Au Pair Internships in China

Meiji Internships has definitely opened many new doors for my future career path. Throughout the pandemic this was one big headache for me, but Meiji were always informative and responsive throughout. Even before I arrived in Hong Kong, I knew I could count on them. Once I got the good news I could actually travel to Hong Kong, I wasted no more time and got on the plane as soon as possible. Again, I cant thank Meiji enough for the smoothness of their organisation during this hectic time. Once I arrived, I was welcomed with open arms and given the internship of a lifetime. I took a lot away form this internship and built a substantial network of key contacts. I’m looking forward to the future.

The whole reason I wanted to intern in Asia was for the purpose of personal growth. It’s a place that requires a lot of perseverance and willingness to adapt, while also being the fastest growing continent in the world in terms of business. I took a specific interest in Hong Kong for the many business opportunities that can be found there, as well as the level of English proficiency that the vast majority of the population has. During my internship I worked within a small team, which really allowed me to work closely with my colleagues. Because of this they were able to teach me a lot, and I was properly involved in a number of important projects. This internship gave me the insight I needed to scope out the business world of Hong Kong, and also the confidence to handle myself in places far different to my home country.

Meiji were quick when responding to questions, and always gave the accurate information. They have very good company partners so I enjoyed working with the company. I think that Meiji Internships is a top rated organisation, so I would recommend it.

I went to Hong Kong for an internship to achieve the last of my university credits. Honestly I thought it was going to be a regrettable experience since I didn’t know the language, nor know anybody in Hong Kong. But actually it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The work was engaging and the people I worked with were always accommodating to my questions and opinions. The internship really made me want to pack my bags and move to Hong Kong for a long time. The majority of my downtime was spent exploring the vast jungle of back streets and finding all of the best places to eat. For anybody who is looking to get out of their comfort zone, try Hong Kong! It’s scary at first but ultimately very rewarding.

It was a long, long time in the making, but I’m so glad I was finally able to travel to Hong Kong. To be frank, reading the news that they had began to allow foreign visitors back into Hong Kong felt like a dream. I could hardly believe it myself! It’s only natural to be sceptical about an internship abroad (particularly in Asia, the other side of the world) when we’re talking about handing over money to a group of people you’ve never met before. This is how I felt at the start, but after some very friendly and reassuring Skype calls, I decided to trust my instincts and go with Meiji Internships. This decision really paid off, because I ended up having the internship of a lifetime in a city that demands your attention. I did some insightful work, met some interesting people, and gained worthwhile experience.

The whole process for my internship was super easy and smooth: they responded quickly to my emails and helped me find a great company to intern with. It is not easy to adjust to a new country when you don't speak the language, but Meiji Internships made sure I was well prepared and that my internship was in an English speaking environment. Speaking of which, I had a perfect job! I was doing marketing and I learnt so much about the industry. My boss understood my needs very well and what I wanted to learn. He answered all my questions, gave me useful feedback and really cared about me. I gained so many skills so i can now handle projects I wouldn't have hoped for 3 months ago! We went on many excursions with Meiji Internships. The best weekend was the weekend at Disneyland! I am a big big fan of Disney and I was amazed to experience Hong Kong Disneyland lol! On top of that, the weather was great and all my friends joined!

I went to Shanghai to do a business development internship. It ended up being the best experience of my life!! I learned so many things about business, gained so many skills and met so many awesome people. This experience was really open-minding, and I am so grateful that Meiji Internships helped me finding this company. Each person in this company was welcoming and friendly, they all greeted me with a smile. Thanks to them I didn't feel any pressure on my working days and I was able to learn while having a fun and memorable stay. Shanghai is an impressive place, it was the first time for me to live in such a big city and it was a great experience. I also took advantage of being there to learn Chinese. This language is quite difficult and different from European languages but I like how it sounds!

My internship in Hong Kong was perfect. From the workdays to the weekends' trips, I had the time of my life! My co-workers were the smartest and open-minded people I have ever met. I wasn't their first intern, they knew exactly what would be difficult or surprising for me, and acted accordingly. It was interesting to be surrounded by adults. I developed a sense of responsibility thanks to all the important tasks I was given. I feel more independent and ready to take care of myself in every situation. I tried to travel as much as possible and went out every weekend, either to meet with the meiji staff and interns or to do some tourism on my own. Here is something I have learnt from this experience: before my internship starts, I have read lots of blogs and tourism books about Hong Kong in order to prepare my stay. Yet, everything was completely different from what I have imagined. So the conclusion is that no matter how many books you have read, how many documentaries you have watched, you won't be able to understand a culture unless to go to this country and experience it by yourself.

