We see a constant flow of interns coming and going.
We walk with them on their journey, starting from the excitement of planning their trip to the task of packing up their lives. For internships abroad, from the moment they step off the plane and panic because they don’t see us in the first four seconds to when they cry as they get on the plane, say goodbye and go back home.
As part of our process we always end internships with a few moments of reflection.
We’ve collected five lessons from past interns that we think will help you!
1. You Get Out What You Put In
This is more of a general life rule but will apply to your internship as well. Internships don’t happen to you, you have to make them happen. Learn everything you can about your company before you arrive, it will help you make a more valuable contribution when you start your internship.
Say yes to everything, from staff parties to assignments! If you have not been allocated a task, find one. Offer to learn about every facet of your organisation. Go everywhere you can in your city and meet as many people as you can. If you go home exhausted, you’ve done something right.
2. Spread the Word
Journaling is fine and dandy, but why keep your internship to yourself? Writing home about your trip will encourage travel in your family and friends. Having an audience will help you focus on the positive.
Your journal may be about the four hour hike but a detailed letter home will be about the view from the top. With a bi-weekly email you can put together a little newsletter of your trip and add pictures and videos.
This also serves as an opportunity to reflect on your journey and reflection will allow you to experience deeper learning.
3. Take Chances
You’re going to find Big Macs all over the world and while we encourage you to try the special menu, please, please, please eat local food!
Try food you don’t know. Take a traditional dance class. Hang out with people whose names you can’t pronounce. Go places not featured in the travel guide. Learn how to greet people in their native tongue, and laugh with them as you butcher the pronunciation. Be daring and embarrass yourself.
You might just learn about yourself and you’re not going to see a lot of these people again for the rest of your life (however, we do not recommend you embarrass yourself at the office!)
4. Take it Personally!
You may have heard that you leave your personal life at the door when you go to work. We’ve heard differently. Your internship is about improving YOU! Think about how you can add value to your life by doing your job.
Bring your heart and soul into the office and give it everything you have. This is not an invitation to involve yourself in office drama (we do not recommend this) but rather to allow the work to make an impact on you, to open your eyes and to move you.
We want you to come out of this internship a new person.
5. Stay in Touch
You would not believe how easy it is to make a lifelong friend after spending three months (or more) in a foreign country together.
This friendship will be moulded by things like: being placed into each other’s personal space every time you take public transport, having all the challenges you would usually have with your friends back home but in the space of a week, splitting bills when your new buddy eats twice as much as you and having to shop for new clothes together because street food is cheaper and more delicious than you ever imagined.
This friend will pull you through the lows and take selfies with you on the highs. Make sure to get their home number.Actually, make sure you get everyone’s number. Networking is how people get ahead in this busy field. An international internship looks great on your resume.
Types of Internship Programs
On YouTube you can watch video testimonials from past interns and see how others made the most of their internship experience.
If you are currently researching options you can find internships in all areas including: accountancy, architecture, arts, biology, business, engineering, fashion, hotels and hospitality, law and human rights, IT, interior design, journalism, linguistics, marketing, media & tech, medicine & healthcare and marine science, photography, politics, PR, science and research, social media, sports, sustainable development, teaching, tourism, veterinary and more.
If you would like to learn more about our international internship placement service get in contact with us. Don’t forget to include your CV! We are here to support you find the perfect placement and can help you book amazing learning experiences!
We can help you find the best-fit internship for your needs! If after completion of an internship you would like to find a gap year job or volunteer program, we can help with this too.