Why Should I Use an Internship Placement Provider?
Internship placement providers can offer a range of benefits like housing, transportation, and support to participants who intern abroad. Explore the perks your placement fee gets you when you use a program provider.
Once you’ve decided that an internship abroad is the next step to your personal and professional development, the world suddenly seems larger. However, internships abroad are highly competitive, and preparing the perfect application and the logistics of moving, living and working abroad can be a long and difficult process.
When searching for internships abroad, you can do so independently or with the assistance of an internship placement provider.
What is an internship placement provider?
An internship placement provider (or program provider) essentially does the heavy lifting for you when finding an internship abroad. Not only will they help you by securing a job abroad, they may guide you through the visa application, provide accommodation, and more.
Benefits of an internship placement provider
The benefits of finding an internship abroad with a placement provider are numerous. From guaranteeing you an internship in your desired location to handling the logistics of working abroad, they're there to make the process smoother and set you up for success!
Benefits of internship providers
- They can help you land an internship with competitive companies: Some industries and companies are particularly hard to break into when searching independently. However, internship placement providers have already established connections with leading companies, making it easier for you to secure an internship at your dream company! The Intern Group, for example, has connected interns with 3000+ companies including Sony and Fifa!
- You can choose your location: Internship placement providers can place you in popular cities where internships are typically competitive. For example, Beyond Academy offers internships in major destinations such as Seoul, London, Tokyo, and more!
- They cater to inexperienced travelers: Your internship provider is there to support you every step of the way! Whether it’s applying for your visa, dealing with culture shock, or just figuring out how to navigate the new location you’re in, you’ll feel more confident adjusting to life abroad with their help.
- They can optimize your application: Professional assistance is a huge perk offered by most internship providers! Zentern, an internship provider based in Japan, helps their interns improve aspects of their application such as the resume, cover letter, and more to increase employability throughout their career.
- You’ll get training to prepare you to work abroad: Your internship provider will prepare you for workplace culture, cultural etiquette, language barriers, and more through virtual webinars, workshops, in-country orientation, and more.
- They’re an investment into your career: Not only will an internship provider find you a personalized placement, they’ll offer an in-country orientation, cultural events, networking events, and career advancements training which includes interview practice, resume workshops, and more.
- They provide logistical support: A difficult task after grinding for your dream internship is actually getting there. An internship placement provider will help with pre-departure and in-country logistics such as visa assistance, accommodation guidance or placement, college credit, and more.
- They’ll help you with cultural immersion: A lot of providers host field trips or cultural excursions to help you learn more about the country you're interning in. They may even organize language classes, cultural workshops, and more to make you feel more at home.
- Stronger networking potential: Doing an internship through a program provider gives you a community of other like-minded interns who chose to grow their career abroad, too! Interns are often added into alumni groups through the program, allowing them to grow their professional network.
Hamza, a GO community member, shared her experience interning in Seoul through Beyond Academy.
“The program organizers went above and beyond to make me feel welcomed and supported in navigating both the workplace and the vibrant city of Seoul. My internship placement was chosen to align with my career goals and academic background and also helped me develop valuable skills for my future career.”
Want to learn more about the benefits of interning abroad? You can read real, verified reviews from interns here on Go Overseas!
Why pay for an internship abroad?
You may ask “why pay to intern abroad?” If you’re proactive, patient, and persistent enough to invest plenty of time and energy into finding an internship abroad, you can certainly find an internship independently.
However, it’s not merely down to organization and perseverance. It can be very difficult getting your foot in the door and securing your dream internship, especially in a competitive industry. Even if you’ve secured your internship independently, you still have work to do pre and post departure.
Typical program inclusions:
- Guaranteed internship placement in chosen location
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Accommodation (or assistance)
- Pre-departure support (assistance with visas, travel booking, academic credits, etc)
- 24/7 in-country support
- Planned excursions, language lessons, and cultural activities
- Transportation to and from your internship
- Travel and medical insurance
- Career training
Read more: Why Does It Cost Money to Intern Abroad?
How to choose your internship placement provider
With many reputable internship abroad providers, it can be difficult knowing which one to choose. It’s easier to do so when you break it down into smaller tasks:
- Choose an industry and location: Interested in getting hands-on hospitality experience in Thailand, working at a law firm in London, or shape your business skills in Beijing? On Go Overseas, you can search for internships programs by country and industry.
- Choose a provider: Some of the best internship abroad providers are right here on Go Overseas! You can check out what they offer, or, you can check out what the community has to say in their reviews or through the GO Community Choice Awards.
- Gather your documents: Allow yourself plenty of time to gather and organize documents such as your passport, letters of recommendation, resume, academic transcripts, and more. An expiring passport, for example, may slow down your application significantly.
Ready to find your dream internship abroad?
Using the assistance of a reputable and well established program provider will enrich your internship abroad experience significantly. Not only will it lead to valuable practical and on-paper experience, it can provide you with the confidence to travel and work abroad with more independence!
Start your internship abroad experience today: