A lot of people didn’t have the best 2016. In fact, many would agree that 2016 was kind of the worst. But now it’s time to start over with a clean slate. Tabula rasa, guys! 2017 can be the year you dreamed of… the year you decide to expand your horizons, bite the bullet and go abroad. Why do an internship abroad in 2017? Well, the experience will change you – and your career – forever.
This is not an overstatement. Just read what some former interns have to say about it. In terms of experiences to have as a young person, spending time abroad is hard to top. It’s not just about the adventure and excitement of traveling and exploring – it’s about how what you learn ends up affecting how you see the world and living the rest of your life.
Travel means seeing cool stuff, like really really old buildings and museums, monuments and expansive parks. When traveling somewhere new, you get to try new foods, taste new flavors, listen to new musical styles and speak in a different language if you want to. The colors, smells and customs will all be different and fresh and interesting. What’s not to love?
An internship abroad gives you the chance to be a short-term resident of a new, foreign city, which is yours to explore at your leisure. It’s exciting to discover quirky coffee shops and hole-in-the-wall restaurants as you familiarize yourself with a new neighborhood. Besides getting to know somewhere new, you also are learning how to adapt to a new city, which is a life experience that will better prepare you for all the future adulting you’re going to have to do someday.
Learning to speak a foreign language is kind of like upgrading your basic cable package to include HBO and Showtime. There’s so much more to hear and understand and experience. All of a sudden, whole continents and cultures are made more accessible. You can read in a new language, think in a new language, dream in a new language… It’s a shift in the framework by which you interpret your world.
Not only do you get to meet and share with interesting interns, travelers, colleagues and flatmates from around the world, but the people you meet during your time abroad will share a special experience with you. These strong bonds established during international experiences have so much potential. They can lead to lifelong friendships, job offers, joint ventures, places to crash while you’re traveling the world… There are no limits to the list of potential adventures from having an interesting and international network of friends.
While you’re having a fabulous adventure, an international internship will also give you the real-world, professional experience that will make an impact on your career prospects and improve your employability. It’s an amazing chance to learn from leading professionals, build your resume and learn about business operations and business culture in another region of the world. No matter what anybody says, globalization isn’t going away anytime soon.
When everybody is swapping summer stories, you’ll definitely have something interesting to add after an internship abroad. And since it happened so far away, nobody will know whether or not you’re embellishing the truth. A little creative license never hurt anybody.
After a lifetime living wherever you’re from, this is the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and your culture to breathe, walk and work in a totally new culture. You’ll realize the value of understanding a different way of life and also the common threads we see across different societies. With this newfound perspective, you’ll have greater compassion for others and a clearer understanding of the world beyond your borders. There isn’t a better time than now to learn this important perspective.
Photos
1. based on New Years Eve 2011 London by Sean MacEntee, CC-by-2.0
2. by The Intern Group
3. by The Intern Group