Besides the work experience you will get, there are so many advantages of doing an internship abroad such as learning the language or visiting cultural sites. With so many people going abroad for their studies these days, I wanted to have my own experience to make a difference in my CV. So yeah, at first I was only thinking about my CV and my future job, but this internship was so much more than that! Every day was a new adventure with new challenges and I cherished every second of it! I know that having this kind of experience is a real chance and I'm so grateful to my parents who helped me in this adventure. I'm also thankful to Meiji Internships of course!

I knew it would be hard to find an internship AND a place to stay in Shanghai without a high Chinese level, so I applied at Meiji Internships. I had an online interview with them and after that, I had an interview with a Chinese fashion company. I was a bit stressed but it went very well and they offered me an intern position! Shanghai is a huge city, it's crazy! When I arrived everything was ready for my arrival: airport pick-up, accommodation, sim card, etc. I was reassured to already know some people there and to be able to contact someone if something was to happen. Fortunately, I didn't have to contact anyone because everything went well! I've learned about Marketing, Chinese language and culture, and also about becoming more independent so I'm very proud of myself and all my progress!

So many things to do and to learn in such an amazing region! I have to complete my degree first, but I would love to go back to HK and work there in the future. Their market is in continuous development, and while interning there I could feel that it's the place to be. I am glad I chose to learn Chinese since high school! I am majoring in business and it was a good help during those 3 months, my colleagues could trust me easily because I knew what I was doing. They also provided me with a lot of good advice and I tried to take note of everything because I'm sure it will be useful in my future career! When I had some free time I loved to wander in the street, you can never know what you will find in this city! I often came upon temples or tiny restaurants. By the way, I noticed that small restaurants are always the best and the tastiest!

My two months in Hong Kong ended a few days ago. Now that I am back home, I realize how much I'm gonna miss this place. I should have done more than 2 months... time flies and the end was here before I could do everything I wanted to. I had to do my internship in a Chinese speaking environment for my school credits, and it was beyond expectations as I had the opportunity to do translation work as well. I could feel a real improvement in my language skills! I hope my teachers will notice that too! The people there were amazing and very concerned about my feelings. Whenever I was a bit down they would get me something good to eat haha so cute. I got so many benefits from this internship: work experience, understanding of a new culture, improvement in Chinese and new friends.

My internship in Hong Kong was in every aspect an unforgettable experience. I had my airport pick-up directly to my apartment. Got the octopus card and sim-card handed over by the local Meiji staff and also a short city tour to find my way in this beautiful concrete jungle. My twelve weeks were very intense and sometimes I almost felt like it is too much stress for me, but soon I found out this is the normal lifestyle for many Hong Kongers and being busy is the only way to go in this city. I do recommend to use the weekends for exploring all the hidden spots, temples, small islands and of course Disney Land that this unique place has to offer. Make sure to always say yes and be open to invitations by your colleagues and fellow interns to go out for dinner and a coffee. Make sure to visit nearby Shenzhen in China and also indulge in the traditional HK breakfast. I am already missing it while writing this to you guys. Thanks for everything Meiji and look forward to returning again.

Through Meiji, I was able to gain a deep look of what it means working for a Chinese IT company. My company was located in central Shanghai and focused on offering blockchain and cryptocurrency related services. My major being in finance gave me the opportunity to combine my interest and passion of finance with the IT world. I was able to understand the basics behind cryptocurrency, how to perform fundraising and also prepared business pitches for foreign clients and high-class individual investors. Having had the business package gave me access to several business networking events Meiji provided me with. Most of them were organized by third parties. But I was granted access to a few "invitation only" events. Business is done here quite different from back in the States, but it was a sharp learning curve I undertook in these two months in the last Summer. As a result I am walking aways equipped with new IT skills, a large pool of international contacts I made and a lot of cultural experiences. China is great! You should find out for yourself!!

This Autumn I went to Hong Kong for a one month internship in a trading company. I experienced first-hand how the work culture is in this unique megacity. Meiji organized a lot of activities, events, excursions to the nearby isles and I even went to a calligraphy workshop to completely immerse myself in the local culture. The accommodation was outstanding as I went for their Business package and also got the chance to attend a business networking dinner, which was one of the best experiences I had. Especially for making contacts and good connections for your future job career in Asia. Meiji has definitely done a great job and I can only recommend anybody to go for their program.

