Benefits of an International Internship: How It’s Different And Why You Should Do One
By Som Sharma – Director Edu Brain Overseas
In a competitive market where there is continuous strive among students to get into a good company, more than 84% of the Indians go up for internships. As internships are a way to face the real world and apply all that you have learned in real-life scenarios from meetings to dealing with deadlines to interactions with different people and a lot more. And as international internships are largely valued by employers the number of students going for an international internship is increasing. The US itself hires more than 3000 interns every year.
It is common to choose internships that are closer to one’s stays but with massive globalisation, it’s suggested to go for an international internship as it gives you much exposure while also offering you a chance to travel. There are various reasons how and why an international internship is different from a domestic one and here are some
Makes you explore outside of your comfort zones
Interning abroad exposes you to diverse cultures, different points of view and various ways of communication that you wouldn’t find in an environment at home or domestically. Interning abroad is different from interning domestically as the experience that you can receive in an abroad setting is missing as after work hours you go back to your ordinary same routine creating zero opportunities to help you get out of your comfort zone.
It is a huge challenge to complete an internship in a country different from your own and it creates a lot of challenges that you wouldn’t have faced at your domestic workplace however these challenges help you build your own confidence and pushes you to attain the abilities of your own that you wouldn’t have received in a known environment.
The international internship allows you to explore various problems and trends that companies face around the world resulting in creating a broader perspective of your knowledge. Apart from this, the internships provide you with experiences that are exciting, adventurous to your eye and help you to be two steps ahead of your other subordinates.
Enhances your Global Understanding
We are living in an environment where the international job market plays a huge role and this market helps you to gain perspectives different from one’s own as you are brought into an environment wherein there are people of different languages and cultures. Attaining a global understanding will help you to relate to people and live a healthy life outside the workplace.
Choosing international internships help people to reach a professional level by having global outreach. Apart from this, global understanding is very important as this awareness’s helps to build your soft skills which are vital for a positive attitude and communication. Enhancing your global understanding enables new opportunities to you as you are prepared to have stable workplace behaviour that is not prone to language and culture barriers.
Diversifies your Global Networking
Over the years, in their home country one has created many networks with their professors, mentors, friends at school, however, developing the same network in an international country will be a complete challenge as the environmental setting and exposure have changed.
It is important to diversify your network throughout your life as no amount of network is ever enough. International internships give you the opportunity to make connections with your peers, interns and other employers in your industry overseas.
These international internships help you build a community for one consisting of other international professionals and colleagues that will help you to reach out during your stay and internship. This diversifying of the global network creates a new set of abilities of conversation and networking skills enabling them to become more confident and open to opportunities.
Other Benefits
International internships introduce you to different work habits, ideas and processes that will be highly beneficial in your work setting back in your home country. It also allows you to know your problem-solving capabilities and flexibility as it exposes you to new uncertainties and challenges.
Besides this, these internships provide you with an opportunity to enhance your negotiation skills, gives you the tools to become a global citizen and help you to discover yourself by making you self-aware of your own identity. The best advantage that the international internships provide is to stand out from the rest of the subordinates as it gives a unique point to your CV.
There are many benefits of interning abroad which include access to different work environments, various cultures, customs and a lot of new people helping you grow your network. An international internship is an experience that helps in your development while also being an asset to your professional background giving you a global perspective and reach.