Apart from graduation, there’s a time when the anxiety and excitement of entering the professional world kick in during college: internship season. Students take this phase in their lives seriously, as landing a dream internship could lead to a job in the same company down the road.
There are thousands of US-based internships available yearly, and finding one in your own city can be relatively easy. Unless you’re applying to get into a highly-competitive internship program, chances are, you only need to deal with a fair amount of paperwork. Once you pass whatever pre-screening process the employer has in place, it then becomes a matter of nailing your interview.
Before you know it, you’ve already sailed through 120 to 240 hours of internship.
Students are typically good at searching for big-time opportunities that will allow them to intern at prestigious firms in the country. However, it’s identifying ones with long-term value where young people might be amiss.
When we started offering internships in China and internships in Brazil at BRIC Language Systems, our goal was to give students a chance to get out of their comfort zone, explore the world, all while undergoing practical training that would challenge them to adapt and excel in foreign land. We wanted to underscore that performing administrative tasks and sitting in meetings in local office settings are not enough to prepare you for the workplace and the real world — but an international internship will.
Cultural Immersion
Working in a foreign country exposes you to a unique workplace culture in a way that no local company can. Apart from communicating with your peers and supervisors, you’ll also need to learn and understand their traditions, mannerisms and the way they do day-to-day activities, such as how they order lunch or how they spend time after office hours. You need to learn the business culture.
A computer science major with a minor in Chinese at East Stroudsburg University, Leah Morrison spent one summer in Shanghai for her BRIC internship.
“This experience was about more than just an internship in a potential career field, and more than a language learning opportunity - it was a cultural experience, and truly a window into another part of the world. There are important lessons that can only be learned outside of the classroom and through immersing yourself in a new culture,” says Leah. “It really opened my mind and helped me grow as both a professional and a person. I was humbled to not only see how the other half of the world lives, but also to actively engage in their lifestyle.”
Internships aren’t the only way to immerse yourself in the culture. Most schools offer a wide variety of traditional study abroad programs and the diversity of options is growing rapidly according to this article from ESU Insider.
Foreign Language Training
It’s critical to think about quality and not quantity when it comes to language learning. To improve your proficiency, research shows that it’s not just about how much time you spend in another country, but the quality of your interactions in the language. In a professional setting, there are certain situations that make it even easier to get into the local mindset.
No matter how long you’ve studied a foreign language, it’s an internship abroad that will enable you to learn a new set of vocabulary. You’ll need to practice technical vocabulary related to your industry, and say the appropriate words to communicate and discuss work specifics with your boss. On a more casual basis, you’ll get to mingle and network with colleagues who are native speakers.
Real World Work Situations
Most internship programs in the US have a rigid structure that could be beneficial to some, but limiting to others. If you really want to gain experience in the field, interning abroad could be your best option. International organizations and multinational companies are always looking for young talent who want to engage in field work. If you were conducting benchmark studies, for example, you will need to go out and meet local people, see how they live and tie that back to your research.
“These students want to take what they are learning in class and apply it to real world work situations; they want to get a hands-on educational experience and turn academic theory into practice. In addition, they want to participate in a program that will help them focus on potential careers upon completing their degree,” says Steven Rose, Assistant Director in the Education Abroad office at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Interning abroad allows them to get a taste of their possible career field and can open doors to that field.”
Independence and Empowerment
The decision to pack your bags and fly out to a country you’ve never been before can be thrilling and nerve-racking at the same time. At BRIC, we cover the needs of students who want to take the first step in a life-changing career overseas. From interview preparations, to housing and city guides and, of course, language courses, we ensure that your global job aspirations are met. However, once you’re settled in and are already doing everyday activities in and out of the office, you’ll then get a real sense of independence in your new environment. Navigating your host city will be up to you, and you’ll definitely go through both personal and professional development in the process.
Beyond the valuable skills you’ll gain during your internship, you are bound to have a fun adventure filled with great memories and new friendships along the way.