Beyond Academy

Going abroad for an internship sounds as exciting as it is terrifying, but BeyondAcademy and its team helped to completely dissipate any fears I had. Staying in a city as big and as culturally significant as Seoul, I was terrified at first of everything, be that getting around, communicating with others, respecting social norms I may not be aware of, or any other fears someone new to a country might face. Thankfully, BeyondAcademy’s Seoul community was so warm, inviting, and helpful, I never hesitated to ask for help or clarification. Welcoming me with gifts to help me settle in, occasionally checking up in between the busy days of work, and of course the thoughtfully organized weekly activities were just some of the factors that made me feel not so alone. Getting to experience a fashion internship in Seoul, which was nothing but exhilarating, would not have been the wonderful experience that it was, without the kind community and its coordinators around me.

Living in London for two months was an absolutely incredible experience! From meeting people from all over the globe to experiencing the city’s history, I learned so much and explored so many amazing places. There was always something to do! For anyone who will be in London for the first time, I have two words for you: afternoon tea. Do it. Multiple times. It is divine.
As far as my internship goes, I was living in Greenwich and working in Battersea. Opposite sides of London, but one thing you’ll learn quickly in London is that every trip, no matter what, will be at least an hour long. But I loved it. I got to read a ton during the commute, I was walking at least 3 miles every day, and I met up with so many people from all over the world for dinner and other events. Some I met through Beyond Academy, others I met while working or going to places and talking to random people I thought were interesting — a strategy I highly recommend. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I am so grateful for the two months I had in London.

I did a 6 month internship through beyond and I felt like I got a lot out of it. I feel like it is more beneficial if you go for a longer period of time because you get to experience more while you are in Seoul. I really enjoyed all the activities that were planned. Also, my internship was enjoyable and I learned a lot from it over the 6 months. It is was a bit hard to adjust at first, but after a couple of weeks or so I found myself becoming more comfortable especially with the rush hour subway journeys to and from work.

When I first stumbled upon Beyond Academy and the possibility to do an internship abroad, I definetely thought it was a scam - but I was proven wrong! Although the program fees are not peanuts and I would prefer to have more transparency on what the fees are used on, I am so happy with how the program went! Twice a week all of the lovely coordinators did their best to plan social events to explore Seoul, although some of the planned activities where a little too stressful with too places you needed to visit (for example the Hanbok event) or places closing soon (DDP Design Plaza). But most of the time the days are planned well and it was a great way to catch up with the other interns in the programm, so you feel integrated and not alone in a new environment.
As for my internship company - I really learned a lot in my field of video editing and social media! Obviously there were ups and downs within the time being in the intern company, but for me it was a great opportunity to improve my resume and portfolio! For reference I did 3 months and for me it was the perfect length to have enough time to learn and integrate more into the company.
So I would definetely recommend doing this experience if you have some savings, want to improve your resume and explore a new city!

I had an excellent time and thoroughly enjoyed the Beyond Academy activities. My favourite was definitely going to Cambridge, kind of wish there were more out of London trips too. Also really enjoyed the pub quiz activity and game night. The community coordinators were extremely fun and very nice and supportive. However I do wish there were more career building/advice activities or lessons. For example maybe meeting with industry professionals or one on one coaching with an industry professional.