Internships at home versus overseas

Working abroad is not all sun, sand and sea, it's getting experience in a different culture, but is it for you?

More and more people are deciding that cultural immersion and career progression go really well together and are deciding to do an internship overseas. For some students though, the thought of the first day at work is nerve-racking enough, let alone doing it in another country! With different visa requirements, languages and cultures to get your head around, organising a placement overseas can seem quite a daunting prospect. So are they worth it or would it be easier to stay at home? We're going to explore the benefits of completing an internship overseas versus doing one at home to see which suits you best.

Benefits of internships overseas

Multicultural communication skills

Working to meet a common set of goals at work requires determination, communication, and flexibility. Working to meet goals in an international context is even more of a challenge. Communicating with people with whom you don’t share a language will polish your language skills up so much that effective communicating when you get back will seem easy.

Access to opportunities

Interning overseas often means gaining access to areas of an industry that would be very competitive and hard to penetrate at home. Often, foreign companies offer you more responsibility in a dynamic, growing market which gives you a great chance to challenge yourself and ultimately learn new skills.

Impress employers

IThe cross-cultural communication and problem-solving skills you'll develop all display characteristics that employers want. By proving you can work in an environment that requires effective adaptability and communication, you’ll show an ability to conquer two of the biggest challenges new employees face when entering the work force.

Learn a language

If you're working in a country where English is not the first language, you'll really enhance your knowledge of a foreign language by using it in an everyday work setting. Immersing yourself in a language means learning it more comprehensively than you would do in a classroom and it’s something that could stay with you for the rest of your life.

Make a difference while you intern

Not only do you have the opportunity to work for a smaller company in a developing economy and help them grow, but you can also combine it with other sorts of travelling or even some volunteering. Do an internship in India and then set off to explore Asia once you’ve finished, or find a volunteering project in the same country and make a difference to local communities.

Benefits of internships at home

Make useful contacts

Networking is a vital skill in business today and building relationships during an internship is hugely important. Unless you want to work overseas, networking during a foreign internship may not be as beneficial as doing it at home. Making contacts with local businesses may be of more use when it comes to actually applying for jobs.

Be closer to friends and family

You may not think that this will be an issue but you should consider it carefully. Throwing yourself into a new job is stressful enough but doing it away from your support network is tougher still. It will look great on your CV but it won’t be easy. If you haven’t travelled overseas before, make sure you feel confident enough before you take on the challenge.

Save money

Travelling overseas to intern will incur a cost; it’s always going to be more expensive to do something halfway around the world than to do it at home. If you can afford to intern overseas you’ll receive many benefits, but if cost is an issue, local internships may offer the best value for money.

Learn your local market

One thing that an internship overseas can’t teach you is the local market. Each country does things differently, from subtle differences in law to slightly different market requirements. Interning at home offers you the opportunity to learn more comprehensively about the market that you will probably end up working in, giving you experience to draw on for the rest of your career.

Useful links

www.i-to-i.com

Page Comments

Add Your Comment!

Log in to leave a comment or Create an account