A GUIDE TO

International INTERNSHIPS

HOW TO FIND & APPLY FOR INTERNSHIPS

HOW TO FIND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Cast your net wide and don’t be afraid to ask for favors.

Ask your professors, mentors, and former employers about opportunities they think might be right for you. Make sure they have an up to date copy of your resume and a clear idea of the kinds of internships you’re interested in. A lot of companies will reach out to these folks directly looking for promising interns.

Do some digging.

Websites like Indeed.com, Idealist.org, GoAbroad.com, and GlobalPlacement.com advertise internship positions in the US and beyond.

Think about your passions.Make a list of five causes you care about. Research organizations that align with these passions and see if they’re looking for interns. Pro tip: Just because their website isn’t advertising open intern positions doesn’t mean they wouldn’t welcome qualified applicants.

TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR INTERNSHIPS

Have references ready. Remember the mentors who helped you find cool internship opportunities? Make sure they’re on board with serving as a verbal reference if needed, and always give them a heads up if you think they might be getting a phone call to inquire about you soon.

Do your research. Do more than scan the company website for 20-30 minutes. Do a Google search on recent news about the company. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find two to three com-pelling comments and questions to have ready for the interview. Even better if you can incorpo-rate your research into your application.

TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR INTERNSHIPS

Double and triple check your resume.Make sure there are no typos or spelling errors and have a friend you trust do the same.

Get your application in promptly.Send everything in by the deadline. No deadline? Try to get everything in five to seven days after the position was initially advertised.

TIPS FOR INTERVIEWING

Be on time.It is unlikely you’ll be offered an internship position if you’re late for the interview. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the location or to set everything up at home if it’s a Skype interview. For phone interviews, make sure you’re ready to take the call five minutes before the scheduled time.

Dress the part.Dress the part of a confident, passionate, and most importantly, professional perspective intern – even if you know the office dress code is casual, or if you’re doing the interview virtually. Think you can wear your pajamas for a phone interview? We wouldn’t recommend it. Wearing profes-sional clothes puts you in a more professional mindset, and can give you a boost of confidence.

TIPS FOR INTERVIEWING

Come prepared.Bring several copies of your resume and writing samples (if applicable) or have them ready to email out to any virtual interviewees who might not have them. Make sure you have a pen (with plenty of ink!) and a notepad to write down what you learn. Psst: Remember those smart ques-tions and comments you prepared? You can jot those down ahead of time on your notepad so you don’t forget them. You never want to say “No” when they ask, “Do you have any questions?”

Be the best version of yourself. Do you tend to talk quickly and intensely when nervous? Don’t lose your drive, but practice speaking with a more cool and calm demeanor. Tend to get silly in professional situations? Let your bubbly nature shine through, but make sure your professionalism does as well.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Remember your manners. Pleases and Thank yous are important! Even more impressive are follow-up handwritten thank you cards. Pick up a set of these to have ready after every interview. Send one to every person who interviewed you and make sure to reiterate your interest in the position.

Don’t be too needy. Following up once is okay, but don’t send multiple emails asking where they are in the hiring process. If they want you, you’ll hear from them, and being too demanding about the timeline could turn a “yes” or a “maybe” into a definite “no.”

Don’t stop searching.Don’t stop applying for internships once you think you’ve found and applied for your dream one. You don’t want to lose momentum in your search. Keep applying until you’ve received and said yes to an offer.

PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP

PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP

You’ve got an amazing internship lined up in another country. Get ready to experience new people, foods, culture, and more against the backdrop of an exciting new city.

Make sure you’ve got your bases covered before leaving to start your new internship.

Arrange your flight.

Figure out where you’ll be living and how you’ll be getting around.

Get or renew your passport.

Visas – a visa is required to visit Brazil and China. You’ll want to visit the China and Brazil embassy website to follow the appropriate steps to obtain a visa. Start this process as soon as possible as it can take up to 6 weeks to process a visa.

Arrange travel and health insurance.

PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP

Figure out how you’ll communicate with your loved ones while traveling (cell phone, email, Facebook, etc.)

In certain countries and areas, it can be difficult to access Facebook or Gmail.

For China – social networking sites such as Facebook and email accounts like Gmail will not work without a private VPN. Take this into consideration when planning how to communicate with family and friends back home.

PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP

Study the language in your spare time. This will make your life much easier when you arrive.

Research the culture. There are some big and some small cultural differences that you’ll experience. It’s important to understand that what you are accustomed to living in the U.S. may be considered rude or inap-propriate in different countries. Understand what is acceptable and unacceptable before you venture out.

Talk to your doctor about any vaccinations you might need.Purchase a suit and a few high quality and versatile pieces appropriate for the office.

Keep doing research on the company – the more you know, the better.

Make a list of a few attractions you’d like to see while you’re there. This experience should not only be professionally, but personally rewarding.

Explore other countries! Having an internship abroad is the perfect springboard to travel to other countries and see as much as you can see.

WHAT TO EXPECT

WHAT TO EXPECT

Culture shock. Living in a new country for a few months is going to expose you to an entirely different way of living. Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone (within reason).

Reverse culture shock. Upon returning back to the states, don’t be afraid if you have a little bit of culture shock read-justing to life here. You may not know some new celebrities, movies or music.

Hard work. As a new young intern, you’re probably going to have to prove yourself. Be patient, hard work-ing, efficient, humble, and enthusiastic. Never be afraid to ask questions, but always try to answer them yourself before turning to your boss.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Make the most of it. Sometimes an internship may not be what it seems. It’s not always glamorous and you may have to fetch coffee at some point. Be sure to learn from it – make it your intention to learn as much as you can from any situation.

Discoveries and “light bulb moments.” Your internship will show you what it’s like to work in the professional world and help you figure out what kinds of jobs you’d like to have after graduation. It could even open up your eyes to a skill you never knew you had!

TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

Have fun, but not too much. Don’t be the intern who parties nonstop and is always tired the next day. Remember that you’re there to learn. Stay focused!

Always observe. Make mental notes about how people are behaving, speaking, collaborating, and even dressing. You can learn so much as a newbie by observing how people behave in a professional environment.

Ask for feedback. Once you’ve been with the company for a few weeks, ask your boss if they have any tips for how you can do better or if they have any insight to offer about potential career paths you could go down. Don’t shy away from feedback – it’s how you learn.

Dress for success. You don’t need to wear a suit the whole time (unless that’s what everyone else is wearing), but you don’t want to look like a college student either. Plan your outfits every night before going to bed so you can get ready stress-free every morning and still look put together.

Budget, budget, budget. It’s tempting to blow your money going out every night, but internships are often unpaid (or only offer small stipends). Make sure you’re careful with your money and don’t overspend.

TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

WHY YOU SHOULD INTERN ABROAD

WHY YOU SHOULD INTERN ABROAD

To stand out. Most people applying for entry-level jobs have internship experience. In fact, it’s almost become a requirement. Having an international internship experience on your resume can make you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs.

Language skills. Don’t underestimate the power of being bilingual. Many employers are looking to hire people who can speak multiple languages and better communicate with their customers.

Upward mobility. Having international business experience can really set you apart from other candidates and help you move up the chain faster.

Being Bilingual Pays Off. Bilingual employees make 5-20% more than their non-bilingual counterparts.

WHY YOU SHOULD INTERN ABROAD

Networking. Interning in a different country, you’ll be exposed to an entirely different network of people. You can make contacts that can help connect you with a fascinating and fulfilling job after graduation.

Life experience. Nothing garners personal growth like traveling to a new country.

You’ll learn responsibility. You’ll know you’re an adult when you can travel to, live in, and work in a new country on your own for an extended period of time. Being able to do this will give you a huge amount of confidence as you head into the professional world.

More opportunities. When your search isn’t limited to local companies, you’re free to explore internships that cater to your many interests and passions. The sky is the limit.

KEY POINTS

KEY POINTS

Do your research when finding and applying for internships.

Make sure you have mentors to help you with the search, application, and interview process.

Find, follow, and display your passions.

Be prompt, professional, and studious.

Be responsible with your money, travel arrangements, and lifestyle.

Have fun and step outside of your comfort zone.

YOUR INTERNSHIP ABROAD IS A CHANCE TO

MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A

NEW CULTURE AND RELISH THIS OPPORTUNITY

TO BUILD A MORE PROFESSIONAL,

EXPERIENCED, AND INTERESTING YOU.

BON VOYAGE!

Sources: forbes.com / investopedia.com / vergemagazine.com / uloop.com / usnews.com/ nytimes.com / monitor.icef.com / aol.com

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