Getting the Most Out of Your Internship

If you are thinking of participating in an internship program, Global Experiences is here to answer all of your questions about our program locations, accommodations, requirements, even what time of year is best for certain placements. One question that we’re not asked often, but are ready and happy to answer is: “What can I do to get the most out of the experience?”

We have a few pointers to keep in mind for that first day of work:

Keep your Eyes and Ears Open: From day one be aware of the environment you are in. You will surely notice differences between the business culture you know from home and the one of the country you are now in. Pay attention to how things are run, dress code, etc. Remember, the business culture will be unfamiliar to you at first, and you will need time to adjust. Keep in mind that it is different, not wrong.

Be Positive and Proactive: Have a positive outlook on the placement you have obtained. Make the effort to learn about your company. Be proactive in creating projects for yourself. If you have finished a task that was given to you, find a new one to work on or show interest in other on-going projects.

Be Responsible: Arrive to work on-time, complete tasks in a timely manner, and always put 110% into all of the work you do.

Learn the Language: If you are interning in a country where English is not the first language, you should take the initiative to learn as much of the language as you can prior to starting the internship. This will show your new colleagues that you are interested in immersing yourself in the culture, becoming a part of the team and that you are ready to learn.

Get Excited!: You are in a new country, experiencing a new culture! Remind yourself of this everyday. You may never have the opportunity to experience the country in which you are interning in the same way again.

And always remember to have fun!

Posted by Sarah

Bazaar Bargaining

I’m not sure what it is, but the folds in my wallet seem to stiffen when I'm abroad, and the once stingy contraption remains open for the entirety of my trip, ready at the first hint of anything cool to cough up all its possessions on the spot. To combat the problem of overspending, I've written down a few ideas and tactics that help me keep my wallet relatively full, even if I am finding it open more than usual.

1. Don’t buy anything right away! Even it you “just gotta have,” you can most likely “just gotta have it” somewhere else, and it might be cheaper. Take a walk through the entire market to see prices from a few vendors. Chances are that they sell similar things and have different feelings about offering you a lower price.
2. Once you pick out the item and the place to buy it try to engage the owner in a general conversation. Shopping is more a social event than business transaction. If you can speak the same language ask how long he or she has been selling the goods and other questions about his business or the area. If you are unable to have short conversations then ask the price of a few items. Don’t look overly eager to buy any one thing or they will hike the price up.
3. After you ask the price don’t be afraid to shake it off with a laugh or look of disbelief. Make a face like you just ate a batch of sour grapes. Ask the price of something else before returning your interest in the original item. If you’ve gauged the market price and know what you are willing to pay for the item, it’s perfectly fine to let the vendor know that you think he’s boosted his prices.
   
4. Venders will not show you any respect or offer their best price if you respond to his initial offer with a ridiculously low number. Remember, you’re not trying to rip anyone off, just get a fair price. Keep your lowball offers at about 50%, maybe 25% if you're going to buy a few items.
   
5. Lastly, don’t be afraid to walk out. But be sure not to just rush out in a huff. Take it slowly. Gived the vendor a chance to stop you or at least offer a lower price. Even hesitating just before you walk away to briefly inspect a different item works wonders. Always thank the vendor for his time and remember that you can always return if you realize that whatever the price, you “just gotta have it.”

Posted by: Marc

Florence is the new Cancun

I first fell in love with Florence almost ten years ago as a study abroad student. I arrived ready to immerse myself in the culture, language and most importantly the food. I bonded with several other people (you know those first few intense days when you’re all in the same unfamiliar boat) that shared my identical goals for the trip. But then a funny thing happened when we settled in. Suddenly I was being invited to dinners at student apartments, American bar and Irish pub get togethers, Super Bowl parties, American student night at the clubs, and many of my “friends” who I thought shared my desire to understand Italy settled into an American life abroad. It’s nice to meet people with similar interests and have some homesickness prevention fun with compatriots but anyone coming to Italy should not lose sight of the opportunity to get to know Italian culture.

Florence is a study abroad hub with many university programs and thousands of students arriving every semester. With all of those Americans mulling around it’s easy to find yourself feeling as if you never left campus. Doing an internship forces you, in good way, to really get to know Florence. Imagine if you went to Cancun to work in a hotel for spring break instead of party. In no way is Florence comparable to Cancun but some spring nights at the Irish pub it can certainly seem like it. Through their internships, I’ve seen some of the participants I’ve worked with blossom into Italian fluency, make heartfelt friendships and become as attached to the city as I am. An internship is the key to a Florence that escapes many tourists and students, one that allows you to have a deeper understanding of the city, the culture and the language. I often tell people how I wish I had known about Global Experiences when I was a student, as I would have surely participated, but I’m glad that at least I get to spread the word and help others see the real Florence.

Posted by Danielle

Foreign Language?

I always knew I wanted to go abroad. However, I also knew that I was terrible with languages. Eventually, I settled on a program in Bath, England.

I remember thinking, “oh I’ll be in England, yeah it’s a different country, but hey, it’s still the same language….I mean yeah, the slang is probably a bit different, but it can’t be that different.”

