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home | study, work, & travel | work abroad | options | international internships overview International Internships Overview
IntroductionWHY. Consider your motivation for wanting an international internship. Do you want to work abroad, or do you want career-related work experience? If your motivation is primarily the former, many other work abroad opportunities exist which may be easier to get or less expensive. These include Short-Term Paid Work Abroad programs, Teaching English Abroad, or Volunteer Work Abroad. WHERE. If you seek experience related to an international career, you might consider doing an internship at a U.S.-based office of an international organization, many of which are located in major centers of international activity such as Washington or New York (see the excellent Foreign Policy Association's web site for listings). But it is certainly possible to combine an international internship with an overseas location, which is the subject of this article. HOW MUCH
FUNDING FOR INTERNSHIPS. For U-M students, funding is available from a number of U-M units. Refer to Funding for International Internships and Research. Also see the funding sources section of U-M Work Abroad Web Sites. WHEN TO APPLY. For summer internships, it's often best to apply in the fall. For example, the U.S. Department of State has a November 1 deadline. CDS, IAESEC and others (see below) have deadlines in December (October for one CDS program). Study abroad internships usually have application deadlines the semester before the term of the internship. FINDING YOUR INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP. Along with persistence, the other key here is knowing where to find information about international organizations and internship possibilities. See all the articles on our website, including those for Region- and Profession-specific options, as well as our U-M Work Abroad Web Sites. Also see the resource section of this guide for books that list internships, all of which we have in our library & online bookstore. U-M students can benefit from the U-M International Career Pathways series, with its International Opportunities Fair, which we co-sponsor with many other U-M units. Types of Internship ProgramsStudy Abroad InternshipsThe majority of overseas internship programs are sponsored by colleges and universities as an integral part of study abroad programs. For undergraduates these are the most easily available options and offer the largest range of choices. Advantages of study-abroad internships include credit, potential availability of financial aid, and a wide variety of locations and subjects offered. Disadvantages are cost and sometimes unpredictability of placement. Hundreds of internship programs are offered through colleges and universities, and can be found using web sites such as IIEPassport, GoAbroad.com, Transitions Abroad and more, which are listed at the beginning of our Work Abroad Web Sites. For U-M undergraduates: U-M graduate students: Should consult
advisors in their program for official exchanges such
as the following: The U-M
International Institute U-M International Center Internship Exchange / Work Permit ProgramsA few reciprocal exchange programs offer paying internships, and can provide work permits. Refer to Short-Term Paid Work Abroad, for more specifics.
Volunteer Abroad ProgramsThese programs offer placements abroad working for social causes, often in less-developed countries. Time commitment ranges from two weeks to two years. Refer to Volunteer Abroad. Start your research with the outstanding book, How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas , which evaluates around 100 programs. Direct Internships with International OrganizationsInternational organizations can be categorized in various sectors such as private corporations, government and so forth. Some organizations in all international sectors have ongoing internship programs with a centralized formal application process. Many others do not have a formal internship program, but will often respond positively to applications from individuals who propose their own internship. Here is a sector-by sector overview: GOVERNMENT.The U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies offer internships for undergraduates and graduate students during the summer or either semester, located overseas and in the U.S. These are usually unpaid. Application is competitive. Apply by November 1 for summer, March 1 for fall, July 1 for winter. Applications are available from the International Center. For details on the U.S. Department of State and some other U.S. government agencies, see our article on International Careers and Internships in U.S. Government Foreign Affairs. MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. These are organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank and many more, in which governments of multiple nations are represented. Internships with international organizations tend to be unpaid and highly competitive, and often are reserved for graduate students. See our article on Getting an Internship with the United Nations. Note that many study abroad-internship programs located in cities such as Geneva, Berlin, Brussels, London, and Strasbourg offer undergraduate internship placements with international organizations. CORPORATIONS. Some companies seek only students in MBA programs. In most cases you'll need to approach overseas branches directly, since few corporations offer a formal internship-abroad program. Many U-M students go through internship placement programs such as those listed in our article on Short-Term Paid Work Abroad. Some students find internships on their own, using the BUNAC and IAESTE programs for work permits (above). Smaller firms are more likely to consider internship applications than large, well-known firms. Most internships with private industry pay enough to cover basic living expenses, though not the cost of airfare. For those who can use academic credit, many study-internship programs offer unpaid placements in business, finance, and other private-sector industries. NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (NGO). Major international non-governmental organizations run the gamut from human-rights watchdogs such as Amnesty International to relief organizations like CARE, Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services, to organizations that support international educational exchange such as the Institute of International Education. NGOs typically welcome interns in their U.S.-based offices and sometimes at overseas offices; overseas internships tend to be for graduate students. By far the easiest way to find oversease internships with NGOs (especially if you're an undergraduate) is to go through special volunteer-abroad programs. Refer to Volunteering Abroad. EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. Teachers are needed worldwide. Positions generally fall into two categories: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, for which no other credential than a bachelor's degree is usually needed, and Teaching K-12 in overseas schools taught in English, for which teaching certification is usually required. Most teaching positions require a commitment of at least one academic year. Teaching at the university level nearly always requires an advanced degree. Refer to Teaching Abroad Without Certification and Teaching Abroad for Qualified Teachers for specific organizations. Tips for Developing Your Own International InternshipInternational Institute and U-M
Area Studies Centers U-M Career Center and Career offices of specific U-M schools (Engineering, Public Policy, etc.). Career-planning offices have excellent workshops on how to go about applying for internships and tips on resumes, making contacts, interviewing, etc. Also, Career offices maintain databases of student resumes and receive job postings from employers. But job postings for overseas positions are rare. Professors. Particularly for work related to academic subjects, professors may have insights or personal connections which could help in your search. Friends, parents, relatives and their friends. Make sure everyone you know is aware of your international intentions. Chance personal connections can lead to choice positions. Last reviewed: 7/09 |