What makes a good internship program abroad? ☆ If you’re thinking about enrolling in an internship abroad program, you’re probably wondering what to look for. When it comes to study abroad programs, knowing how to evaluate your options is more intuitive: courses, partner universities, and your school’s approval of a program are obvious priorities to consider. But what makes a great internship abroad program? And what separates the great from the good?
Don't settle for anything less than the best internship abroad. Period.
Great internship opportunities abroad are ultimately arranged around your holistic well-being and success, setting you up for a positive experience abroad before you step onto a plane. Through all three stages—pre-departure, the actual program, and post-return—an excellent internship abroad provider pays attention to your needs and goals in a personal, individualized way. While the quality of the great internships for college students abroad should be at the top of your list when judging international internship program providers, there’s much more to consider when choosing one of several great internship opportunities.
Here are seven important traits that answer the question “What makes not just a good—but a GREAT—internship program abroad?”
7 things that set apart good internship programs abroad
Pay close attention to the following factors and you’re bound to find great internships for college students abroad.
1. Pre-Departure Coaching
How much advising you receive from your internship abroad provider prior to embarking on your program can make a big difference in how you perform onsite and whether you receive long-term versus short-term benefit. Pre-departure coaching can focus on a range of topics, including interview skills, workplace etiquette, what to expect in your particular destination’s culture, how to write a good cover letter, and more. These are skills you can take with you beyond your internship program into your post-college job search. Very few people receive this kind of coaching without actively seeking it out and paying for it. If your internship abroad includes this coaching during the pre-departure stage, consider yourself lucky!
2. Personalized Placement
Work closely with your program advisor to make sure your internship is the right fit.
Which sounds better: an internship position randomly selected for you based only on the career area you’re interested in, or an internship position chosen for you based on your highly specific goals and preferences? If your internship abroad provider asks you a lot of questions about what kind of position you’re looking for, you’ve hit program gold. You’re much more likely to enjoy, learn, and benefit from your internship abroad experience if you land a highly personalized placement that lines up closely with your wish list of internship criteria.
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The only way to secure this kind of placement is through one-on-one conversations with an internship specialist, someone who can listen to you closely as you describe what your needs, wants, and aspirations are. It’s even better if your specialist has been trained in career coaching, so he or she can actually help you explore and identify what your goals and needs may be, if you don’t already know. If you’re researching internship abroad programs and trying to decide which provider to choose, make sure to ask each one you’re considering how the placement process works. The more time a program provider spends talking to you about what you’re looking for, the better.
3. Academic Foundation
What makes a good internship program abroad? Academics! At first, this might seem like a strange thing to look for in an internship program, especially if you’re looking at programs without an official study component. While an internship abroad program’s main focus should be the workplace experience and relevant skill-building, an academic foundation can serve an important function in the program: helping you process what you learn in your internship, as you’re working in it.
Usually, this academic foundation takes the form of a special workshop or course built into your program, dedicated specifically to talking about your internship in the context of the overseas culture you’ve joined. Such a workshop or course can also serve as a way to touch base with your program provider staff and fellow interns, which can help you adjust to life in another country and make the most of your time with your host employer.
Make sure your program focus overlaps with your major—like nursing abroad!
4. Emphasis on Skill-Building
Everybody’s heard the jokes about internships: how they amount to little more than grunt work like fetching your boss coffee and reorganizing office supplies. A great internship is one that actually teaches you workplace skills you can list on a résumé and perform in a future job. During your interview with your potential internship supervisor or during the placement process with your internship specialist, find out what kind of tasks you can expect to complete at your internship.
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If you’re set to work on projects for your host organization that are relevant to your career field of interest, your internship program will yield real value.
5. Guided Cultural Exposure
Living overseas for the first time can be overwhelming, and when you choose an internship abroad instead of a traditional study abroad program, you’re faced with navigating both a new culture and a workplace in that culture. The ideal internship abroad program helps you adjust and integrate into your new home, as well as the workplace at your host organization, typically through activities and excursions led by your provider’s staff that are designed to show you and teach you what the culture’s all about.
