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Finding an internship while studying abroad is always a great idea. Not only do you make a smart use of your time while staying abroad, but you also enrich yourself with a unique international working experience!
When studying abroad, finding an internship is not always easy. For this reason, we are sharing with you 5 clever ways to find an internship when studying abroad.
From country to country the availability of internship places for students varies. Also the salaries can be very different. Depending on the country, you can find career opportunities which are unpaid, but there are also other internship programs where the pay is between 200-800 euros, or even a normal salary. Also some internships might require work experience, but usually it’s not necessary. After all, the point of the internship is for your to get a first touch with the work life in your field.
Visit the career opportunities office at your university
Usually universities have a career opportunities office that assists students in finding internship places and help you brush up your CV. Some of them even have an online portal for this. Take advantage of this and go to your university’s career opportunities office and discover all the available internships in your field of study.
Get in contact with companies directly
Another clever way of finding an internship while studying abroad is by getting in contact with companies directly. Do some research on Google or make use of LinkedIn to spot those companies related to your field of study. Send them a professional email explaining who you are and why are you are interested in doing an internship with them. Get inspired! Your future employer will appreciate your motivation and proactive attitude.
Start networking! Ask friends, classmates or teachers
Don’t forget to talk to people around you. They might have valuable information. Ask your friends or classmates in the study abroad program if they know about any internship opportunities. Also ask your teachers or faculty directors if they can advise you on this.
Search on LinkedIn
Some companies post their internship listings on LinkedIn. Take advantage of this, and start searching on LinkedIn for new internship opportunities. Before doing so, don’t forget to update your CV. Complete your academic background and also add a personalized summary of who you are and what are your strengths and skills.
Search on student job portals
Also consider looking for internship places on student job portals. Depending on the country, one student job portal can be more popular than the others. Once you got the right one, start looking at the internship listings. Also here, we advise you to create an outstanding resume. Don’t forget you are not the only one looking for an internship position.
We hope these tips prove useful for you when finding your internship abroad. If you have other useful tips for our community of students, please comment below and share your personal tips with all of us.
