Au Pair Internships in Italy

I believe that a way to find yourself is traveling and experience different cultures, it opens your eyes and you watch your life having a turn and making sense in every task you do. I put my heart and effort in this things so I become a better person every day by learning and spreading a little bit of my knowledge. If you are doubting to get abroad just follow your instinct and you will see how everything falls into place.

Interning abroad in Wellington NZ was the best decision I've ever made! I fell in love with the city and my job and really didn't want to go home! This experience was so eye opening and I can't wait to go back to Wellington!

I always knew that I wanted to travel to Barcelona, so I was excited when I made the decision to do an internship through CISabroad. My experience ended up being the absolute best that it could have been. I am an international business major worked for a company that worked with solar energy technology, and it was a great experience because the company I worked for had partnerships with companies in many different countries. I was able to learn a lot about an industry I had not considered before which was really enjoyable. I enjoyed my internship experience very much. The CIS onsite staff provided support for all of the students in case we ever needed help with something or had an emergency. They were also really great about letting us know about different events going on in the city - we received a weekly cultural agenda with different activities to do every weekend in the city. There were also multiple day trips outside of Barcelona included in the program, as well as a week of intensive Spanish classes. Overall, my experience in Barcelona was absolutely incredible, and I hope that I can go back again someday. I would recommend this program to anyone!

I lived in Beijing, China for three months. I spoke some Mandarin before I went, but when I got there I felt like I knew nothing. When I arrived someone was waiting to pick me up at the airport and take me to my apartment. There were some problems with the apartment, but ImmerQi and CISabroad worked to quickly fix the problems that I contacted them with. (They are partner companies and ImmerQi will work with you in China.) Some of the problems were with fixtures in the apartment and bugs, but all problems were promptly taken care of. I was, also, really scared using the subways in China to find my job. I was afraid I would get lost or not be safe, but I found a few other interns to show me the way and after about three or four days could navigate myself all around China. Work was a little far from my apartment, but it was doable. I did, however, live very close to my language school. When I came home from China I could understand my boyfriend and friends conversations much better and can hold my own in a conversation, too! Perks: The internship was designed around my interests. Problems were promptly taken care of. It was very independent and I could travel or do whatever I wanted in my free time. There are SO many things to do and places to see in China. I was never bored. The medical insurance was great. The people are very nice, the city is super safe, and the food is FANTASTIC (taste, amount, and price!) If you try to talk to someone in China, more often than not they are going to be ecstatic that you tried and will try their best to communicate with you. Many of the places I went were beautiful. I traveled to some of the most famous and gorgeous places in Beijing- Great Wall, Summer Palace, Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City, and so many more! Disadvantages: If you cannot speak Chinese you will have a hard time getting around and doing things you want to do. If I could not speak the language I would not have been able to go to the places I wanted. There were a lot of problems that needed to be fixed; in order to get them fixed, you have to be very pushy and persistent. If you aren't careful people will try to take more money than a product or service is worth. (Scammers) Taxis tend to not stop for foreigners; if they do stop they might try to charge you too much for your trip! Be prepared to use the subway for most travels. The internship is very independent. While I loved this about the internship, other people may not. You need to be very self-sustaining and confident. You will not have people helping you with everything or with you all of the time. A lot of the time you will be on your own (you may or may not have a roommate while you are there). The best way to have fun in China is to make friends with the locals. I made so many friends and this helped my language skills soar! Going out and really seeing the city and fully immersing yourself in the culture is the only way to get the most out of your experience. Beijing became my second home. Everyone is asking me when I will be back, inviting me to events and their homes, and so on. If you immerse yourself you will be happy with your experiences anywhere you go.