While you could certainly explore your destination city and country on your own, it’s ideal to go abroad with a provider that builds this exploration into your program, so that you can focus on your internship.
6. Student Health & Safety Support
Student safety extends beyond the workplace—do they have strategies to keep your adventures safe, too?
When you go abroad for an internship, maintaining your physical and mental health and your safety are critical to your success. That’s why great internships for college students abroad prioritize your well being. An ideal internship program provides the support system and resources you need to stay healthy and feel secure. This could include a 24/7 emergency hotline, health and wellness activities, emergency event response procedure, an orientation that gives you practical safety tips, and more. Of course, be sure to take responsibility for your own health and safety too—these tips have you covered.
7. Alumni Opportunities and Services
Once you return home from your internship abroad program, you’ll undergo the re-entry process the way study abroad students do. Adjusting to reverse culture shock in your own country while assimilating everything you experienced abroad is something not many of your peers at home will be able to understand. A great internship abroad provider gives your resources and further opportunities to connect with peers after your program ends. Look for features like alumni ambassador and peer mentor programs, in which you can help other students on your campus go abroad or prepare for an internship abroad.
An ideal alumni ambassador or peer mentor program offers you benefits such as a letter of recommendation, go-again discounts, career advising, and more in exchange for the time and energy you invest into spreading the internship abroad word on your campus. Using your internship abroad experience to help and mentor other students can make your re-entry period go much smoother.
Other intern abroad FAQs
Can I get credit for an internship abroad?
That depends on your college or university’s academic policy. In many cases, yes, an internship abroad program is worth credit like a study abroad program is. Contact your study abroad or registrar’s office to check how much credit you can earn for an internship abroad.
Great internships for college students abroad will have tons of answers regarding credit transfer.
Why does an internship abroad program come with a cost?
The price of your internship abroad program covers any academic courses that are concurrent with your internship placement, housing, extracurricular activities, health & safety services, and a number of other resources that make your time abroad as comfortable and rewarding as life on your home campus. It also covers the cost of the placement process and pre-departure coaching.
Here are some more resources on internships abroad and expected costs:
- Understanding International Internship Costs & Fees
- Paying for Internships Abroad: Your New How-To Guide
- Are Unpaid Internships Abroad Worth It?
- 11 Inexpensive Internships Abroad You Can Totes Afford
- 9 Crazy-Awesome Paid Internships Abroad for 2019
Are there internships abroad for STEM students?
Yes! Talk to your prospective internship abroad provider about your STEM major or professional interest and what relevant opportunities they may be able to find for you. There are many wonderful destinations with STEM internships abroad.
How do you pick the right internship provider?
You can read our entire take on how to find the perfect internship abroad for you, but here are the cliff notes:
- Choose a Location that Best Suits Your Goals, Abilities
- Decide Your Placement Focus
- Understand What’s Included (Any Additional Benefits and Activities? Housing?)
- IMPT!: Read the Reviews of Internship Programs
- Follow Your GUT!
You’re ready to shop for internship abroad programs
You know what makes a GREAT internship abroad!
An internship abroad can be one of the best ways to set yourself up for a high-quality entry-level job and a rewarding career. In summary: what makes a good internship program abroad? Great internship opportunities help you become the kind of candidate employers want and need: skilled, worldly, and ready to take on the job you apply for with minimal training. If you’re going to make the investment in an internship abroad, know what to look for in a program before you choose one. The difference between a good internship abroad and a great one can mean the difference between a better future and the best.
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This article was written with help from CEA Study Abroad. Established in 1997, CEA Study Abroad provides international study and internship programs to U.S. university students, focusing on the holistic student experience of living and learning abroad. CEA offers programs in 23 locations, across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The U.S. office is located in Phoenix, AZ.
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