When it comes to defining your career path, a lot of things come to mind – and one of those things is an internship. Internships help you immensely when it comes to building experience and finding out what you want to do. Internships also help you develop a set of skills that can be very important in your everyday work life. But the problem is that with today’s market, finding an internship is getting a lot harder. The competition is getting fiercer, and the number of opportunities is getting slimmer. Cue international internships! An international internship can help you gain a competitive edge over your peers while exploring a new country.
We are sure you’re thinking “Yes, I know this, but HOW do I find one?!”. Have no fear, we’ve found some of the top 6 ways to securing an international internship.
Why Should You Get an International Internship?
There are endless reasons why you should get an international internship, but here are the main points:
1. International internships help you discover new countries and experience new cultures.
2. International internships enable you to get accustomed to a new culture all by yourself, which will help you get out of your comfort zone and become more of an independent person.
3. If you intern in a country that doesn’t speak English, then you’ll be able to learn a new language and new expressions.
4. You’ll be able to make new acquaintances and friends from a different culture, which will make you a more open-minded person.
If these reasons aren’t enough, then one of the most amazing things about international internships is that you get to have more fun. So, the question is: how do you get an internship as an undergraduate?
Tips on How to Get an International Internship as an Undergraduate
1. Update Your CV and Start Networking
If you want to land any job opportunity or internship opportunity, whether local or international, then one of the main things you should be working on is your CV. Your CV (also known as a resume) is vital, as it gives your future employer an idea of who you are. Your resume is like a gateway to who you are as a person and the experiences you have had in life; it shows what you can do, what you’re great at, what you’ve studied, and what you’re currently doing. So, make sure you include everything that makes you a great asset to a company, and then you can move on to the next step – which is networking.
To find international internships, you’ll have to start contacting everyone you know, anyone you’re familiar with, and even people who are only casual acquaintances. If you start contacting people and telling them that you’re looking for an international internship, then that will eventually help you find the right person. People overseas will have a higher chance of coming across international internships that might suit your profile and CV. The more people you contact, the more international internship opportunities you might find, and the more internships you can apply for.
2. Contact Your University
You might be surprised at the number of international opportunities your university can help you find. Many universities are in contact with various companies in a range of countries that can provide you with an international internship. Universities also often work with a lot of international organisations or organise global internships that will most likely accept you if you apply as an undergraduate. So, you can start by contacting your university provider, or even a professor to help you find several international opportunities, possibly even ones that have scholarships associated with them. Professors usually have an in-depth scoop about the different opportunities that a university has – and with a little bit of ambition and courtesy, you’ll quickly charm your way to another country.
3. Go through a Third-Party Provider
If you want to increase your chances of finding international internships, then you can simply sign up with a third-party provider that will go through all the trouble and hassle to find you an international internship that suits your needs. If you’re interested in this step, then you can check out Capital Placement here. We can help you secure an internship in your chosen field and take care of all the hard work that comes with interning abroad.
4. Check Social Media
Social media is a great asset when it comes to finding internships. You can find an internship as an undergraduate if you browse through LinkedIn, Facebook, and even Instagram. A lot of employers nowadays use social media to find potential employees or interns, so what are you waiting for? Go to Instagram right now and search “international internship” or “internship opportunity”, then repeat the same thing on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. You’ll be surprised at how many opportunities you were missing! Read more about how social media can help your career.
5. Apply Directly
If you’re looking for other ways to find an international internship, think about applying directly to companies or organisations. This is one of the hardest and most time-consuming suggestions out of the six presented in this article, but it is practical as well.
First, you need to find companies that you’d like to intern for, in countries that you want to visit. Then you have to start applying with your resume and cover letter explaining all the reasons why you want to intern for them. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t answer you immediately, just keep sending emails until you finally get a response.
If you do get a response, but find out that they cannot sponsor you for six months, then fear not! Capital Placement has the ability to act as your visa sponsor, therefore giving you the ability to work with your desired company. Find out more information here.
6. Volunteering
If you’re into volunteering, then this can be a great way for you to find an international internship. There are a lot of organisations out there that ask for international internships which are more or less like volunteer work. This means that you can do good, and still have a great experience that would serve you as a way to explore a new country and a new culture. International volunteer work and international internships are a great ways to build your confidence and make you humble.
Simply start listing organisations out there that offer this kind of opportunity and start contacting them immediately. You never know what chance you’ll miss by not reaching out to them.
7. Job Boards
One of the best ways to see what internships may be available around you is to look at websites dedicated solely to internships and job openings. Sites like Jooble can help you not only see what internships may be available around you but help you better filter what type of internship you’re looking searching for. Start by using keywords like “marketing internship” in your desired location and you’ll be amazed as to what may come up.
Conclusion
All these tips can be applied at the same time. Make sure you have carefully proofread your CV and you are set to go. You can search for international internships via networking or third-party providers like Capital Placement, or by applying directly to organisations. The only thing that matters is that you need to search for opportunities. It doesn’t matter if you’re an undergraduate, you’ll come across an international internship to your liking sooner or later.
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