Tbh I was rather skeptical about the concept behind “arranged internships“ but since I struggled with finding an internship in China on my own, I decided to go through the admission process and was accepted into Meiji Internships program. When I told friends and family that I was going to China, my decision was met with stereotypes and criticism. “Why don’t you stay in Michigan?“ “You could have just gone over to Chinatown, that’s cheaper“ “You don’t speak any Chinese, how do you plan on communicating over there?“, to name a few ridiculous comments I have heard. I have always been interested in Asian culture and going to China seemed like the logical thing to do since China’s culture influenced so many other parts of Asia. I am a business major who has not quite found his niche yet, so I was flexible when it came to choosing an industry. During my Skype call, Meiji’s consultant encouraged me to start looking into Tourism because it would be the best option (given my limited experience and language skills). I agreed and soon was invited to a Skype interview with a Shanghai-based adventure tourism company. I love the outdoors and adrenaline rushes, so this talk got me hyped! Luckily, the company accepted hosting my internship and I was good to go! Arriving in Shanghai, Meiji had taken care of airport pick-up, accommodation, and provided me with a data sim card and a transportation card. It was nice having all these things ready upon arriving in Shanghai, so I didn’t need to worry about anything after spending around 24h on planes:P I thoroughly enjoyed my work and learned a lot about the Chinese tourism industry as well as the Chinese work mentality. My tasks varied a lot which was great! It also inspired me to think more about my long-term goals. I could see myself living here in the future. I guess far from home has become my home:D I got to know some of the best people I have ever met. From Asia to Europe to America to Australia, they were all amazing and loads of fun to be with. The Meiji staff is highly considerate, plans ahead and organizes all sorts of events. I had the time of my life!

During my time in HK, I gained more experience and confidence than I ever anticipated! My internship was at a small non-profit that aims to educate people on environmental issues. My work beautifully combined the array of tasks I wanted to cover (communications, journalism, environmental and NGO). Meiji Internships was a great support as was my host company. At the same time, they all encouraged me to work and act independently, which gave me a great boost of self-confidence, not only in my skills and abilities, but also in myself. After my internship, I backpacked around China and Mongolia, something my shy old self never would have dared to imagine!

Thanks to a recommendation from one of my professors, I was able to intern at a Digital Design Studio in Shanghai. During my time there, I produced content for websites and marketing material. I also wrote and proofread blogs. Carrying out these tasks, I learnt the basics of copywriting, SEO and a bit of HTML. I also got some insights into the Chinese startup scene which is very interesting. My colleagues nicely welcomed me into the team and taught me many things I was unfamiliar with. My internship was definitely the most memorable time this year. Unforgettable!

I really enjoyed my time in Hangzhou with LoPair. I definitely felt I was part of a big lopair family, and was welcomed into my host family. LoPair offer two mandarin classes a week, which is a great time to catch up and learn with the other aupairs. The company also offers great advice on places to go in the city, and my local coordinator was very helpful! I had an issue with my first host-family, however this was resolved and I was well supported throughout the programme. I would recommend to anyone looking at families with this company to be fussy and ask lots of questions! Be happy before you fly off! Overall, a great company. There is the option to experience the home city and the culture through a monthly culture class. I loved living with a Chinese family, as it was a unique insight into Chinese food and their ethos. Highly recommended.

I would say that my personal experience with this program in China was mainly just okay. Living with one host family for 6 weeks can get a little difficult sometimes. My host family had two daughters and the youngest daughter was definitely not easy to live with due to her behavior a lot of the times, which made it hard for me to enjoy being an au pair for the family. Additionally, due to how much time you are required to spend in the home and tutor English (and sometimes for children that are more on the defiant side), it can affect your enthusiasm and how much effort you put into tutoring really quickly. At least that was the case for me. Although, my host parents were very easy going and did not put too much pressure on me to rapidly improve their children's English which made my time in their home a little more bearable. They also covered all of my meals, room and board, etc. whenever I was with them (including when they took me along on their family trips) so I am really appreciative of that. I wasn't able to explore China as much as I had hoped but I'm still thankful for all that I did get to see and do. During my 6 weeks in China, Lopair only offered one cultural activity class which I wasn't able to attend so I hope that they provide more in the future for incoming aupairs. Overall, my experience with this program was okay although I wouldn't do it again. However, anyone interested in going to China can definitely give this program a try because everyone's experience is different. Note: the LoPair staff are extremely responsive and great at assisting you if you have any questions or concerns. Kerry is really helpful with giving you advice on English tutoring and our group's local coordinator Yvonne always tried her best to help you if you encountered any struggles with the family or anything.