Traveling to South East Asia to complete an internship abroad will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable experiences of your career. CareerUp is proud to have sent hundreds of amazing students to internships abroad. Over the years, our alumni have given great advice for future interns. We don’t want those valuable lessons to go to waste, so we assembled the 5 best pieces of advice from our past alumni to make sure you get the most out of your international internships.
1.Take Advantage of the Real World Experience
An internship abroad provides an unparalleled learning experience. So it’s no wonder it was the most mentioned tip amongst our interns. CareerUp works with successful and growing companies all over Asia and this is your chance to be in the thick of it. Contacting new clients, contributing to team meetings and shadowing CEO’s provides invaluable experience to the motivated intern. Consequently, put your best foot forward and take every opportunity that is presented!
2. Meet People
The stand out response from our past alumni about their internship abroad is the value of the lifelong friends they’ve made: the connections made with other interns abroad, CEO’s, investors as well as the movers and shakers in the exploding Asian economy. Beijing, Singapore, and Manila are the crossroads of business in Asia. As a result, they are stopping point for unprecedented levels of international business.
During internships abroad, be prepared to meet hundreds of new people from all over the world. With interns from over 25 different countries in 2016, there is no shortage of diversity and that’s before you even start your first day! Our interns recommend being open, friendly and considerate when entering this new world. Giving your best self is imperative to the connections made during office activities, networking events, pitch meetings and weekend gatherings. Of course, these new relationships long outlast CareerUp’s program dates and continue to be one of the biggest benefits to gain from this experience.
Check out our Manila interns putting in the effort to network at their company retreat:
3. Immerse Yourself in the Culture
Asia’s history is astounding. Extending unbroken for over 4000 years; there is a deep and rich culture throughout the continent. Consequently, we recommend immersing yourself in local culture and history. CareerUp organizes guided tours of significant cultural sights such as the Great Wall of China and Gardens by the Bay. Living for an extended period of time, working side-by-side with locals, and interacting within the Asian market puts you in a once in a lifetime position to immerse yourself deep within the culture.
4. Travel
Our interns love to take full advantage of being in Southeast Asia. With so many travel options just a short flight away, it’s hard not to see why! We encourage all of our interns to take advantage of the great position they are in. Our On-ground Coordinators are a great source of knowledge for all things related to flights, visas and travel recommendations.
Popular destinations include southern Philippine islands (Boracay and Palawan), Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The photos speak for themselves!
5. Taste the Local Cuisine
This isn’t your average food experience. Asia’s food culture is renowned worldwide for its diversity and flavor. With authentic Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Malay, Vietnamese food and more at your doorstep, it’s no wonder that interns recommend diving head first into the new cuisine. Also, our international internship coordinators always have an ear to the ground on the latest and up-and-coming restaurants and local favorites. Therefore, we strongly recommend taking their advice and hitting the best spots in the city.
Our interns know how to take advantage of their time in Asia. Here at CareerUp, we are always impressed by the amazing interns representing the program through their internships abroad. Creating so much value out of their time abroad, it is motivating for the entire CareerUp team to connect these young professionals to the experience of a lifetime.
