The benefits of internships abroad

If you are considering undertaking an internship after school, college, or university, and want to see new corners of the world or to travel, an international internship might very well be the perfect way to combine your love of travel and your next step in professional development! Whether you want to investigate international marketing internships, or an internship in a different sector, there will be something suitable for you somewhere new and exciting.

In addition to opening up new travel opportunities, an international internship always comes with a whole range of wonderful perks that will open new doors for you, and give you all kinds of amazing opportunities for both your personal and professional life. Here are just a few of the brilliant benefits to consider when taking on an international role:

Experience life in a new culture

Living and working overseas is the ultimate way of truly experiencing a new culture, different from your own. While you can always get a taste of a new culture when you visit somewhere on holiday, it really is a completely different experience when you are living somewhere on a more permanent basis, as is the case when undertaking an international internship.

An international internship leads to full immersion in a new culture. You’ll almost always find that being surrounded by new cultural practises, regional cuisine, cultural history, and new people is the most wonderful experience, and there is nothing quite like it. You may find that after undertaking your international internship, you have a taste for the country you’ve been living in and want to stay, or perhaps want to go on to explore another new culture!

Have the opportunity to learn a new language

Having the chance to learn a new language is incredibly valuable for many, many reasons. Firstly, it will make your time overseas much easier if you can speak the native language, and most people find learning a new language in the first place is infinitely easier when fully immersed in it! Having thousands of people to practise your new language skills with every week means that the chances of picking up these new skills are improved greatly.

Having mastered the basics of a new tongue, you’ll find that you are able to form new connections, both business and personal in your new place of residence. Should you decide to return to your native country after you’ve completed your international internship, you will find that your new skills are highly regarded, and you may be called upon to form valuable partnerships using your language skills.

Make international connections

Making international connections is always wonderful for your career, no matter what industry you are in. Wherever in the world you end up in the coming years, it pays to have valuable connections across the globe, and an international internship is the perfect way to form these new international relationships.

Keep an address book of the people and businesses you come across during your time overseas, and make sure to keep in touch with your connections! You never know when you might be able to call on them in future to form amazing new international deals and partnerships!

Enhance your CV

When going through new recruitment processes to progress your career, your CV is often your most valuable initial asset, and the first thing that a potential new employer will see from you. Having an interesting international internship can go a long way towards making you look more rounded, and making your resume stand out among others.

Add some details to include the new skills you’ve learned during your time overseas, and be willing to talk to potential new employers all about how this experience has helped you gain valuable industry and life skills!

Learn valuable new skills

Working overseas usually means you will pick up some different skills to if you were completing an internship in your native country. The most obvious skill to pick up overseas is that of language, but there are countless others that can be truly utilised when up against candidates that have not completed time overseas.

These skills can make your resume shine, and will often make you a very valuable asset to any company that operates internationally.