics, nuclear, sustainable/environmental, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering, among other disciplines.
- Read VACorps reviews
- Browse all engineering internships abroad
9. Bake Your Way Through the Middle East in Tel Aviv
Do you dream of spending your days baking up culinary masterpieces and becoming the next Julia Child? Intern at a bakery in Israel! GoEco offers placements at a vegan bakery in the bustling beach city of Tel Aviv, where interns will spend their days learning about the ins and outs of the kitchen while running a successful business in a big city.
Even if you aren’t vegan, any kitchen pro needs to learn about food substitutions and making interesting (and yummy!) alternatives for common food groups, especially meat and dairy. The highlight of the experience is definitely making vegan chocolate...chocolate is chocolate, no matter the dairy count!
- Read GoEco reviews
- Browse all culinary arts internships abroad
[Save and compare internships with MyGoAbroad]
You'll love having an experiential, professional experience as a young employee abroad
Next steps to intern abroad
Once you’ve decided that you want to intern abroad and have a vague idea of what to pursue, it’s time to do some narrowing down! Head to the below resources to help you pick a program...and ultimately pay for it!
- Use MyGoAbroad to read reviews and compare programs side-by-side
- Utilize our Online Advisors to get matched with your dream program fo’ free
- Once you pick a program, head to FundMyTravel to crowdfund your internship
- Check out StudentUniverse for student travel discounts
- Get the 411 (and then some!) on internship programs
- Prepare for the lessons you’ll learn from your overseas internship
- Watch the video on how to make any internship abroad an amazing experience!
- Pack your bags and GO!
Are any of these unusual internships abroad for YOU?
Surfs *always* up when you intern on a dinghy at sea!
Interning abroad is one of the best things you can do for your future. We guarantee that between your time actually working and your free time spent living in and exploring a foreign country, you will return home with tons of new professional and personal skills. You should never have to wonder what you’ll do abroad as an intern...we promise that you’ll be so wrapped up in the excitement once you arrive that you’ll never have time to think about it!
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