written by guest blogger: Regi Publico
For young adults all over the world, practical work experience starts with an internship. If you’re looking to test yourself, getting an internship abroad can help you take it one step further. Regardless of your grades or degree, an internship abroad has many benefits
Foreign internships not only help you get relevant work experience but also help you grow as a person. You’re pushing yourself to take on challenges alone, as well as learning a culture that is much different from your own. Here are 6 reasons why you should grab that internship abroad and have no second thought about it.
1. EARN MONEY WHILE YOU GAIN EXPERIENCE
If you’re looking to save money as a student, one great way to earn money is through internships abroad. Depending on which company you join, you can get paid internships that can offer you a good chunk of allowance for living expenses. Even without paid internships, going to a country abroad can help you make a good bit of money.
For starters, startups are more than happy to have interns to help them with daily tasks. It’s also a great way to integrate new blood into their team, making them more receptive to potentially paid internships.
Even without paid internships, you can do side jobs during your stay. Most crafty interns try to work quick part-time jobs that can make them a good bit of money where they are. These can be as simple as working in cafes to doing simple translation work. This helps you gain even more experience as you learn from businesses abroad.
2. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Many think that staying in their comfort zone is always a good thing. There is some pressure on every job in the world, and internships abroad are no different. Then again, it’s the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, so as you experience pressures in your internship, you can learn a number of lessons throughout the day.
A domestic internship has its own set of challenges, but you’re in a generally familiar environment. You have the same work culture, a set number of hours, and even the same routine after work. International internships with companies and startups not only expose you to entirely different work cultures but a variety of routines too.
You learn entirely different points of view from people whose cultures are foreign to you. This level of international work experience opens your eyes to entirely new problems that you can solve. Such an experience will broaden your mind even further, as well as make you enjoy an exciting new adventure for you to try.
3. RECEIVE INTERNATIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Much like a domestic intern, your responsibilities with an international startup are almost the same. Most businesses expect interns to finish their assigned tasks under the supervision of a mentor in the company. Beyond scholarships and grants, an internship abroad sets you apart due to the opportunities you get.
Working abroad sets you apart, training you to meet expectations and demands by a country different from your own. It expands the skillsets that you have, as well as learning an entirely new market. Because practices vary from country to country, your experience becomes a specialized skill that you can bring anywhere you go.
Future employers favor hiring fresh graduates that have international work experience. The mere fact that you complete your internship abroad tells potential employers that you can deal with a culture that will be different from your own. Being a successful intern abroad gives you a solid addition to your CV.
4. PICK UP A NEW LANGUAGE OR TWO
One key perk of going abroad for your internship is picking up a few new languages. Depending on where you live, multilingualism can be a profitable skill to have, especially if you work with multinational companies. You don’t even have to be super fluent with the language.
Most interns abroad prepare for their experience through a crash course into local language and customs. It can be anything from improving language skills to a full immersion into the culture. Regardless, internships connect you with the local community within your destination. From there, you can slowly learn the language and integrate.
As you improve your fluency with the language, you gain a new way to communicate with new people. This new language is a great new weapon that you can use as a crucial asset for the future. Any company that you join will likely consider a second or third language as a vital plus during your job hunting experience.
5. FORGE NEW FRIENDSHIPS TESTED AT WORK
If you’re simply studying abroad, gaining an education and meeting some people is easy. You’ll have a few new friends, as well as connections with foreign faculty and staff. Going abroad as an intern not only gives you a boost to your career but friendships borne out of hardship, challenges, and trust.
As you learn how to work with foreigners, you gain friends from within the business and the community around you. The bonds you create are stronger than ever as you build relationships forged by challenges at work. This becomes especially more apparent as you go through your entire internship.
As an intern, you also connect with people on a deeper level than if you were studying abroad. As an intern, you’ll learn exactly what actual employees do at work and get a direct transfer of knowledge. You can make lasting connections with people that can teach you the ways around the business.
6. GET A CHANCE TO TRAVEL ABROAD
Much like anything you do abroad, going on an internship gives you travel opportunities that is unlike anything you can experience locally. Such travel options come with several advantages that no tourist can have.
For starters, you can schedule your free time to get to places away from tourist traps. You can visit off-the-beaten-path locales for more than a single afternoon, giving you more time to explore. You can also go on simple road trips and visit a different city.
You can join cultural activities and even recruit your workmates to bring you to places that are privy only to locals. See amazing festivals. Taste home-cooked local food. The possibilities are almost endless.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to internships abroad, this list is only scratching the surface of the many reasons why you need to go. Amazing experiences are waiting for you. Different countries and various workplaces are likely looking for interns with your skill. Don’t waste your chances.
Go and have your internship abroad. Learn from the best outside your country and see worlds unlike your own. Use these experiences to build a future that will make you a better, smarter person. Grab that internship abroad now.
