8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Interning Abroad

Internships are so in right now. Universities around the world require them in order to earn a degree, study abroad programs urge students to balance classes with unpaid work placements, and it’s getting harder and harder to land a job in our ever-changing economy without serious experience on your resume. If you have the urge to travel, you can get the best of both worlds: explore another country while gaining professional skills with an internship abroad.

Interning abroad isn’t just fun—there’s tons of actual work, too! (Which can be fun, if I’m honest.) Photo Credit: Campaign Creators

An internship abroad is a wonderful adventure that gives you a broader perspective on the world, teaches you to be adaptable to new situations, and sets you apart from your peers to give you a leg up in your career path. But if you plan to spend the time and money on this excellent experience, you don’t want to wind up with internship abroad regrets. 

Do your research and take some advice from someone who’s lived to tell the tale of internships abroad so you can make the most of your time overseas. Luckily I’m here to share with you all the things I wish I knew before interning abroad.

About my experience interning abroad

As a 20-year-old college student with little work experience, I didn’t hesitate to say yes to adding an internship abroad to my already-planned semester in Florence, Italy. My parents thought I needed a boost on my resume, and I thought the idea of sipping a cappuccino at a desk overlooking the Duomo was the ideal way to get it.

You can find internships in offices all around the world

With the help of my Italian university’s Internship Program, the coordinator was able to set up a placement for me through a simple application process. Two weeks before I jetted off to the land of gelato and pasta, I was ecstatic to find out that I’d be interning abroad at a local newspaper. I began to daydream about fluttering over cobbled streets after classes to start my career as a REAL writer, seeing my name appear in the bylines, and telling all my friends and family about my big break.

What I wish I knew before interning abroad is that the magic doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes hard work and patience while interning abroad to make it the wonderful experience you dream of. While my internship at The Florentine was unforgettable, in retrospect I definitely have some internship abroad regrets.

 Wondering what I would change about my internship abroad? Keep reading to find out! 

8 major takeaways from my international internship experience

Be sure to document your experiences and the lessons learned—both personally and professionally.

While an internship abroad in the writing field was exactly what I’d hoped for, my naïve 20-year-old self didn’t realize how lucky I was for the opportunity at hand. I didn’t take full advantage of the experience, insight, and connections I could gain through an internship abroad. I may have positive memories of my time as an intern in the lovely Florence, but if I knew what I know now, I’d do a few things differently.

So what are my major takeaways from my international internship experience?

1. Your own research is just as important as the program’s research.

Most internship abroad programs do the dirty work for you. While some prep you for interviews or give CV advice, most allow you to sit back while they work out the details. This was certainly the case when I interned abroad, and I put all my trust in the internship coordinator to find my dream placement. While I still ended up in an industry I cared about, now I wish I had done my own research prior to jumping into the first placement offered.

 While it may not seem important now, doing your research before speaking with your program provider helps give them an idea of what you want. Look into different programs, industries that are popular in your destination, speak to alumni, and weigh your pros and cons.

What I would change about my internship abroad is taking more time to research to make sure the program aligned with my goals. Which brings me to my next point…

2. Goals are necessary for success.

As an intern abroad, I figured I’d just go with the flow, take each day as it comes. I was excited to learn, but I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to get out of the experience. This is one of my biggest internship abroad regrets.

Try out your first-ever board meeting! #LeanIn

Goals are essential if you want to make the most of interning abroad. So why are you doing it? Do you want to make international connections? Achieve fluency in the native language of the country? Improve your customer service skills? I wish I knew before interning abroad that setting goals for myself would give me direction and make my time as an intern even more meaningful.

3. Different countries have different work cultures.

When I met my manager for the first time, she leaned in to kiss me on both cheeks instead of shaking my hand. During my break on my first day, the whole office split a bottle of wine during lunch. And did I mention that the office didn’t even open until 10am? I was caught off guard on multiple occasions during my first few weeks at The Florentine, mostly because the work culture was different from what I’d seen in the United States. 

Now I’m not complaining about a good sleep in or a glass of red to wash down my ham sandwich at noon – what I’m saying is it was all so unexpected. Depending on your destination, you may run into not-so-pleasant culture shocks, so it’s important to read up on the work culture norms before interning abroad so you’re prepared for whatever comes your way. 

