You have heard time and time again about the importance of getting professional experience. An internship shows potential employers that you have gone outside of the classroom to put your knowledge to use. It strengthens your resume, helps you determine your career goals, and gives insight to what post-grad life might look like. It also shows the value of utilizing and building your network effectively.
But what if you didn’t limit your internship search to your hometown, home state, home country? What if you thought bigger, broader, globally? International internships are consistently increasing in popularity, and Liberal Arts students at Penn State know their importance! An international internship gives students the chance to experience living and working abroad. The skills that are gained often demonstrate flexibility, cultural understanding, ambition, and interest in the world.
There are a number of international internship opportunities available to Penn State Students. You could partake in a summer in London, Rome or Dublin, working in an industry that is relevant to you. Placements are made in a wide variety of areas; some include:
- business
- marketing
- international relations
- political science
- journalism
- development
Internship programs are offered in some of the most globally relevant cities in the world.
There are also experiential learning components offered in a variety of study abroad locations. These options range from volunteering, service learning, and internships. In Perugia, Italy, you can take a service learning course focusing on the business of wine or human development in culture. In Amman, Jordan you could intern with a local or international development organization. These are just a few of the many options available to Penn State students!
Julia Sykes, a Latin American Studies major who is currently studying and interning in Chile had the once in a lifetime experience of meeting the Chilean President as part of her internship in Santiago. When you intern abroad there is no telling what might come your way!
Come explore and learn what the right global experience is for you at the Education Abroad Fair, Tuesday October 8, 2014 from 11am- 4pm in the HUB- Alumni Hall!
Think about where your internship could lead you!