An internship abroad will teach a young professional about their future career and shape them with international experience that will give them a lifelong multicultural perspective.
Hong Kong is rich with opportunities for young professionals interested in gaining unique, valuable work experience. An internship in Hong Kong offers Gap Year students the chance to develop professionally and personally, living in a foreign culture and learning a new language.
An internship in Hong Kong will allow Gap Year students to take on important professional roles in their field of interest. Meanwhile, students will also be able to explore all the tastes, sights and sounds of life in Hong Kong. During their stay, interns will develop an appreciation of Hong Kong’s culture and its many different influences over the years.
Hong Kong is considered the gateway to China and other Asian markets. Having worked in Kong Kong will give an up-and-coming professional valuable insight into Asian markets that will likely be of interest to a potential employer. With an insider’s understanding of regional markets in Asia Pacific, a young professional can quickly become an asset to a company looking for business growth opportunities in the region, which could lead to a promotion or salary increase.
Gap Year students will love living in Hong Kong. The city is full of people from many cultural backgrounds, along with all types of architectures. With over 1,000 skyscrapers painted across the city’s skyline, Hong Kong is known for its urban beauty. Interns in Hong Kong can appreciate the cityscape while living in some of the city’s safest areas in shared apartment accommodations on either Hong Kong Island or Kowloon.
Sanctuaries to the financial world, Hong Kong’s skyscrapers define the city’s skyline. One of the city’s most celebrated steel giants is The Center, Hong Kong’s fifth-highest skyscraper. The building is among 40 structures that take part in a nightly light show called “Symphony of lights” beside the Victoria Harbour. The Guinness World Records has dubbed the spectacular lights and music presentation “World’s Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show”.
Why not take advantage of your Gap Year to learn a foreign language? Picking up either Mandarin or Cantonese will give a young professional a huge advantage in the future, when they are looking to start their career. Interns who wish to learn either of the local languages are able to take classes through The Intern Group and practice at work and on the streets.
Interns in Hong Kong will be based in close proximity to dozens of day trip and tourist destinations around China. Close by, interns can explore the numerous national parks that make up some 40% of Hong Kong territory. Registering the territory’s coldest weather, Tai Mo Shan Country Park is a popular spot to cool down during summer months. The park also is home to Hong Kong’s highest waterfall “Long Falls”. Meanwhile, at the nearby Kam Shan Country Park interns can check out macaques and other primates.
“Hong Kong is a really good place to do an internship because Asia is the new world superpower,” said Claire, a former law intern with The Red Flag Group. Claire was pleased not only with the professional aspect of her internship but also the social and cultural element of her experience working and living in Hong Kong.
During her international relations internship in Hong Kong, Shivali had the opportunity to work with TedEx Hong Kong and was even offered a job. “More people really need to live my HK life for a good number of months – it opens eyes, unblocks ears, adds an element of surprise at every angle,” Shivali said.
Employers working with The Intern Group pay attention to their interns’ quality of work and are passionate about the professional development of their interns. “These guys have been absolutely brilliant, we’ve given them all sorts of different tasks. It’s really a two way process because we’ve taken as much energy as we possibly can out of these young people and in exchange we’ve given them knowledge and different ways of thinking,” said Anson Investment Management Director Pedro Robert in regards to finance interns Mafalda and Luke.
The Intern Group program includes a tour of Hong Kong’s largest island, Lantau. The mountainous island is based at the mouth of the Pearl River and is home to another one of Hong Kong territory’s famous parks, Lantau South Country Park. Lantau Island also is home to the famous Tian Tan Buddha, an 85-foot bronze Buddha statue.
Another trip included in the Intern Group program is a visit to Macau, or “the vegas of Asia”. The city is famous for its extravagant casinos as well as its blend of Chinese and Portuguese culture. Formerly a Portuguese colony, Macau is now in Chinese control and maintains both Portuguese and Chinese traditions. Interns can’t leave without trying out the city’s spicy and delicious Macanese food.
Are you ready to live your own Hong Kong internship adventure of a lifetime?