Rachel Yee is an international student from Singapore majoring in Sociology. She is currently completing a semester long international internship in England. Rachel is an ambitious and motivated liberal arts student who knows the importance of global experiences. She answered some questions about her experiences of living and working in the UK.

Why an international internship?

I’ve always loved travelling and decided very early on that during my 4 years at college, since I was already away from home (I’m from Singapore), I would travel as much as I could. I wanted to make use of the opportunities offered by Penn State to gain as many new experiences as possible. So when it came time to do an internship, it was only natural for me to do it abroad.

How did you find your internship? 

I googled and then contacted many advertising companies in the US, UK and France. I spread my net wide and eventually managed to secure an internship in the UK. It took quite a bit of researching on VISA requirements needed for each country. Fortunately, there are some government programs that allow Americans or students with American study visas to do internships abroad. I found the Penn State Study Abroad Program Search to be very helpful since some study abroad programs have internships available; if you hit the “Advanced Search” tab and under “Parameters” open the “internship available” drop-down menu and select “yes” you will get a list of all those programs.

If you’re interested in getting research experience abroad this might interest you. The liberal arts website also has some helpful information on gaining global experience.

After all that internet searching, I still found that nothing beat talking to a real person. It is good to go to them prepared though, just so that you know what questions to ask. I spoke to several study abroad advisors and professors before I made my decision. My advice would be to do as much research as possible because there are many opportunities available.

Going to your department’s (eg. Sociology), or even other departments’ (Communications) to see what they put on their notice boards might be worth a look too. Not all the programs advertised might be suitable, but a lot of programs might be interesting to you. I like to look for different experiences so I don’t limit myself to looking just at Sociology-specific experiences. I’ve found that employers value a diverse background. It makes you stand out from the other candidates.

Why should students take part in an International Internship?

If you’re considering doing an international internship, Hurray! It’s going to be an adventure. Not only will it look good on your CV (so I’m told) but it will “open your eyes and broaden your horizons” and all that. Do your research and make it easy for the company to employ you as an intern. It’s good to keep in mind that companies don’t have to hire you and it might be easier for them to hire someone from their own country. However, if you show them your passion and drive, people are likely to be more receptive. Expect lots of rejections from potential employers; I talked to an intern who emailed 100 companies and only got 10 replies. Don’t take it personally and don’t let it get you down- It’s worth it!

What has your internship been like?

Interning in the UK has been nothing short of amazing, definitely humbling. The learning curve is steep- you’re thrown in the deep end and you have to swim; but don’t worry. It’s an internship and people are normally quite understanding and know that you are still a student and are learning. Give yourself a break and just do your best.

I work as a junior-level designer and more recently, a motion graphics artist. I started off doing internal jobs for them to test out my skill-levels and gradually got given real work for clients. The daily practice of the Adobe Creative Suite has been essential in my growth as a designer. I knew the basics when I came in but anytime I had questions, I googled them and if I couldn’t figure it out on my own, I asked for help.

I’m sure you already know this but it’s worth mentioning anyway- don’t be afraid to ask questions and put yourself out there. Make known all your skills and be willing to help. Always be doing something, if not, ask if anyone needs help. It’s okay to do the unglamorous jobs, you are an intern. Best not to think too highly of ourselves. If they see you can be trusted with little, they will be more confident in trusting you with more responsibilities. Be willing to try new things but be honest about your skills. The way I’ve learnt is by saying yes to jobs I’d never done before but felt I could probably figure it out. I would make sure to say that I didn’t know if I could do it but if they were willing to let me try, I could figure it out. That way, they knew I might not be able to do it but I was willing to try. You know yourself and your skills well enough to be able to gauge what you should be able to handle, so play it by ear and don’t be afraid.

My experience has been very diverse, which isn’t always the case; I just started working in HR once a week which has taught me about how companies are run and has given me insight into what employers look for in potential employees. I think this knowledge of what to do and not to do will be very helpful when I’m applying for jobs in the future. My colleagues have also been really helpful and supportive. The professional experience and connections I have gained have been invaluable and will undoubtedly be beneficial when I’m applying for jobs after I graduate.

Thanks for making it this far (or fast-forwarding to the last paragraph)! I wish you all the best with your internships, international or not, be proud of yourself for looking for ways to enrich your education. Here are some words of encouragement that helped me on my journey – Don’t be afraid to fail & you will never feel ready. Don’t worry! No one ever does. if you need a confidence boost / a picker-upper, I recommend watching an inspirational TED talk. Oh! One more thing, always carry a notebook & pen. Always as in always. Believe me, it will come in handy.

Have fun!

 

Thanks to Rachel Yee for contributing this blog post.