Getting international experience through studying or interning abroad has been increasingly popular among students. While studying abroad has its own benefits, interning abroad provides students to have the international experience while building up their resume and gaining greater exposure in their fields of interest. Obtaining an internship abroad may not be as hard as it sounds, since there are many abroad programs that help you land one.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider interning abroad:
- It’s a great resume builder! Having an internship in a different country makes your resume stand out from the rest. By interning abroad, you are setting yourself at an advantage as you develop global experiences, skills and perspectives that relate to your field.
- You get the chance of exploring a new part of the world. Similar to studying abroad, you become immersed in the culture in ways you wouldn’t have if you were simply traveling there. By working in a different country, you will get exposed and learn how to adapt to another country’s work customs and behaviors, making you not only a stronger candidate in the future, but also an overall more well-rounded individual
- Learn or practice another language. If you don’t know another language, don’t worry! There are numerous internships abroad that are English-based. But while you’re in that country, you’ll be exposed to and meet others who are fluent in the language. Being simply exposed to the language will help you gain new language proficiency, something that employers really stress for in todays globalized society.
- Develop a global network! It is no secret that networking is extremely important in today’s job market. By interning abroad, you get the opportunity to expand your network on a global scale. You’ll get to meet and connect with colleagues about jobs with international corporations, and possibly be even able to return back to that country someday in the future.
- Earn academic credit. If you participate through a “study abroad” program that offers an internship component, it is possible that you can earn academic credit for the work you do. In fact, majority of these programs help you find an internship opportunity abroad.
- Have an experience you won’t forget. Studying abroad has become a very popular college experience, but so will interning abroad! You get a once in a lifetime opportunity to see new things, meet new people, and go explore the world.
A lot of study abroad programs have recently incorporated an internship experience within the program, providing students the chance to not only study abroad, but also gain the international internship experience in the field of the students’ interest. Third-party programs such as CIEE and IES have Study Abroad Internship programs, as well as university-sponsored programs by schools such as Boston University, Banard, and Columbia.
When considering spending a summer or semester abroad, you should consider if you’d like to participate in a program that is solely studying, one that is solely interning, or a mixture of the both.