Why did you decide to intern abroad with NorCap in Beijing?
I am an East Asian Studies major at Princeton and have been studying Mandarin since freshman year. During the summer before my sophomore year, I participated in an intensive Princeton language program in Beijing. My mandarin improved immensely, but I did not feel like I was able to fully experience Beijing as the course consisted of two semesters of intermediate Chinese crammed into two months--this did not leave much spare time to explore the city or do much other than study independently in the dorms.
Additionally, due to the sheer lack of free time to ourselves, the program students all coming from U.S. universities stuck together when we did go on excursions, and as a result, I did not have much of an opportunity to meet local Chinese people. For these reasons, I knew I wanted to return to Beijing in the near future for a purpose other than language study, but not just for vacation: I was searching for a productive [work] opportunity in Beijing that left time and space for me to immerse myself in Chinese culture, meet plenty of locals, and to see the city.
With Norcap, I was able to return to Beijing, practice my Mandarin and acquaint myself with the culture and daily lives of “Beijingers,” and experience the city from a professional standpoint.
I decided to go through Norcap rather than find my own internship simply because I did not know how to go about finding cheap housing on my own, and because Norcap has contacts with a variety of interesting companies and agencies I had never even heard of. Not only did Norcap expand my internship possibilities, they did a great job of organizing everything for me—I did not have to go through the hassle and difficulties of contacting Chinese companies, finding my own housing in an enormous foreign city, or even worry about getting my own cell phone…Norcap provided a very much simplified, stress-free way of making my ideal Beijing experience come true!
What made this intern abroad experience so unique and special?
As previously mentioned, I have yet to encounter another program that works so hard to prepare everything for you (internship, housing, etc.) and really makes it a priority to personalize the experience for each individual in the program. Everyone I met on the program had very different internships, from finance to art companies, and living in different parts of the city.
After asking me which industry I was interested in, Norcap sent my introduction and CV around, setting up multiple interviews for me with very interesting companies with which they have good, solid relations. In the end, I interviewed with 3 agencies and evaluated the companies myself; through this process, I was able to make my own choice as to where to intern.
Norcap has great connections with a whole range of companies, so there is something for everyone! Then, they gave me the housing options of home stay vs. apartment, and had me fill out a homestay questionnaire to ensure that my stay would be personalized to my liking and beneficial for me, given my background, personality, and objectives.
Through this “personalized” experience, I was able to be very independent, immersing myself as I wished—making trips between my host family and my internship—but also attending Norcap events and meeting up with other interns if I felt like it; I always knew I had the “support system” of Norcap right around the corner if need be, but was able to accomplish all of my personal goals of cultural immersion.
How has this experience impacted your future?
The biggest tangible impact is probably the fact that my Mandarin got to a point where I am comfortable speaking to local Chinese people about work topics in the advertising/digital media industry.
The improvement of my conversational Chinese skills and enhanced understanding of Chinese culture and daily life in Beijing will (hopefully) open doors in my future, as I will perhaps look into working in China next year, or at least at a company or organization that has ties with China, in which my language ability and knowledge will become useful. I am hoping to one day help liaise between Chinese and U.S. companies; before this experience, I felt a bit intimidated by pursuing a career in China, but now, I feel more qualified.
Additionally, my language abilities will be a huge help when I am conducting interviews for my senior thesis in Chinese. Personally, by challenging myself to be independent and meeting all sorts of new people, I have become more open-minded and embracing of new cultures, changes, and opportunities.
More generally, since I am interested in the marketing and advertising field, this international internship and knowledge of China and Chinese may add valuable, unique perspective in wherever I end up working after Princeton.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone considering interning abroad in Beijing?
It's hard to do, but try not to let the weather get you down! There aren't a lot of blue skies, and the layer of pollution and smog is thick. The streets were dusty and I sometimes I felt sickly just from walking to work in the Beijing smog…but eventually you learn to get used to it. I would also advise anyone traveling to Beijing to speak as much Chinese as possible; striking up a conversation with a stranger on a bus or just spending time with your host family is a great way to do this!
If you make a mistake during a conversation, learn to laugh it off rather than let the mistake shy you away from meeting other locals. You might always feel compelled to go to the same bar or karaoke every night with your program friends, but spending a night in watching local Chinese TV with your host family will make you feel closer to them, and your Chinese will improve a lot. Trust me, the outcome will be very rewarding.