It was only a matter of days before I realized that I could not have been more wrong. I constantly found myself either wondering what in the world someone had just said to me; or worse yet, confronting an angry/confused/embarrassed Brit over something I’d innocently said.

Aside from the basics, the language that I was so sure I knew, was definitely not the English I was used to. One of my most memorable speech flubs was informing a rather cute British boy I’d met that I’d love to “hang out” with him sometime. Seems innocent enough right? Well, after he blushed about 7 shades of red and choked out a laugh, he proceeded to stammer out that I had basically just informed him that I wanted to flash him. Needless to say, I was mortified and couldn’t pray hard enough for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Fortunately, he and I became great friends and we still talk to this day.

I’d like to say that that was my only verbal slip-up, but no, I seemed to make them daily. For instance, I was walking down the street with some British friends one day and made the mistake of complaining that I’d somehow gotten mud on my new pants. Well, after looking at me like I had 3 heads, one of the girls laughingly informed me that I meant my “trousers” as pants means underwear in England.

Thanks to my British friends, I quickly adjusted to the Queen’s English, and basic British slang. To this day, I still call take out “take-away”, occasionally refer to sneakers as trainers, find “bloody” to be the perfect explicative/description out there, and various other Britishisms.

I should have known better from the beginning. I was in a new country and everything was different, even the things I thought would be the same. As soon as I realized that, and opened myself up to absorbing that difference, I was fine. Bath, and England in general still owns a large piece of my heart and I can’t wait to go back. Next time I go abroad anywhere though, I’ll be sure to remember what I learned the first time, you can’t go abroad expecting it to be like home, even if there are similarities. As soon as you step off that plane, you’re in a new place and everything is different. You need to follow their rules and obey their customs. Enjoy it, you’ll learn more about yourself and the world around you by experiencing a new country then you will any other way.

Posted By: Kristen

An Internship by Any Other Name...

Ever wondered what the difference was between a practicum and a co-op? How about an apprenticeship, field experience or service learning? And what exactly is an externship anyways?

Don’t be overwhelmed. Generally speaking, all of the above can be categorized under the umbrella term of “internship” and aim to provide an ‘out of classroom’ experience that complements or adds to one’s studies.

To help get you on your way, here is a brief description of the different types of internships out there:

Apprenticeship
No, I’m not talking about the Donald, here. Apprenticeship, probably the earliest form of an internship, is a system developed in the Middle Ages where master craftsmen took in young helpers for cheap labor and trained their charges in return. When I think of apprentices, Michelangelo toiling away as a boy in Ghirlandaio’s workshop in Florence always comes to mind. Apprenticeship is still thriving today, most often in “hands-on” trades such as the culinary arts, carpentry, clothing design, etc.

Practicum
Latin for practice (that's 4 years of Latin for ya). Practica are often undertaken by students in consultation with their academic advisors in order to gain real-world experience for an academic project or major.

Cooperative Education (Co-op)
Co-ops usually involve a partnership between a student, an employer and a university and are often taken for academic credit. Many universities are starting to require semester long co-ops with local businesses near campus. Co-ops are great ways for businesses and students alike to ‘test drive’ each other before officially signing on.

Field Experience
No, you won’t necessarily find yourself out in some field on this type of internship, but out of all the categories, it’s the most likely as field experience is primarily associated with practical experience in the world of science and sociology. In most cases, interns undertaking ‘field experience’ are observing and collecting data for research purposes.

Externship
Not ready to commit to a specific career field just yet? Or maybe you don’t have a whole summer or semester to devote to an internship? An externship is ideal for you. Really just a short internship, externships are often taken during summer or winter breaks from school. My externship in college lasted one week (they usually max out at 3 weeks) and was a great way to shadow an office and get a feel for a typical day on the job. But don’t underestimate the value of this abbreviated experience. I still keep in touch with the office where I ‘externed’ years ago. Make a good impression and treat this as a job. While they may not hire you, they might know someone who will.

Service Learning
Just like it sounds, this type of internship involves serving individuals or groups in a local community. For instance, we offer a service learning project in Ecuador where we send groups of high school and college students to work with underprivileged children in Quito, the capital city. Our students also perform service learning projects side-by-side with conservation scientists in the Amazon rainforest – a great way to learn while serving (and preserving!) native plants. This is where service learning and field work meet in the middle. You can learn a lot about yourself while helping others.

No matter what you call it, an internship is an invaluable way to complement your studies, boost your résumé and just plain figure out what you want to do when you grow up.
Most university and college career departments have resources that can help you determine which of the above (and maybe even some not included above) types of internships are best for you. And don’t think you have to just be in school to take part in an internship. In fact, we have helped hundreds of students who have recently graduated and want to get some real world, international experience.

There’s something out there for you and we hope we can help. Be sure to check out “5 Points to Understanding Internships Abroad,” a helpful article published by IIE Passport and written by our very own Marc Cappelletti.

Posted by Mike

Global Experiences provides customized international internships, teaching English abroad certification courses, fashion experiences, high school service learning programs and other unique international experiences.