You have arrived in your new host city, met your fellow interns, and had an amazing orientation weekend. It’s Monday morning on the first day of your international internship and you are wondering how to get the most out of your experience. You know that it will be a great experience, a resume booster, and network opportunity but to really push your international internship to the next level, try following these 8 tips. We can guarantee that they will not only benefit your internship but your entire career.
1. Be committed.
Be on time the first day and every day after that. If you see senior staff staying later to complete a project, volunteer to work with them and keep your focused and motivated attitude on the project. There is no better way to impress the managers than to be working with them one-on-one after office hours. Sacrificing a little personal time to show your commitment will pay off huge dividends.
2. Have initiative.
If you have finished your current project, take a look around. You are very likely to find someone in need a helping hand. Move about the office, even to different departments, to secure a wider view of the company. When there are projects to be done, plan and execute the most efficient way to complete them. Gaining well-rounded experience in other fields is one of the advantages of being an intern abroad.
3. Push your boundaries.
Internships and especially internships abroad come with steep learning curves. Although this can be intimidating at times, pushing your own boundaries can be a huge factor in the value of an internship. It is time to implement the knowledge you have learned in university into a real-world scenario. This sometimes can be overwhelming in the complexity. However, you will appreciate the experience and the effort made in the long term.
4. Ask a ton of questions.
This is your chance to rub shoulders with industry experts, take advantage of it! Your manager understands that you are an intern and looking to learn. If you have hit a roadblock in your task that you cannot complete, don’t be afraid to ask for help from the people around you. Working as a team through the projects is one of the many benefits of being an intern abroad
5. You are in a team
Although you may only be in the office temporarily, to fully embrace your international internship you need to consider yourself as one of the team. This is equally true in the celebrations and the failures as you work towards a common goal. Being part of office life could also mean being a part outside of the office activities. If your new coworkers are heading out for dinner or a game of soccer, don’t hesitate to jump in be a team player.
6. Build your network
Internships abroad are an amazing networking opportunity, as living and working internationally is a unique experience. This is not only limited to the industry experts you will be working with every day, this also extends to all the other interns abroad as well as CareerUp networking events. Putting in an effort to extend your network will have benefits long after your time with CareerUp has finished.
7.Embrace the menial.
Every job has its menial tasks. Repetitive and seemingly meaningless, these tasks are required in every industry. However, it is not all bad. Try to use this work to show you have patience, motivation, and a great work ethic. During internships abroad, managers are sure to notice when projects are delayed, or even worse, left unattended. Showing you will work through the simple tasks means you have shown you are capable of working through larger and more influential projects.
8. Make it count!
Internships abroad are what you make of them! You have gone abroad to discover a new place while getting the incredible experience. This could be one of the most memorable parts of your career. Enjoy it! It is important to remember why you are doing an internship abroad. This is an opportunity to learn and grow professionally while exploring the world. Discovering your passion in an amazing city will be an experience to remember.
