Shanghai Internship Program with CRCC Asia

Fantastic all round experience (work experience, accommodation, CRCC support, social life, alumni network - 9.5/10)!

Shanghai provided me with invaluable investment banking work experience; I gained finance/analytical skills, and a network of friends and colleagues that gave a major boost to my career.

Outside of work, there was lots of fun to be had while partying hard and making the most of the Shanghai nightlife, all while sharing great times with a diverse group of international friends.

Great experience, great people, great fun...go for it!

Although there were some things about the program that weren't ideal (I personally was lucky but a lot of my friends didn't have very good internships) the overall experience was amazing.

From eating weird and wonderful foods (chicken feet, brain, bull frogs to name a few), to exploring the crazy city that is Shanghai, it was a fantastic trip. Every day threw something new at you- I even ended up in the Shanghai Psychiatric Hospital helping as an interpreter for a patient.

A bit of a culture shock, Shanghai isn't for you if you don't like crowds, but if you can cope with a population of 20,000+ on your doorstep then go for it. You'll never be bored.

I thoroughly enjoyed my two month internship program. I felt I learnt so much about myself, my career choice as well as culturally. I cannot express the fantastic life experience you gain and the friendships you form with a variety of people from all over the world. It has definitely helped me in my job interviews upon my return to London to work in luxury fashion. It gives your CV a competitive edge and is a great starting point to use in interviews. If the opportunity arises to participate in this, I would highly recommend it. If I could do this all over again, I would do so within a heartbeat!

I participated in a 2 month internship + 21 day trip (with The Dragon Trip), and overall enjoyed my experience. The program, like most things, is really about what you make of it. I wanted a summer abroad (I had good internship experience previously, so I wasn't as concerned with placements), and China was on my list. Shanghai is a vast and rapidly-developing city, and you could spend all of your time just picking one metro stop at a time and exploring.

The internship placement was pretty good, but depends on staff and fellow interns (I began with a good cohort, and towards the end of my internship many positions rotated, so it was less enjoyable/interesting). Accommodation, at least for China, is very adequate. The hotel is close to the Metro, and is very spacious. You're in the city center, so it's quite convenient to get to most places (via the clean Metro or cheap taxis--beware of "black taxis" and other scams, however). CRCC Asia puts on a short orientation with incoming interns, and the staff is a mixture of foreign/local young people. Most were very responsive/friendly, and called me a few times during the program. That said, I never encountered any major problems, so I cannot speak to their response in a crisis situation.

During my two months in Shanghai, I picked up a bit of Chinese, but it's very possible to get by with basic to no Chinese language ability. However, I speak Japanese, so I was able to read and remember the Chinese characters on signs and instructions more easily than someone not familiar with Chinese/Japanese. Being that Shanghai looks toward Westernization, however, the food, shopping, and retail workers are likely to cater to foreigners. In this way, Shanghai may be an easier place to adapt to than Beijing. Air pollution was fair to slightly poor--no one wore masks but I did catch a cold/respiratory cough from it. Food is generally safe, unless you go after street food (which is dicey any place).

Safety was comparable to any major city (perhaps better?). Still, there doesn't seem to be an active homeless population, and I (as a white male) never felt threatened, but was treated as a minor celebrity/spectacle (which is harmless but annoying). The people I knew traveled in groups/alone, and never had any problems/harassment.

My 21 day The Dragon Trip was, overall, very interesting, and opened China to me in a previously-locked way. However, it was very physically demanding (hiking, miles of biking, extended train rides/overnight "sleeper" trains), and our particular small group got passed between two larger groups, which meant we had to forge new relationships every couple of days, which killed some of the potential camaraderie. However, the price was competitive for the accommodation/transport/admissions, and the floating mountains in the south, the city of Xi'an (and its terra cotta warriors), and other iconic locations were breathtaking and worth it.

My advice for the program is to temper and pinpoint your expectations. If you're goal is to get advanced experience in a very specific field, that cannot be guaranteed and you may be disappointed. However, if you're using the opportunity to travel and stay for an extended period in China, meet new people, or practice your Mandarin, the program gives you a fairly simple way (and a VISA, which can be difficult to obtain) to accomplish this. The trip is a "best of," and gives a good overview of the country, but it's certainly not exhaustive (and pretty no-frills). Either way, being an experienced traveler in non-Western countries gave me an advantage coping to the usual and un-usual cultural/political/logistical differences of life in China. However, Shanghai is a good access point for Westerners to China.

As I was on my way to China, I was very nervous to begin this first trip half way across the world. However, once I got to Shanghai I felt a sense of relief in that I had two months to work at a Chinese firm, attend a university and learn about a new culture. It was like starting all over and getting another chance in the world. My most fond experience while in China, as cliche as it sounds is visiting The Great Wall of China. I remember my mom telling me, "let me see the world through your eyes, because I never got to experience what you're experiencing." In that moment of climbing The Great Wall it was the most physical and exhausting thing I had ever done, but I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that not very many people are fortunate enough to experience. Once I was at the top of the wall it was such an incredible feeling and I had such a huge sense of accomplishment. That day was one that I will never forget, and I am so fortunate to have been there. My overall experience in China was the most amazing thing - the people, the food, the culture, the adventure. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

My experience overall was excellent. I do wish that my internship was a bit more involving and that I could of done a few different things which unfortunately wasn't the case. The experience of travelling, meeting new people, seeing sights and enjoying the social side of Shanghai really made the trip so enjoyable.

I spent in Shanghai two months and I met people from all over the world, especially from Australia. I had the chance to go around the city with an amazing group of people, and I had the opportunity to improve my English with them.

This internship program was one of the best experiences of my life. I met so many different people from all parts of the world who I still keep in touch with. I was able to see so many different things an actually do a lot of activities that weren't even on my had to do list. So many opportunities presented themselves when I was there and I took advantage of every one. I was only there for 2 months and that was my only regret. I should have stayed longer. The program coordinators were always accessible every step of the way. Th culture is awesome. The hustle an bustle made my days go by fast. The food was great and I had no complaints. In Shanghai, English speakers weren't too hard to find an my basic Mandarin helped me more than I thought it would. I recommend CRCC fully!