subject: Make the Right Move – Choose an International Internship [print this page] Make the Right Move Choose an International Internship
In today's highly competitive employment market, students and graduates really need to differentiate themselves from the competition. It's widely recognised that internships can add great value to your CV as evidence that you've consolidated your academic background with real industry knowledge, but it's about much more than getting an edge in your future career. An internship abroad can be one of the smartest choices you'll ever make, especially if you know exactly what you're looking for
So what makes a great international internship?
There are many definitions of internship', and many more of international internship', but the best internships should fulfil the following criteria:
Provide an opportunity to integrate career experience with social opportunities
Provide the opportunity to live and work in a dynamic new environment
Provide challenging, diverse placements in a wide range of sectors
Be expertly planned and scheduled to ensure the best value and greatest benefit
Include in-country training to enable each intern to fully understand their role and opportunities
Provide a balance of social, cultural and professional opportunities
What will you gain from an international internship?
The professional experience that you gain from an internship can be invaluable when it comes to your future career but, if you choose your internship carefully you can gain far more from than a CV boost: here is a selection of the additional benefits of an international internship:
By choosing to intern abroad you'll demonstrate ambition, flexibility and the ability to adapt to new environments quickly all crucial skills for your future career.
Living and working in a foreign country will broaden your perspectives: you'll have the opportunity to learn the language, try the cuisine and generally immerse yourself in the culture every single day.
Interning abroad proves you're able to work in a cross-cultural team a valuable asset for future employers and your communication skills and confidence will vastly improve.
You'll not only encounter new professional opportunities and challenges, but social ones too. During your time abroad you'll form close relationships with your fellow interns and colleagues.
Next steps
If you're already sold on the many benefits of gaining work experience abroad, the next step is to think carefully about where you'd like to go and what industry you'd like to work in. A good way to research this is to search for testimonials and blogs that tell you more about the experiences of previous interns, and to check out more expert views on the benefits of interning abroad.