I have nothing but high remarks for CISabroad. From the very beginning of choosing a program, they were very welcoming and extremely helpful. They were able to answer all of my questions I had. This was one of the main reasons why I chose to go with CISabroad. They were eager to help and very affordable compared to other programs. Although the process to get all of the necessary documents was very stressful, CISabroad was very responsive and helped in any way they could. The pre-departure activities were very helpful to prepare me for a semester in London. Arriving in London I was very nervous, to be so far away from home. But the CISabroad on-site staff were very warm and welcoming. My homesickness went away very quickly thanks to them. The housing situation was great for interns. We were given a flat, we lived just like anyone else would have lived in London. I felt very independent having to buy groceries and cook for myself. All of these correspond perfectly with being an intern. It was like being in the real world with a job and everything. There was a grocery store right down the street from our flat which was very accommodating. There were also several restaurants as well. I think it was a perfect location in a nice residential area. We lived about 15 minutes from Big Ben, so the location was perfect, right in Central London. My internship placement was really good as well. I had a marketing internship for a health and wellness company. The commute to and from the office was easy. There was a tube station located right next to our flat which was a bonus. With CISabroad there were also social programs that allowed us to meet other students in London as well as do new things in London. One for example was attending the evensong at Westminster Abbey. There was also a social program trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. I was very grateful for this opportunity to see other parts of the United Kingdom. All in all, choosing CISabroad was one of the best decisions I could've done for myself. It allowed me to achieve my dream of seeing the world. It gave me friends that I will have for the rest of my life. And it allowed me to experience things I would not have been able to otherwise. If you are reading this and you are deciding whether or not you should go abroad with CISabroad. I say go for it, you will not regret it.

Rather than write paragraphs about the experience, I am just going to divide the experience into two lists: Things I liked: *An internship is much less stressful than a 'study abroad' internship because you don't bring work home with you. This means that you are free to do whatever outside of work hours, and on weekends. *There were many planned cultural and social events planned by CISAbroad, but they were purely optional, meaning you could take advantage of them or do something else if you'd prefer. Of the ones I took part in, the weekend trips and the cooking class were the most fun. *It varied by person, but the housing that I was placed in was probably in the best location we could have been in. It was in the middle of a tourist-y area so most of the restaurants and such spoke English. *Staff members were always available if there was every an issue of any kind. *My school (UT Austin) had several dozen students in the program, and all the guys were placed in the same apartment complex, so there was never a time where I felt I did not have someone to do things with. (this didn't seem to be true for the girls, and most other schools didn't have enough students in the same program for this to matter) Things I didn't like: *The weekend trips that required extra payment. While they were fun - I felt as though the prices they charged were somewhat high compared to going to those places on your own, especially considering the price of the program itself. *I felt like the program was not very specific on what I should bring with me. I was unsure on whether I would need to bring towels or bedding with me. *This is an issue specific to the country, but I had trouble adjusting to a lack of A/C

I spent an entire semester in Perugia interning and taking Italian language classes. I had the support of the faculty at both my internship placement and the Umbra Institute, as well as the guidance of a wonderful professor while conducting research. The Italian language courses are challenging and authentic but easily accessible to all students. The community engagement is a highlight of the Perugia program, and they really succeed in doing this well. By learning with Italian students and taking courses with service learning components, you will have a completely immersive experience that is exciting and educational!

Overall, I loved this experience and what it gave me in the long haul. My internship placement was AMAZING and I would not have traded it for anything. I was fortunate enough to have the closest location to travel to, just about 5 stops on the tube and a 5 min walk, which I couldn't say for everyone else in the program. Even now, almost 3 years later I'm still so happy I was able to have this experience and work with the best people. In terms of living accommodations, we weren't exactly in Central London, we were just south of it. The rooms were small and thankfully I didn't have to share it with anyone or it would've been extremely cramped. It was also just not as amazing as I thought it would be. The fact that it was just a short walk from the tube was probably one of the best things going for them. But to have that living situation to have the internship placement was worth it in my opinion. Some air conditioning would've been appreciated though. I also would've liked if we had more than just 1 or 2 optional excursions that were free of charge. In terms of safety, I felt very safe where we were staying, even being out late at night. Maybe since I'm from the New York area I wasn't so fearful of anything because nothing is like New York. Overall I would recommend this program to a friend, but let them know that they need to prepare to adjust to the living accommodations.

Doing my internship in Dublin Ireland was the best decision I could have made. I am an interior design major and was placed at an architecture firm in Dublin. At first i didn't think the placement was right for me but after awhile I began to realize it was perfect for me. I cannot wait till I get another opportunity to go back! It was a perfect experience. I would recommend this program to everyone!

