7 Tips on How to Prepare for Your Internship Abroad

If you’ve been thinking of going abroad for your internship, you’re probably wondering what you need to prepare to make it happen. This can be such an exciting time where you can be full of anticipation – new country, new job, new experiences – but it’s also a lot to take in. So what steps should you take to make sure you’re ready? Here are 7 tips to get you started:

This is the fun part: there are so many countries to choose from! But, where to go? There are a couple of topics to think about to help you pick a country: For starters, what kind of experience do you dream of having? Having a croissant in Paris after strolling around the Louvre? Going out for ramen and karaoke with your coworkers in Japan? Thinking of the kinds of cultural experiences you’re most curious to have is a great way to help you narrow down your options. 

The second question to ask yourself is: would going to a specific country further benefit your career interests? For example, going to Spain might deepen your experience of learning about architecture. Or working in the high-tech city of Tokyo might enhance your experience of learning about robotics. If there’s a type of job you want to experience where you’d benefit from going to a specific country to learn, then take a look at those locations. Beyond Academy offers Internship programs in 14 locations around the world.

Finding an internship that suits your career goals is probably the most challenging part of the process of moving abroad. Not a lot of companies advertise positions for interns, and it’s hard to connect with companies when you’re looking to apply from abroad. 

Luckily, Beyond Academy has a team of experts and a range of partners in every industry to help you make this process seamless. After you’ve confirmed your internship abroad program with us, we hop onto a video chat with you to learn about what kind of role and industry you’re interested in, as well as your career goals. Then, we connect you to opportunities based on what our partner companies are looking for in their interns and future hires. Once we’ve found a great match, you’ll have the opportunity to interview via an online video call. We take great care in our role matching process and it’s something that we have perfected over the years. You can find out more about how it works here.

Depending on your nationality, how long you plan to do your internship and the regulations around working in your country of choice, you might need to apply for a visa for permission to stay and work in the country. This might sound like a complicated process (and it certainly can be!), but we have a team here to help you if you need assistance. For starters, head to our Visa Eligibility Page to find out more. 

Depending on how long your internship is, there are plenty of accommodations you can look into that might meet your needs. Some interns enjoy staying at shared apartments as this can give you a chance to have the comfort of your own furnished private room while also giving you the opportunity to make friends in the dwelling through sharing the living room space, cooking together, or whatever activities you’d enjoy together at home. 

While there are many accommodations you can look into, finding an affordable one that suits your needs can be difficult. If this is something you’d like help on, Beyond Academy has partnered with select accommodation providers in each of our locations and we’re happy to help you find the right place with easy access to your internship. 

One concern interns might have when living abroad is having the ability to maintain connectivity with their loved ones back home. The easiest way you can do this is to plan to grab a local SIM card at the airport in your country of choice so you can affordably stay in touch any time you want. If you don’t have an unlocked phone for a SIM card, you can also rent a phone or get a prepaid phone depending on the country you’re traveling to. The reason why you want to plan ahead for this is because some countries only offer SIM cards at select locations, such as airports, so you don’t want to miss your opportunity to get one as soon as you arrive. And if you need help with this, we can arrange this on your behalf so you can start your adventure without the hassle. 

Packing is such a fun part of dreaming about your journey. But, what should you pack? Since you’ll be working in your country of choice for the majority of your time, make sure the bulk of your clothing is suitable for office environments. And of course, you’ll want to pack some casual clothing for your weekend adventures! Any country you travel to will have a washing machine where you can do your laundry, toiletries, and clothing stores if you forget something, so there’s no need to worry about being unprepared with what you bring, or packing too many clothes for each day of your stay.

Depending on what country you travel to, it might be helpful to practice some survival phrases before your trip in case you need it during your stay. For example, countries like Japan do not have many local English speakers, so being able to order food, make payments, ask for the toilet, and other simple phrases can really come in handy. Don’t worry too much about this though, technology such as Google Translate can definitely come in handy. But it’s always nice to feel confident and prepared when you go to a foreign place and the locals will appreciate the effort. 

So there you have it, 7 tips to help you prepare for your first internship abroad! Be sure to check out our locations to help you decide where you want to go. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at hello@beyondacademy.com.