Interning Abroad Process
Wondering what to expect when you arrive in-country to intern abroad?
Intern Abroad HQ’s internships abroad are designed to be as stress-free as possible. We organize your accommodation, airport pickup, orientation, 24/7 local support and, in most cases, your meals are included too. This ensures that you can focus on the important stuff, like getting stuck into your internship project, immersing yourself in the local culture and surroundings, and making new friends!
Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happens at each stage, as well as an insight into life on-the-ground once you arrive at your internship destination!
Overview of the interning abroad process
What to expect from an in-country internship with Intern Abroad HQ
Before you go
We put a great deal of time and effort into sourcing and securing the perfect internship for you. We customize your internship placement to ensure it meets your career goals and can assist if you need to meet specific academic requirements. You should allow at least 60 days for us to complete this process after submitting your application to Intern Abroad HQ. You can learn more about the application and placement process here.
Once you’ve secured a place on your internship program by paying your deposit, we begin getting you prepared for your trip abroad. This includes helping you find the most affordable flights for your trip and suitable [travel insurance](/services/travel-insurance/) to cover everything you need as an intern abroad.
Find affordable flights
”Intern Abroad HQ is an amazing organization. Their team was phenomenal in providing as much information as possible when I was very sceptical and unsure. Dallas was very helpful in helping me prepare for my internship. Their online journal assignments were a great way for me to document and ponder my experiences as they happened. This I cannot emphasize enough; they have your back from start to finish.”
Embark on your internship adventure
You may feel nervous traveling overseas on your own if it’s all new to you, but that’s totally normal. Remember that nearly all of our interns arrive solo, so it’s super easy to make friends with other interns from all over the world.
In just the last 12 months, we’ve hosted interns of 66 different nationalities who live in 55 countries. Wondering who you might meet? Check out the diversity of our internships.
Get inspired before you go and hear from current interns by following Intern Abroad HQ on Facebook and Instagram.
”I am so glad I took the opportunity to travel before working and got to experience all of this these past three months. I learned so much about myself by being away from home and on my own here in Cusco. I loved all the weekend trips to places with the best views and best company. I have met so many people from different parts of the world and it’s amazing how close we all have become.”
Airport pickup
When you arrive at your internship destination, you’ll be met at the airport by our local coordinators or their representatives. They are responsible for facilitating your placement and will take you to your accommodation and introduce you to your fellow interns. Depending when you arrive, you’ll usually have some time to settle in and explore the local area before your orientation.
Meet our local coordinators
Accommodation options
As part of your fully hosted experience, Intern Abroad HQ’s Program Fees cover your accommodation for the duration of your internship abroad. Accommodation options include:
- Homestay accommodation with a local host family, which allows you to be immersed in the local culture within an intimate setting
- Shared lodging, which gives interns the opportunity to socialize together and benefit from cultural exchange
These accommodation options are the most affordable and authentic way for interns to experience the local culture and benefit from a fully immersive international learning experience. We also offer private room upgrades and extra nights of accommodation before or after your internship on select internship abroad programs.
See accommodation options
”During the internship, I had an amazing experience with my host family. They welcomed me into their home from the very first day. Living with a family that was not my own was a scary thought, but I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I felt safe and comfortable in the home, and they were very supportive and accommodating to my needs. They are the type of people who truly want to give students an immersive cultural experience by living with a host family, and l am truly going to miss them.”
Meals
The majority of our internship abroad programs include meals, which are usually typical of the local cuisine. This makes your trip more economical and gives you the opportunity to eat like a local and truly immerse yourself in the wonderful flavors of the region!
- In most homestay accommodation, home cooked meals are provided for our interns and are included with the Program Fee.
- In most shared lodging, meals are not included, so interns are free to make independent arrangements and should budget accordingly.
Please make sure to note in your application form or let your Program Manager know of any dietary requirements, so that we can make recommendations and/or arrangements for you.