Barcelona is a awesome city to live in. Consider the living of cost of many countries in Europe, Spain is a great country is study/intern abroad. My personal feeling is that your goal is to learn Spanish then choose study abroad program where you attend classes. But if you want know more about local people, local business cultural,etc internship is better. After all, everyone will have difference experiences with same story. I love the onsite cultural activities. It helps me to reconnect with other interns, onsite staffs, and enjoy the food at the same time. My internship placement was not a "best" fit for my optimum placement. However, I did gain some basic people skills and logistic which is critical in business or in life in general. People in Barcelona is very enthusiastic. Double cheek greeting, the closeness between people are something I miss a lot after I came back. Food in Barcelona was also good, most famous one, tapas. Whenever I don't know what to eat, i will always go for tapas, is easy, and fun to eat. i did alot of traveling while I was in Europe, some over the weekends of internship, some are after internship finish. I was able to find really good budget flights from Barcelona where I leave really early on Friday morning , and comes back on late on Sunday night. Public transportation are very accessible everywhere in and around Barcelona at a reasonable price.

I loved my internship site in Puyo, Pastaza. I learned so much by working with wild rainforest animals and the wildlife vets at Yana Cocha. I will definately go back in the near future. It was a life changing experience that I would recommend to EVERYONE!

My experience with Intern in Dublin was the greatest of experience of my life. Forever thankful for my time in Dublin, everyone I met truly touched my heart and my life has been forever changed. I learned so much about life and myself and have grown so much as a person.

I had a great time abroad. I had a tough time while traveling to New Zealand but after that it went without a hitch. Living arrangements were decent and the locals were great. I made many life long friends.

The program coordinator was difficult to contact, tardy in response, and at times, misleading with vital information. Part of my $6000 program fee was supposed to cover an orientation upon arrival, which I never received.

CIS Abroad responded to this reviewSeptember 03, 2015

Hi Brandon,<br/><br/> We appreciate and value the feedback of all of our participants. CISabroad has recently transitioned to a new application process and participant database which should alleviate the issues with communication. We continue to work to develop system and processes with the feedback from you and other participants. We are happy to hear you had amazing experience overall! <br/><br/>Kind Regards, Seth W, and the CISabroad team.

New Zealand is an amazing place. I had a great experience and made a ton of connections/ friends! The living arrangements were less than expected for the price of accommodation. I expected to at least have my own room but was lucky to have a really cool roommate. Definitely recommend going to New Zealand.

My experience in Quito, Ecuador was one of the most amazing adventures of my life. I met countless amounts of fantastic people who have helped me to grow as a person and see different points of view. The country is absolutely incredible and has endless amounts of things to do. It is the experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone who is even slightly considering it.

After trials and triumphs, I would summarize my experience in Ecuador as life-changing. My internship taught me how to be more independent and gave me the freedom to customize my experiences there. I was fully immersed in the culture and language, and I improved my skills-set while helping the community. At times, there was confusion over the food and living conditions. More preparation and a clear lay out before arrival would have been preferable. But, with an open mind and positive attitude, I welcomed all challenges. The local foundation I was connected to had amazing people with whom I've made lifelong friends. If given the opportunity, I would do it all over again.

My internship in Ecuador was a great experience for me, personally and academically. I am pursuing a career in the field of animal science which CIS was more than thrilled to accommodate me and my passion. I had just recently finished a semester abroad with CIS in Asia and immersed myself in a whole new culture in South America. I have met various people, became more adventurous, expanded my knowledge of my future career, and saw myself as the independent woman I am now today. I do not regret any minute of this experience.

My experience with the program empowered me to go out into the world and live bravely. Through this journey, I was pushed out of my comfort zone and discovered I was capable of so much more than I dared to believe. This program is the perfect blend of adventure, cultural learning, and fun. I am so extremely lucky to have been a part of it.

I loved everything about my internship especially my placement in a nice school. The onsite staff were great. They were very nice and friendly and helped is with any questions or concerns. They really made the experience better. They were very knowledgeable and helped us settle in smoothly. They gave us tons of valuable information and tips. They set up many different events and trips to help learn new areas and to meet new people. Things could not have gone better!