4. Your manager is your mentor.

Before interning abroad, I had very little experience in the working world. I was a complete newbie and my manager made me nervous, mostly because I wanted to please her. She was a smart business woman and creative enough to run a newspaper, and instead of picking her brain about her career path, I sat back and patiently waited for instructions each day. I worked hard, but I completed my internship feeling as if I did not know her on a personal level. 

Rather than idolizing my manager, what I would change about my internship abroad would be to think of her as my mentor. I should have taken time to get to know her, to discuss my goals, my hopes for the future, and to take her advice rather than her instructions.

Don’t forget to take time to walk your new neighborhood & appreciate your destination.

I failed to keep in touch with my manager after I moved back home, and this has always been a big one on my list of internship abroad regrets.

5. Be curious.

If you want to make it in the industry, be proactive. There comes a point in any internship where your manager will entrust you with more responsibility, so seize it! While I was happy to manage my time at my internship and work on my own, I failed to ask questions. Oh, what I would have learned if I asked every question that popped into my head! 

I wish I knew before interning abroad that no one thinks you’re annoying for asking questions. If anything, it shows your curiosity and passion, which are both keys to success.

6. Travel.

As an intern abroad, I was focused on my work, studies, and saving money while working for free. Sure, I explored the city and other parts of Italy during the weekends, but I was always conscious of my dwindling savings account.

What I realized years later is that when you’re in your 20’s, you’re not expected to have savings. It’s there to spend on things you love, new experiences, travel. I spent a semester in Europe and saw so little. I wish I knew before interning abroad that it didn’t matter if I spent every spare second and penny jetting off to my next destination. If I’d wanted to save money, I should have interned close to home.

Workplace culture might differ abroad. Revel in the differences instead of feeling discouraged by them!

If you have the guts to seek an internship abroad, there should be a balance between work and travel. After all, part of the experience is to fully explore another culture, not just in the workplace, but outside of it as well

7. Letting loose is part of the fun!

One of the best parts of traveling abroad is getting to know the locals. When you’re an intern in a foreign country, what better way to meet locals than befriending your coworkers! 

I felt awkward the first time my manager invited me to an apertivo, the Italian version of a happy hour with cocktails and nibbles. As it was my first time in a professional workplace, I didn’t know the rules about mixing work and pleasure, and I was hesitant about going out drinking with my colleagues. I turned this first invitation down and regretted it immediately. I’d missed my chance to bond with them in a new environment and was too scared to let my hair down. 

Don’t make the same mistake when you intern abroad. Befriend your coworkers, join them for happy hours, and let loose every now and then! When it comes down to it, you spend every day with these people – if you can all have fun together, it makes the experience even better.

8. Get a recommendation letter.

First stop: Badass international internship. Next stop: graduate with an edge.

It goes without saying, but if you work your butt off and have a great experience, you don’t want to leave for home without a recommendation letter. This is the letter that weighs even more than the others because it’s not just any old internship. You’ve jumped outside of your comfort zone, travelled overseas, and have adapted to a completely different work culture. Not only have you grown as a person, but you have new insight into the industry that you would never get having stayed close to home. 

Don’t make the same mistakes by ending your internship without a recommendation letter in your pocket! 

Is interning abroad worth it?

You bet!

While there is quite a lot I wish I knew before interning abroad, it’s still an experience I look back on that has changed my entire career path and shaped me into a more well-rounded human. I may have lost touch with my coworkers and forgotten to ask for a recommendation letter before flying home (*shakes head*), but I still saw my name in the bylines. I still worked my closer to Italian fluency, and I still fell in love with a beautiful city that I got to know on a more personal level by writing about it.

 Sure I have some internship abroad regrets, but I wouldn’t trade my internship abroad for anything.

Craft your own international internship experience!

I may not be able to time travel, but the least I can do is give you some advice on what I would change about my internship abroad. Don’t make the same mistakes I made! Do your research, set your goals, and seize every moment with curiosity. 

With the right expectations, you’ll be able to craft the international internship experience of your dreams!

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