Orientation
All of our internship abroad programs begin with an Orientation session with your local coordinator. This includes a detailed briefing about your internship program and its objectives, as well as guidance on the local area, such as the transport options, how to access nearby amenities, the best free time activities, and any risks that are specific to your location. You’ll also be introduced to your internship placement and Supervisor.
24/7 in-country support
Your local coordinator will be available 24-hours a day to provide direct support throughout your internship placement. You’ll be given their contact details so you can reach them quickly and easily for any reason. Your wellbeing is always our highest priority, and our local coordinators and hosts are adhering to additional health and safety measures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure you feel comfortable and safe at all times.
Your coordinator will check in with you regularly to ensure everything is going well. Your Intern Abroad HQ Internship Manager will also be accessible via email or phone if you have any questions or concerns that your coordinator is unable to address locally.
Learn more about support & safety
Internship placement
At the start of your placement, you will work closely with your Internship Supervisor, who will be a representative from your host organization. You will agree your internship plan with them, and they will help you as any questions arise to ensure that you always have a dedicated support contact. Whether you need to discuss learning goals, submit paperwork for academic credits, or gain a deeper level of insight into your desired profession, your Supervisor is your “go to” person, and will help you stay on track with regular check-ins.
Your host organization will welcome and integrate you into their teams. Depending on your internship placement, you may be asked to collaborate with other team members, host organization employees, or interns.
Read about Host Organizations
”From day one, I was made to feel like I’d always been part of the team. They taught and helped me in all ways - I honestly cannot find any substandard points to comment on, because this team gave me everything they could. I found that the locals enjoyed each moment by assisting you with happiness, which made my adaptation to the placement easier. I got what I expected from this internship, as it helped me to improve my own skills, while learning new skills that can help in the future.”
Experiential learning curriculum
Our Experiential Learning Curriculum is included on all internships, and involves completing written reflection exercises during your placement. Once a week, you’ll receive a weekly reflection module to complete. Each module explains the topic of that week’s reflections, an introduction, the learning objectives, and a series of thought-provoking questions for both personal and professional development considerations. Your Internship Program Manager will review your submissions for each module and is available to provide feedback and guidance to maximize your self-development.
Our interns tell us that the Experiential Learning Curriculum process really helps them to build self-awareness, deepen their cultural intelligence, and broaden the soft skills that employers look for.
More on experiential learning
Certificate of Completion and written reflections
Upon successful completion of your internship, you will receive a portfolio of your Experiential Learning reflections for you to reference when preparing for job or university interviews. You’ll also receive a certificate of internship completion, a summary of your internship goals and skill development focus areas, and highlights from your project.
These will be invaluable to you as you’ll be able to refer back to this portfolio whenever you need to showcase your internship experience. Many interns have told us that their portfolio really helped them prepare for job or college applications and better articulate their competencies during interviews.
International reference letter
Upon completion of your internship, you’ll be able to request a letter of recommendation from your Internship Supervisor. This is an official document that references your accomplishments, provides feedback on your contributions, and highlights your particular learnings and achievements. If you have completed your weekly written reflections, you may additionally request a secondary letter of reference from Intern Abroad HQ, which focuses on the development of universally transferable employability skills.
Extending your internship
If you wish to extend the duration of your internship once you’ve started, you can contact your Internship Program Manager at Intern Abroad HQ for guidance. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but extensions are subject to availability, as well as any country visa requirements that you may be subject to.
Read what our recent interns have said
”I was able to shadow a general dentist, oral surgeon, and prosthodontist at the clinic. I was able to witness a variety of dental procedures and understand how dentistry in Greece varies slightly from dentistry in Canada. All of this knowledge and experience has helped me to solidify my career aspirations within dentistry. My favourite memory was being able to witness an abutment placement (for a dental implant). This was the most complicated case I had seen thus far, and my supervisors explained everything and answered questions, while performing this procedure. I gained a wealth of knowledge from my two weeks of shadowing and solidified that this path is what I want for my future career.”
