In today’s competitive job market, experience is almost required to land a position in any field nowadays (apart from an academic degree). With an increase in unemployment for recent graduates, students should take on the opportunity to intern during their studies. Keep reading to find out 6 reasons why you should intern abroad!

You’ve waited in anticipation, and now you’ve finally heard back that you’ve been accepted into that semester abroad program you’ve been wanting so bad. Congratulations!

Often it may seem like just landing an international internship is the hardest part of the job done. From there, surely it will be smooth sailing into a fulfilling internship that meets all of your expectations… right?

Spending time abroad is perhaps the most important thing you can do during your academic career. One of the saddest things I see is students who want to do it so badly, yet let financial constraints stop them. 

It's never the money, it's always the commitment. We're always committed to something. What matters is what we're committed to. I've seen students who were $5000 away, and who started with no idea of how they would raise the money, come up with the money because they were committed to finding a solution. I've also seen students who were literally less than $1000 away from coming up with what they need, give up, because they were committed to seeing the obstacles.

I've written this guide on how to afford travel as a student to help students to find ways to get themselves abroad before they graduate.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone? What I mean to ask is when was the last time you did something that really made you nervous, something you spent late nights worrying about? Something you wanted to push yourself to do, but kept changing your mind because of a gut feeling telling you to stay in your comfort zone?

I remember participating in both of Insight's pre-departure orientation sessions before leaving for the Fall 2016 Semester In Development program. Through these sessions, us participants were informed about the list of things we'd need to do before departure, as well as what to expect upon arrival in Kampala. One particular phrase that was mentioned in one of the sessions was “manage your expectations." This statement was repeated throughout the duration of the program, but the first time I heard it, I had no idea what it meant.

Challenges and Strategies for Success in an International Internship

Interning abroad has its benefits: you develop professional skills, open yourself up to new job opportunities, gain new perspectives, learn about the world, and grow immensely as a person. However, working abroad isn’t without its challenges, and making the most of your internship abroad can sometimes be difficult. Not only are you starting a new job, but you are also thrown into entirely unfamiliar professional and societal environments.

A lot of students can be hesitant to do co-op. Maybe it’s the costly fees that are preventing you from signing up, or maybe your friend had a really bad placement. I had a lot of the same fears before I registered for co-op at Simon Fraser University. But since enrolling as a co-op student, I’ve had the opportunity to attend invaluable workshops and been given access to jobs that I could never have found on my own.

Just 5 years ago I'd never left North America and the idea of travelling the world was just a dream. Now I've traveled around the globe to over 40 countries (across 6 continents) and I'd like to tell you why.