Staff Interview with Anna Iwai

What inspired you to work for your organization?

The environment as a whole. It's a safe and happy place to work. Everyone is approachable, kind and funny. We help everyone achieve our individual and team goals.

Describe a typical day at work.

During a typical day at work, I check candidates, respond to queries, check emails, book call appointments, attend meetings, and make sure applicants are being addressed accordingly.

Why do you do what you do?

I do what I do because it's my craft and I love what I do. I simply love helping people achieve their goals and dreams. It is something that I devoted myself to when I started working with Capital Placement.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of this job is being able to know each candidate, and being able to help them get their desired internship abroad. This is what I love about my job!

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

I use the communication skills I learned from my education and international background in my current role. I am able to communicate well with candidates and that is why I am able to explain to them what to expect with the program and what they need in order to qualify.

What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?

The challenges I face include candidates that do not show up during their appointment schedule, as well as to those who do not provide a response when you ask them questions. What I do is personally reach out to know if there are any issues and I let them know I am happy to reschedule the call and or answer any inquiries they have with the program before sending an application.

What are some current projects you are working on?

One current project I am working on is an onboarding project. I prepare all the necessary documents needed to take an internship abroad mainly in London and Singapore. I also respond to comments on different social media platforms.

What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?

I would tell myself to make sure to check all relevant and necessary info about the company or the partner company who will assist during the entire process or internship.

What makes your organization special?

What makes Capital Placement unique is how we treat our candidates, we always go the extra mile. If the candidate is not qualified for our program, we advise them and provide additional information regarding what steps they need to take.

Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?

Simply because we handle all our clients from point A to point Z. We provide assistance across all of our interns for the whole duration of their internship.

What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?

I hope that we can cater to more programs and add some related to the medical field. This would allow us to open more opportunities in other countries as well.

Are there any developments with your organization that you would like to share with us?

Recently we started catering to international students outside of the UK, Japan, the U.S., Singapore, Australia, and Canada. We accept interns across the globe!

What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?

The friendly staff and the friendly website we have that provide support 24/7 makes us easy to market to potential participants. We are also very transparent with regard to fees and the inclusions of the program.

What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?

Apart from work experience, we want our candidates to have the experience of working and living in a new city, which includes understanding the culture, traveling, and building other skills. Our staff on the groundwork hard to ensure you not only have a great time working but also enjoy everything else that the destination has to offer!

What do you hope participants take away from your programs?

Apart from work experience, we want our candidates to have the experience of working and living in a new city, which includes understanding the culture, traveling, and building new skills. 

How do you help support participants?

We provide 24/7 assistance during the entire duration of the internship. We also, provide insurance and medical insurance. Accommodation is also included in the package.

If you could participate in one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?

I would participate in our London program. I love traveling would love to visit London and experience their culture as well as get a chance to complete an internship and get to know London on a deeper level.

What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?

Participants often ask how much the fee is and why is it so high? I just directly answer and provide the benefits they can get in taking an internship and what is included with the program fee.

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

It is very important and needed to blend our society. We can never replace the experience and knowledge of a new culture that we get while traveling.

Why do you think learning a new language is important?

I think learning new languages is important so you can converse and understand other people. If you get the chance to visit other countries, you will be able to speak and understand the language.

What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?

It's never too late to reach for your dreams, grab it while you can! It's nice to travel and experience new things, and to get to meet new people and understand their culture.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel means being able to follow your itinerary and being able to visit the most important places in that country. Also, it means tasting the best food in the world!

What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial & educational relationships between providers/programs and the communities in which they are located within?

To be honest, I would say poor education given by other countries affects interns applying for an internship abroad. This is a sad truth, however, there are always possibilities for you to intern abroad.

What hopes do you have for the future of international education?

I hope that we can put a stop in limiting people taking internships abroad based on their age, race, and university. We should focus on giving opportunities based on their skills and knowledge.

What qualities in program & host community relations are important to you? (And your organization?)

Important qualities of a program and host community include being able to help all applicants fairly while being knowledgeable about what they are doing. Also, they have to have a willingness to help you achieve your success.

What does ethical global engagement mean to you?

It means a committed, meaningful interaction with the world as a whole.