Professional and Travel Experience
Doing an internship abroad is the best of both worlds. There are very few times in life that one has the opportunity to travel the world while also gaining professional work experience. Interning abroad in Australia allowed me to get vital work experience and experience everything the country had to offer – I spent the weekdays building up my resume and the weekends exploring beautiful mountains and even better beaches!
Exploring the Blue Mountains just west of SydneyConnections for Down the Road
Networking is vital to your success in the professional world, so why not take your network international? Through my internship, I was able to develop both professional and social relationships that have already – and will continue to – help me as I make my way into the working world. Whether it be for securing reference letters or finding out your new co-worker or supervisor has connections at your next dream internship, building a global network is an amazing way to set yourself up for a successful future.
Our Australia Orientation Group in SydneyA Better Understanding of What I Want to do
Figuring out what career you want can be quite difficult. There are so many possible paths to take and it can be hard to know which direction is best for you without actually getting to experience it. During an internship, you have the opportunity to better understand the job you are considering, and also experience aspects of the job you didn’t know about before. Internships provide the perfect short-term venue to experience a career you are interested in pursuing before making it your life’s work.
Cultural Understanding
During my internship, I had the opportunity to work alongside people from a number of different countries and learned about other cultures’ values and views on work. Having the opportunity to experience how people work in other countries showed me that there are different ways to deal with and handle situations that I probably would have never learned had I not interned abroad. And, in today’s globalized society, employers want to see that their new hires have experience working with people from diverse backgrounds. Interning abroad not only gives you exactly that but also makes you a standout applicant when applying for jobs.
Surf Lesson at Bondi BeachA New Found Confidence
Hopefully, every internship experience you have will be a confidence booster. With that being said, I believe that my internship abroad was the ultimate confidence booster, as it provided me the chance to grow both personally and professionally! An internship abroad takes you around the world giving you the chance to experience true independence. I was able to see how I could handle being a part of the adult world without the “safety net” of family and friends. Through my internship abroad, I was able to learn an immense amount about my field of interest, develop friendships and travel the world, which is an experience I will never forget!
Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk in SydneyKate Den Houter is a TEAN Alum and student at Michigan State University. She interned abroad with TEAN in Sydney, Australia.
