Parents & Guardians

Is interning abroad safe?

Intern Abroad HQ provides comprehensive support from start to finish. That’s why interning overseas on one of our programs is one of the safest ways to travel internationally as a young adult. We have always followed industry-leading procedures and best practices around health and safety. We are proud to say that we have an unmatched record when it comes to keeping our interns safe, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Each of our internship programs has a Risk Management plan. This identifies potential risks, how we avoid them, and the emergency procedures to follow should an incident occur. We audit every program regularly to ensure compliance, and we have an online incident reporting and escalation tool to ensure we’re informed quickly if something does happen.

All interns receive a detailed in-person orientation from our local coordinator when they arrive in their chosen country. The orientation briefing provides detailed health and safety guidelines that are specific to the particular community and location and covers the program’s emergency contacts and procedures. We also provide advice about local cultural norms and expectations, plus some language basics.

All our local teams are experienced in operating our programs under Covid-19 safety procedures, and we have a number of extra health and safety measures in place to minimize infection risks. Learn more here.

Why is there a fee to intern abroad?

With Intern Abroad HQ, the majority of our fee goes towards the cost of your son or daughter’s accommodation and meals during their internship. Free and paid internships don’t include the cost of local accommodation – the intern has to pay for this out of their own pocket. In fact, the affordability of our accommodation means that interning through Intern Abroad HQ could actually cost less than a free internship elsewhere!

Free and paid internships are also really hard to get: they are highly competitive, the application and interview process for each takes time, and they usually require existing experience and/or strong academic credentials. Intern Abroad HQ finds, arranges, and facilitates the whole internship for your son/daughter – saving a huge amount of hassle.

There are many benefits of your child from paying a small fee to us to organize their internship:

1. Fully hosted experiences abroad – The fee we charge includes airport pickup, fully vetted accommodation, 24/7 local support, and meals are included in most programs.
2. Save time and effort – We do the work to find the perfect internship placement for your son/daughter, which can be difficult for international placements.
3. You choose your perfect program – With over 200 career-focused internship options, we’ll have one that’s right for them.
4. We’re accountable to you – We track our success by the reviews our interns give us, so we’re motivated to ensure your son/daughter has an unbeatable internship experience.
5. Placements that value your child’s contribution – We work with hundreds of industry leading host organizations who are able to provide a deep and rich learning experience.
6. Flexible and customizable internships – We design your son/daughter’s placement around their objectives, ambitions, and availability.
7. Maximize your learning outcomes – Our Experiential Learning Curriculum helps develop and articulate the job-ready skills that will set your son/daughter apart in job interviews.
8. Gain academic credit – Save thousands in tuition fees by gaining additional college credits from the internship.

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What is the accommodation and food like?

Our fees include fully vetted accommodation for all of our internships abroad. This ensures our interns only stay in accommodation that our local coordinators have chosen and checked themselves.

We carefully select accommodation options based on safety, quality, convenience, social immersion, and budget. With accommodation taken care of, we remove the stress, risk, cost, and time investment from having to make these arrangements yourself.

Most of our internship programs offer homestay accommodation with a local host family. This allows your son/daughter to be immersed in the local culture within an intimate setting, and ensures there’s an adult available to provide support. Some internship programs offer shared lodging, which gives interns the opportunity to socialize and benefit from a broader cultural exchange with other residents from around the world.

The majority of our internship abroad programs include meals, which are usually of the typical local cuisine. This makes the trip more economical and gives your son/daughter the opportunity to eat like a local. Our local teams and host families know how to hygienically prepare healthy meals and they can also cater for food allergies or dietary requirements, if necessary.

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What if my son/daughter doesn’t like the internship?

All internship placement arrangements are assigned in advance. This match is based on each intern’s chosen field and availability, in addition to a review of their relevant skills, experience and preferences. If your child feels the placement we have sourced for them isn’t suitable, we will work with them in advance of their start date to provide an alternative solution.

If an intern has concerns about their placement after they have begun the internship, there are various layers of support available to allow us to understand the specific nature of the problem and identify suitable solutions.