I’m a grade A nerd. I live for research papers and socratic seminars. But even I can admit that keeping your education between classroom walls proves limiting. There’s only so much you can learn about your prospective field through academic literature and lectures before you need to go out and see for yourself!
Pursuing a summer internship is a common goal for undergraduates. If your junior year is coming to a close, you may already be on the prowl for the right opportunity. Gaining practical experience in your field is never a bad idea, but how do you land the perfect internship?
The internship application process can be brutal. If you’re hoping to intern for a well-known company in the United States, you’ve probably already realized that application pools are large. This can make it challenging to get your foot in the door.
If you’re struggling to land an internship, the saying “it’s not what you know but who you know” is likely starting to haunt you. You’re offering to work in your field of study for free. How could it possibly be this competitive? Welcome to the rat race!
But could it be you’re just looking in the wrong places? Let go of name-dropping for a moment. Stop thinking about what you think people think you should do. It’s an exhausting cycle. And you might realize that the world is a lot bigger than the bubble surrounding your university!
Why go global?
There are 195 countries in the world, so why have you been looking for internships along county lines? If you broaden your search, you’ll start to realize just how many options you have. So stop competing with your peers and putting yourself under undue pressure. Think bigger!
In all likelihood, an international internship would be a better opportunity than the ones you were stressing over anyway. Ask yourself which would contribute more to your personal and professional growth: helping out in a local classroom or interning at a bilingual academy in Costa Rica?
Interning abroad during college bolsters your resume and broadens your worldview. Why constrict yourself to work experience when you could also develop your cross-cultural skills? But it’s never just about the resume line! What type of internship do you think will shape you into the best version of yourself?
How do I find an international internship?
So have I piqued your interest yet? If you’re considering going global, the next step is finding the right internship placement for you. Another positive of expanding your internship search abroad is that there are many credible companies to assist you with your placement. Let someone help you find the perfect fit!
Coordinating your internship through a third-party company doesn’t have many cons. When you collaborate with an internship advisor before you go, you know what you’re getting yourself into. You want an experience abroad that is not only professionally fulfilling but also safe and reliable!
Companies that help students find internships based on their interests and backgrounds already have lots of local connections, so all you have to do is show up! If you have your eyes set on Latin America, at Maximo Nivel we can help you find the perfect placement in a variety of local organizations in Costa Rica, Peru and Guatemala.
What types of internships are out there?
If you choose to organize your internship through a locally run organization, you’ll have a culturally authentic and professionally fruitful experience. From human rights to medical internships, at Maximo Nivel we have deep community roots in a wide range of emphases.
By employing locals and fostering long-term relationships in the community, we are able to personalize internship placements. You can start shopping for the ideal internship before you even contact us. Go in with clear developmental goals and you’re bound to find a match!
With rapidly developing economies and rich cultural histories, Latin American countries are vibrant places to pursue internship opportunities, particularly if you’re hoping to improve your Spanish proficiency. You can find programs in any career field with the added benefit of a new cultural context.
Micro-business interns, for instance, have the opportunity to help budding companies optimize their operations and marketing strategies for international clientele. Or students who are interested in veterinary science may get to work with exotic animals that they wouldn’t encounter in a clinic back home.
But whether you’re seeking an education internship or a firsthand look into the tourism industry, there’s nothing limiting about interning abroad. If you still haven’t stumbled upon that perfect fit, at Maximo Nivel we also offer customized placements. Interested in archaeology, law, psychology, the arts? You can craft an individualized internship that caters to your ideal career!
How do I market myself back home?
But maybe you don’t need convincing. . .already have your eyes on a summer internship in Central America? You won’t regret gaining international experience during college. You’re bound to walk away with an enriched perspective of both your academic discipline and global society.
You’ve set yourself up for success, but what does it all mean when you return? If you decide to intern abroad, how you utilize your experience afterwards is just as important as going in the first place. Don’t sell yourself short when applying for future opportunities!
First, pump up that soft skills section! Work experience abroad trains you to adapt to unfamiliar situations and communicate across cultures in addition to the obvious benefits of practical experience. While you’re at it, any new language proficiencies to add?
And of course, don’t forget to spotlight the internship itself both on your resume and in upcoming job interviews. Think critically about what the experience meant to you both as a professional and an individual. How has it set you apart from your peers? To answer that question I guess you’ll just have to go!