Internships in Hangzhou, China

I'm Joss, I had the opportunity to come to Qingdao, China to join the XMandarin team as a marketing intern since the beginning of March. As my major is also related to Chinese, I also attend hsk 5 group classes twice a week! Overall I really enjoy my experience here, my colleagues are very kind and helpful and the work atmosphere is very nice. I get to learn many things about marketing and building partnerships with international companies and schools, as well as social media marketing, development, and content production, which I'm sure will come to be very handy for my future career. The classes are nice, our teacher is very kind and she has a great sense of humor, she manages to put us at ease and not be afraid to speak Chinese and make mistakes. Participation is probably the greatest aspect of my class, the teacher always engage with us by asking questions related to our life to practice what has just been learned, and my group only have between 4 to 5 people per class, which is great because it gives us a lot of opportunities to speak and practice our Chinese. Moreover, Qingdao is a beautiful city, the people are always nice and I get many opportunities to engage with locals wherever I go. Also the beach is only 20mn away from the school and I often go there on weekends for sunbathing and having a few drinks :) I also like the events organized by the school as they allow me to discover new places and have fun with the other students. I would definitely come back here with in the future!

Really enjoyed my internship time at xmandarin. Got the chance to experience the chinese culture and also the colleagues were so good to me. If i were a student i would definitely return again. Fairy was so nice and gave me tips and the flexibility to learn

XMandarin has been an amazing experience! My colleagues were great to work with and very helpful. XMandarin helped me with the whole process of getting to China and living here for 6 months. They helped me integrate and immerse myself into the Chinese culture and showed me the beautiful city of Qingdao, if I had the opportunity to do it again I would do it 100%!

For 5 months I did a marketing intership in XMandarin. They helped me through the whole process of coming to China. I learned a lot of the way of business in China. Besides the business part, we also always organized events in Qingdao with our students. This was one of the best parts of my experience in XMandarin. Other than working here, Qingdao is a great city and there also was time to visit other cities in China. The country is in my opinion amazing and I will for sure come back to visit China again.

My time at XMandarin for the internship has been very nice so far and helpful for my personal development. Learning marketing and exploring its culture has been a fantastic experience! I've been able to dive deep into the working culture and traditions, which has been awesome for broadening my horizons. What's been really great is that I've gotten to do a lot of hands-on stuff. From practicing working stuff to getting involved in cultural activities, it's been a fun and interactive learning experience. Plus, being around supportive people who are also learning has made it feel like a big family. The mentors at XMandarin have been amazing too. They've given me tips and tricks to improve, and I've felt comfortable asking them anything. It's made me feel more confident in my abilities and excited about my future learning journey. Overall, this internship has been a positive adventure, and I'm grateful for all the knowledge and experiences I've gained. It's definitely set me up for success in my language learning and beyond!

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!

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!

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!!

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!

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.

I have just finished the 6 week Lopair Summer Educare programme in Shanghai. My host family was amazing, making me feel welcome at all times and allowing me to experience Chinese culture first hand. I was able to try an enormous variety of delicious Chinese cuisine both at home and outside. I enjoyed helping my host kid improve her English which I feel was an experience that was beneficial to us both. On top of this, the included Mandarin lessons made the programme even more valuable as I was able to improve my Chinese and meet new people. There is plenty of opportunity to make friends, whether it be within your lessons or the various culture classes and Lopair also helps to bring different au pairs together. In fact, the whole Lopair team was great, especially my local coordinator, Yvonne, who was so friendly and always there to provide support. Kerry was also very helpful, providing me with useful English teaching tips! The people you meet and the memories you make will ensure your au pairing experience in China is one you will never forget and Lopair will guide you all the way!

For me it was a good opportunity to start my career in a country like China. It is the world’s largest economy and hosts many international companies. VISA applications, Insurance and finding accommodation went smoothly with the assistance of the Meiji team. My stay in China was very good. I visited a lot out sights, interned with a company in my field of expertise and made many friends, both Chinese and international. As a business intern, I took on many different tasks, namely, assisting the team with month-end financial reports, proof-reading documents, joining business meetings, filing documents, research and many other related tasks. The program was very well organized and met my expectations. I can recommend it!

Hi, I’m doing the six week au pair program with LoPair and I’m based in Shanghai. I have been an au pair several times previously within Europe and this experience has been very different but amazing due to my wonderful host family and friends I met both with LoPair and various agencies through out my stay. I found LoPair very approachable and responsive to messages (especially Becky, Ursula and Joey although I’ve never met either or them

I had been once to Britain in an exchange program under the theme of come and sing. We were twenty girls from Palestine who lived with many families for about 5 weeks where we were able to knew new cultures and tradition.

I enjoyed my time in China very much. Through the program, I was able to experience Chinese culture and experience modern China. I was able to have a well balanced life style with the welcoming host family. Also, during this program my english improved as well through the Chinese classes.

I loved my time here. The staff are super friendly and accommodating, as soon as I arrived I was greeted with warmth by local coordinators. Communication was easy, I never felt I was burdening someone. There are many people you can reach out to all the time. The family that I matched with were also very welcoming, and I was able to speak with them easily (I have a low level of Chinese, but we also used translate apps to speak to each other, which wasn't a problem). I was accepted into the family, and if I had any problems they were discussed and dealt with. Workload didn't always seem so because it was so fun. I taught a 10 year old and a 2 year old, which meant two different levels of English. Yet, we always made it fun. I had a great experience and would totally do again! Things they don't tell you though, although it is a free programme, you have to pay for the visa, and all travel expenses to/fro school when you get there. A staff member recommended I bring £100 which was insufficient. Bring more! Especially in the city of Beijing, where I was. Overall, great experience.

I am coming to the end of my three months here in Shanghai. In summary, I have had a very positive experience; I have a great relationship with my host kids (5 and 2), particularly the five year old who has made notable progress with her English. It is rewarding to see her reading, writing and general understanding of the language improve so much, and it's lovely to hear her use new phrases so smoothly and with perfect comedy timing! I will miss her so much. By living with my host family, I have been able to experience a new culture in a way that staying in a hostel would not provide. The differences in culture, tradition and attitude become apparent day by day, which is an invaluable feat. However, this has meant my love for solo travel has been a little stifled - I did make one short trip to Beijing which was incredible, but at times I have felt a little tied down. Of course, the generosity of my host family is greatly appreciated - I have loved being a part of their routine and getting to know them all as people - but I would have loved to have more freedom to explore. My host family live very far from the city centre, so even when I do have free time I am a little bit stuck for things to do. On a different note, I have loved learning Chinese with my brilliant teacher, Ella - I arrived with next to no knowledge of the language and I can now understand and contribute to daily conversation in the household. For such a short period I feel inspired to continue with Mandarin studies when I return home. I would recommend this programme to patient, enthusiastic and intuitive individuals who are willing to open their minds to a new way of life, spend most of their time with children and not take themselves too seriously. As with any new venture there have been highs and lows, but this experience has been incredibly valuable for me and I leave Shanghai with a real sense of fulfilment.