An internship abroad can be an incredible opportunity to gain some work experience while also seeing the world. The typical candidate for an internship abroad would be students or recent graduates, though this is not a requirement and anyone can do an internship abroad!
During an internship, you can gain:
Internships abroad can vary in:
There are many different types of internships abroad, in just about any professional sector you are interested in. Many NGOs offer internships all over the world. There are internships abroad in the fields of medicine (healthcare), engineering, humanitarian, wildlife, etc. Some of the most popular industries for internships abroad include business, communications, teaching, tourism and healthcare, though there are, of course, countless others! An internship could also be either paid or unpaid, though you will gain invaluable experience either way.
Internships abroad are on the rise as students look for ways to travel while also furthering their career and making valuable connections.
In a report from UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the number of international mobile students almost tripled during the last two decades. There are a myriad of benefits to be had from interning abroad, both in terms of personal development and in a professional context.
As reported by Go Abroad, statistics from UC-Merced indicated that 80% of students who either studied or interned abroad stated that they were better able to adapt to diverse work environments.
When interning abroad, there are many organisations, destinations and opportunities available. There is not necessarily one destination that is ‘better’ than another and choosing where to want to go can be a challenge. Where you go will largely depend on what you want to focus on.
For example, according to a report by Go Overseas in which they analysed various popular interning destinations, the best location for teaching internships is Vietnam! The best for health and medicine was found to be Costa Rica, best for wildlife conservation was South Africa and best for engineering was China. When choosing a program and destination, looking at the type of internship you are interested in is a crucial consideration and will certainly help you make your decision.
One of the most popular types of internships is a humanitarian internship abroad.
This usually involves working with organisations or projects that focus on addressing social, environmental, or human rights around the world.
These internships will provide you with hands-on experience and allow you to contribute to meaningful projects while gaining insights into the challenges faced by communities in need. Within the sector of humanitarian internships, there are also so many different directions you could go. Humanitarian organisations help with anything from youth support and women’s empowerment to economic and community development!
With a humanitarian internship abroad, you will not only gain invaluable experience in your chosen field, but will also be helping a community and immersing yourself in another culture!
For example, if you are interested in engineering, a humanitarian project constructing earthquake-resistant buildings could be the perfect opportunity to apply your knowledge and make a real difference, while also enabling you to experience the life and culture in Nepal first-hand! There are plenty of humanitarian internships abroad out there just waiting for you!
Another type of internship is an NGO internship,
a work placement in a non-governmental organisation, which is usually dedicated to addressing societal, environmental or humanitarian issues.
If you are interested in helping communities or the environment, interning for an NGO could be the way to go! NGO internships are generally project-focused and are non-profit as well. Although most NGO internships are unpaid, they can still be very rewarding in other ways, such as helping you to make useful connections, gain work experience, learn new skills and make real change within a community. There are countless NGOs out there committed to helping with a wide variety of issues. Many humanitarian internships are also NGO internships. However, not only are there humanitarian-focused NGOs, but there are many options for environmental internships in NGOs all over the world. Whatever cause you are passionate about, chances are that there are other people out there who are too!
Some internships abroad focus specifically on animals and wildlife.
An animal internship abroad will give you the opportunity to benefit animals and explore another country.
It is important to note that animal internships are not the same as wildlife internships, in that an animal internship could have you working with veterinarians, in animal shelters or in a wildlife sanctuary, whereas a wildlife internship is specifically limited to non-domesticated animals.
For animal internships, the focus can vary widely, ranging from domesticated animals to wildlife, to marine life, or perhaps even some combination of all these options! These internships could involve activities related to habitat conservation, research, recording data, caring for the animals, etc. The specific tasks you might have will depend on the internship you choose, of course, though you can rest assured that an animal internship abroad will be a very rewarding experience!
A nursing internship abroad gives nursing students/graduates the opportunity to gain real work experience in a healthcare setting as well as broaden their perspectives and explore a new country.
A healthcare internship abroad will have you practising and improving your nursing skills, while also gaining an understanding of global healthcare practices. It should be noted that some medical internships may have different requirements regarding the qualifications that you must have in order to participate.
In some cases, you might also be limited in what you are legally able to do in a given internship, depending on the internship itself as well as the host country and local laws. Nevertheless, a nursing internship can be a very fulfilling experience, giving you real hands-on experience and allowing you to see firsthand what the healthcare system of another country looks like!
Another very popular choice for internships abroad is an environmental internship abroad.
This type of internship encompasses many programs all over the world working on a wide variety of issues. There are projects related specifically to habitat preservation, sustainability initiatives, environmental research, etc.
There is also quite a range regarding qualifications for this internship field. You could choose to pursue a more specialised internship such as an ecology internship, which requires some level of higher education in a specific field. However, there are also options for those with no experience or expertise in any particular field, such as a biodiversity internship. Within the category of environmental internships abroad, there are countless options to choose from, though no matter what you choose, you will be making a positive difference, gaining valuable experience and learning about new cultures!
If you are an aspiring engineer, an engineering internship abroad could be the perfect opportunity for you!
With this type of internship, you will gain practical experience and be able to see the effects of your work on a community, while also improving your resume! Living abroad will broaden your horizons and teach you valuable life skills as well. Engineering internships can vary quite a bit depending on your specific interests/expertise, such as design, analysis, project management, etc.
Many engineer internships abroad are in a humanitarian or environmental context so you really do see the positive impact of the work you do, such as a humanitarian construction and renovation internship. Engineering internships are more specialised and therefore generally require some qualifications or experience in order to participate.
Is an internship abroad a good idea? Depends on whether you want to add to your resume, experience another culture, have an impact on a community and make memories to last a lifetime! With so many internships abroad available, everyone is sure to find one that piques their interest.
Whether that means interning in an NGO, supporting sustainability initiatives, shadowing medical professionals or helping to design earthquake-resistant buildings, there is something out there for you!
So, if all that appeals to you, an internship abroad might be calling your name!
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