5 Reasons to Accept an Internship Abroad

By Ian Acosta on October 25, 2016

So you’ve been applying and interviewing for what seems like an eternity. You’ve spent countless hours preparing and researching for this one internship abroad that you are dying to land. The recruiter gives you a call one day and says the one word everyone is dying to hear: Congratulations! You got it.

All this time and effort you put in has paid off. Now comes the difficult part: do you accept it? Moving thousands of miles away for a position seems like an intimidating proposition to say the least. You are probably thinking of a million reasons of why you should and shouldn’t go.

Here are four reasons why you should take the leap of faith and accept your new international internship.

1. Culture

This is an absolute no-brainer reason to intern abroad. A chance to explore a new location, immerse in a new culture, experience all different sorts of food and neighborhoods all while getting paid? Sign me up.

Think of it as a vacation. It is a chance to step outside your comfort zone and gain knowledge to not only further your own career, but to also further your understanding of how others live and interact. Imagine if you got the chance to study in France, England, Spain, China, Switzerland, or Italy, just to name a few possible places. Wouldn’t you want to take advantage of it?

Gaining work experience in an exotic location should be on everyone’s wish list.

2. Independence

“This is your chance to find yourself,” but actually. Getting the chance to explore a whole new country by yourself would be an amazing experience and also a personal achievement. Living alone while abroad will give you the chance to be truly independent: alone in a place completely foreign to you forcing you to adapt and learn in order to succeed.

A job should help you grow and learn more about yourself. Stepping outside of your comfort zone to pursue a job related to a career in a country foreign to you will allow you the chance to show not only friends and family, but also future employers that you can handle a task such as this.

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3. Unique work experience

How many people do you personally know that have been able to get work experience abroad? I would confidently say that number is small. An internship abroad would look amazing on any résumé no matter where you apply. In addition to the resume boost, an internship abroad would no doubt leave you with everlasting memories and a work experience you would never forget.

I will say personally that if given the chance to study economics in Budapest as my roommate did or to learn about statistics in England like my one friend, I would have jumped at the chance to take advantage of it.

4. Potential to learn or improve language

One of my closest friends chose to go abroad to Granada, Spain her senior year in order to further her proficiency in Spanish for her minor. Just because this was part of her program does not mean you cannot apply it to your major. A growing skill in today’s business world is the ability to be fluent in many languages.

This is an awesome skill to have, and it makes you more marketable and desirable to employers. By being able to work with people from many different cultures and backgrounds through various methods of communication, you demonstrate outstanding intrapersonal and interpersonal skills both in the workplace and in life.

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5. Networking

The last and arguably the most prominent reason would be the invaluable networking potential. The opportunity to make transnational connections with employers and superiors should not be passed up. By interning abroad, you could open the door to opportunities for yourself that might be closed to others not in your situation. It is all about who you know. Your boss in Sweden or your coworker in Spain might help you land your dream job in England.

These five reasons still not enough? I understand. Leaving a place you are familiar with to pursue an internship that might not even be paid in a completely foreign place does sound like a very daunting task. However, do your due diligence and explore all of your options. Weigh the pros and cons of each and make sure whatever decision you end up making is the absolute best one for you.

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