How to Find an Internship Abroad

This week’s guest post comes from the Study QA - they’re total pros when it comes to internships. We asked them to share how to go about finding an interesting internship abroad and what goes into the preparation process. Enjoy!

Your language learning journey will require some helpful tools and resources to gain fluency. That is why Tandem is here to help! With the Tandem app, we connect language learners to native speakers to help them speak any language, anywhere.

For a start, internships are a great opportunity to build up your work experience, live in a different country and meet new people. The connections you make while interning might also be useful for your future career, so make it count! Internships are also a chance for you to show off all your amazing skills and learn some new ones at the same time. But how do you get an internship? We’ve listed a few things to help you turn your internship dream into a reality! 🙂

Choose a country

Choosing a country for your internship abroad is an important first step. The most popular destinations are Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore - since many companies in these countries offer internships. Of course, your language skills play a role in this decision, so make sure you’re realistic about the countries you’re able to undertake an internship in. Think about the culture of the country too. Are you looking to travel somewhere with a culture similar to your own, or somewhere entirely different? These are the type of questions you should ask yourself before deciding where to start the search.

Choose a company

With millions of companies to choose from, deciding where you’d like to do your internship is tricky! The choice depends on your field of interest, whether you’d prefer a larger or a smaller company, your language skills, goals and many more aspects. Try to figure out what exactly you want to get out of the experience. Do you want to gain more experience or simply land yourself a permanent position? Is it important for you to be closely mentored by someone with years of experience or would you to prefer to have more ownership and freedom over tasks?

Prepare your documents

Papers, please! Bureaucracy is never fun, but each company will require you to fill in some necessary documents. So, wherever possible, check which documents you’ll need before applying - often they take a long time to reach you! If you’re studying at a university, you might need an official certificate confirming you’re a student. Resumés, cover letters, and references should be translated into English or the local language of the company.

Prepare for the interview

This is perhaps the most important step in the process. You can have all the documents, experience and languages skills required, but if you don’t spend time researching the company, you’ll really decrease your chances of landing a great internship abroad.

Start by reading about the company, its offering, history, achievements, and plans for the future. Next, think about what you can bring to the company and how you can benefit them. This is a perfect way to impress the interviewer and show them you’ve done your homework! As well as preparing answers to the standard interview questions, it’s a good idea to make a list of words and phrases that might be useful during the interview.

We also have interns at Tandem HQ! Take a look at our article about working and studying abroad to find out more.

Don't forget about visas

You won’t get far without this one! If you’re traveling to certain countries for your internship, you may be required to get a visa. Beware, applications for visas can take some time, so prepare all the documents in advance. If you’re not sure whether you need a visa or not, do some research online or check with the agency who is organizing your internship.

Now for the internship search!

OK, so we think you’re just about ready to start the search for an internship abroad. Luckily for you, the StudyQA website has opened a new internship section, with convenient search filters to help you find the right internship for you! Hurry, visit StudyQA and find your dream internship abroad today! 🙂