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Securing an internship is one thing, an international internship the next, but securing a paid international internship is quite a challenge. To still help you achieve this I’ve come up with a step-by-step plan that is going to help you land several paid international internships. Keep on reading if you want this as well. Internships abroad Experiences are surely a major differentiator in the Job Market for young graduates.
Know what you’re looking for
The first step to trying to find a paid international internship is knowing what kind of internship you want. There are many different internships out there, and it’s not going to help when you apply to every single one. First of all, you want to apply to internships that need skills that you have. You’re not going to apply for an internship at a newspaper when you are not good at writing whatsoever.
On top of this, you need to do an internship program that you’re going to enjoy doing and that will be useful to the major you’re doing. This is something that you might also want to discuss with your college professors. They will know what sort of internship is going to be beneficial and fits the courses that you’re taking.
Try to make it as specific as possible, this will make it possible for you to research the field thoroughly so you also have more chance when you are applying for an internship.
Contact the study abroad office
One important part of finding a paid internship is networking, but this is a lot harder when you’re looking for an international internship. One place where you will be able to get some contacts is your study abroad office. They might have connections with some companies abroad that take on interns. Even when they have no direct connections with companies, they might know people in various countries that could help you find an internship. It never hurts to pay them a visit.
Contact some global companies for Paid international Internships
Yes, it’s harder to get an internship at a big multinational than at a small local company, but the chance is also much higher than you’ll be able to find a paid internship here. Many big multinational companies will have big internship programs, with paid internships as well. The following link will lead you to a website where you can find a list of huge multinational companies that offer international internships. There are simple hacks to secure an internship abroad and you need to be smart about it
Companies like BMW and Google, which all of us know, for example, have huge internship programs that you might also find a place in. Another website you might want to check out is this one. Here you find the list of the companies who offer the best internship programs according to interns, so you’re certain to have a good time when you manage to land your internship at one of these companies.
Companies Providing Paid Internships
1. The Wall Street Journal – this will be a dream internship for every journalist. The Dow Jones International program is perfect both for graduates and undergraduates. You just need to love reporting on finance and business news.
2. H&M: Business Internship in Stockholm, Sweden – if you are majoring in business and you are also crazy about fashion, this is the right internship program for you. You will learn the business side of the fashion industry and meanwhile will enjoy Stockholm.
3. AIPC Pandora – This professional internship in Madrid is a perfect fit for students and graduates. This will be a good practical professional experience as an internship abroad.
4. China Internships – if you love the tourism industry and have always liked traveling, you will love this hospitality internship opportunity in China.
5. Oriental Career Jobs – If you are looking for paid internships in Asia including China without paying huge fees to agencies, this platform is for you. They have democratized internship and Job opportunities such that students can connect to HR Managers.
6. IAESTE – same as the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience, offers paid international internships to over 80 countries. This is a good chance if you are a tech student and would like to challenge your skills.
7. Go Abroad – this is a professional platform listing top abroad opportunities and reviews. Very useful for research
8. Go Overseas:- Another awesome listing platform for finding paid international internships.
Network even further
Some people, like you perhaps, have no connections to countries abroad whatsoever, but some people might surprise you. Connecting with alumni, friends, family and college professors might deliver more than you think. You never know who has ties to a foreign company. This networking doesn’t have to start off with you asking for help, it’s smarter to start small and slowly build the relationship. When looking for an internship abroad, you should leave no stone unturned.
The good news is that LinkedIn has made it easier to connect with people outside of your network. With the right approach, it is easy to find the right people during your search for paid international internships
As this may take some time, it’s crucial to start on time. Even if this network isn’t going to land your internship, it’s never useless. Having a big network can come in handy anytime, whether you’re searching for an internship or a new job.
Know your strengths & Pitch it
Paid international internships are competitive! Now I’m not saying that you need to make a commercial out of yourself or become arrogant, but knowing what you’re good at is important. The company that you will be promoting yourself to needs to know what your skills and how it is going to benefit their company.
Therefore you need to know what these strengths are and what kind of skills you possess. If you have trouble figuring this out you can always ask your friends, family, and professors. They might be better at figuring out what your strengths are than you are.
Along with knowing what your strengths are it’s also important to know that you have strengths and that you do actually add value to a company. Having confidence will get you a lot farther than a lot of qualifications. You shouldn’t just apply for very easy internships, you want to aim high.
Even when you think that an internship is out of your league I would urge you to apply, you may end up earning and learning a lot more at this internship than you would’ve at one of a lower level. Therefore, you should never think that an internship is too much for you, you might surprise yourself.
Work on your resume and cover letter
You shouldn’t just know why you’re going to be the best intern, you should also be able to show them, which you need to do through the use of a resume and cover letter. Looking for paid international internships? Pay close attention to this paragraph. While searching for paid international internships, you will be competing with other applicants from different countries. So don’t screw with your application materials
Writing a good resume and cover letter isn’t easy and it can take a lot of time for it to become perfect, so it will probably take continuous editing. One article where you’re going to find a lot of tips on writing the perfect letter for your internship can be found here.
The most important tip that I would be able to give you right now is that you need to make your cover letter unique, you won’t jump out when your cover letter looks like every other cover letter. There are many ways in which you can make your cover letter your own.
Along with making your cover letter unique, you want to display the dedication that you have. You need to really show how bad you want to have that internship. Skills and knowledge are incredibly important when you want to have an internship, but dedication triumphs them all.
Before writing your cover letter it’s also handy to have researched the company that you’re writing the letter to. This way you can incorporate some of this knowledge into the cover letter, which will also make you stand out.
Make them Unique
This is also why you shouldn’t apply to every single job out there. In that case, you simply wouldn’t have the time to research every single company. If you’re only focusing on one typical niche, then you’ll able to learn a lot more about this niche, so that you are capable of writing a much better fitting cover letter.
When it comes to your resume, you may want to adapt your resume to the country of the company you’re sending it to – that’s why it is called paid INTERNATIONAL internships. Every country has different standards when it comes to resumes. In some countries, it’s perfectly normal to add some personal information, while elsewhere, this is not done.
It will take a little research on your side, but having a resume that fits the etiquette of the country you’re sending it to will at least assure that your resume isn’t going to end up in the bin.
Don’t give up so fast during the Search for Paid internships
If you’ve written the company that you want to do the internship over an email, and you’ve had no reply, then this is no reason to give up immediately. If you’re contacting huge companies which get too many emails to reply to, send them another email. Sending a follow-up email is never a bad idea.
Now I am not saying that you should be emailing them every single day from now on, but one or two follow-up emails will only show your dedication. You could ask them whether they’ve already considered you or you could even add on to the email that you’ve already sent with some extra bullet points.
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Research what visa you’ll need for your internship abroad
A paid internship abroad is like a dream, but this isn’t possible with each student visa. Some visas do not allow you to complete a paid internship. It would be unhandy to only figure this out after you’ve secured your paid international internship. Therefore, it’s a good idea to figure out what the deal is with the country that you’re going to need a visa for.
When you complete all these steps, the chances of you landing a paid international internship will certainly be a lot greater, although I could never assure you a 100% success rate. Paid international internships aren’t available in abundance, so securing one will take a lot of effort on your side.
Yet, if you do follow all these steps and you give your everything, then the chances are a lot bigger. I would recommend you to start with determining what kind of international internship you want. Then it’s time to start with networking and finding all the possibilities that are out there.
When you have found some options it’s time to start applying to some of them, using a well-written and adapted cover letter and resume. Finally, you need to know your skills and know that you should write one or two follow-up emails before giving up. This is what will get you far.
