Marina Bay Sands
With multiple international experiences under your belt, why did you decide to intern abroad?
I love to travel and I wanted to get more work experience to become more employable, and the best way to combine the two was to intern abroad.
Why did you choose Absolute Internship?
I chose Absolute Internship because they came to present their program at my university and I was convinced that they would do a great job to help me find an internship. I also thought that it was definitely value for money, considering everything that is included in the program.
What was your favorite part about Singapore?
Singapore was a great choice as it is a very multicultural city with a big variety of people, which made it less of a cultural choc than other big Asian cities. The fact that everyone speaks English also made it a lot easier.
What surprised you most about Singapore?
What surprised me the most about Singapore was the amount of rules the residents of Singapore have to follow. But thanks to these strict rules, Singapore is the cleanest city I have ever seen, which I loved! So, I was really impressed by this city, which is absolutely amazing! Another surprising thing was the variety of people that live there. I always knew Singapore was a multicultural city, but what I didn't know was that Singapore has four official languages!
Gardens by the Bay
What makes Absolute Internship unique?
It is unique because of everything that is included in the program, such as the guaranteed internship, the housing, the visa, the company visits, the weekend activities/trips, etc. But also because of the happy and energetic Absolute team that is always there to support you.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local Absolute staff was available 24/7, and I felt really safe knowing that I had someone to turn to in case of any problems.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
There is nothing I can really think of that I would've done differently, except for maybe travel around more during the weekends.
Describe a day in the life of your internship.
I would take the bus to work and get there by 9 a.m., have a one hour lunch break with my colleagues, and finish work around 6 p.m. After work, I would sometimes go grocery shopping or have dinner with my friends and explore the city.
What was your favorite thing to do in your free time?
My favourite thing to do in my free time was to go with my friends and explore all the places I had never been to in the city and discover new places and all that Singapore had to offer.
Sentosa - Universal Studios
What was the hardest part about interning abroad?
I was going to say the beginning of the program, but actually I think the end was the hardest part. The beginning was a bit hard as everything was new and there was a lot of information to take in at work and with all the new people, but it was all very exciting as well.
The end was very hard, because during my two months internship I built strong friendships with some of the other interns and also with my colleagues at work. I found it very hard to say goodbye to the team and leave work on my last day, as well as saying goodbye to the other Absolute interns.
How difficult was it to communicate with locals?
It wasn't difficult at all since everyone speaks English everywhere in the city.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived in an apartment-hotel that I shared with three other girls. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room. I loved it, and what I liked the best was that a cleaner came everyday to clean and tidy up.
Do you have any packing tips for individuals headed to Singapore?
Don't bring too many clothes. Only bring the necessary, such as office clothes and summer clothes, but don't forget to bring cardigans and scarves for work because the air conditioning makes it very chilly when you sit down for the whole day in the office!
Now that you're home, how has interning abroad impacted your life?
After my internship abroad, I feel much more excited about starting my career as it helped me to figure out what I would like to work with in the future. It also made me much more culturally aware and helped me understand my course better as well. But, most of all, it gave me friends for life as well as useful contacts all over the world.
Downtown in the background
What is one thing you wish you would have known before interning abroad in Singapore?
I wish I would have known that work wouldn't be that hard, which could have made me worry less. This internship was the first "real" job I had and I was worried I wouldn't know how to do certain things, but it turned out that I worried for nothing as everything went perfectly fine!
If you could intern abroad again, where would you go?
I really loved Southeast Asia and I would love to go back there. But, if I could intern abroad again, I would go to any big city that I have never been to and where they preferably speak English, as that makes it a lot easier.
Would you recommend Absolute Internship to other interns?
Absolutely! I'm extremely happy I chose Absolute Internship for my internship abroad. All the members of staff were very helpful from the beginning to the end and they are all great and very friendly people. I would recommend Absolute Internship to anyone who wants to get work experience abroad, because they will make sure that you have an amazing time over there and go home with incredible memories!
