AIFS Abroad: Intern Abroad in England

Having this experience has helped me grow as a person both professionally and personally! I've learned so much about what I love and the career I am getting into. Global experiences made everything so easy and gave me opportunities to try new things that I may not have done otherwise! I made churros for the first time at our cooking class and it was an odd experience I'll never forget! Of course, a trip to the Shard was an amazing experience too!

My summer in London with Global Experiences was the summer of a lifetime. As a computer science major, I had the opportunity to work for a really cool tech start-up app in London that focused on the promotion of different cultural and lifestyle events, venues, restaurants, nightlife, etc. I got to work closely with their tech, business, and marketing teams throughout the internship, which helped my understanding of how these teams work together to be a successful company.

In addition to internship placements, Global Experiences also provided a very social and global Summer. I happily reflect back on my time abroad recalling the wonderful friendships I made with intelligent students from around the world, the buzz that comes with living in central London (and just a two minute walk from the Farringdon tube station!), and the sense of adventure that the program ignited in me. I very much enjoyed the program's excursions such as day trips to Stonehenge, Bath, and Brighton Beach, and a trip to The Shard, in addition to cooking classes and East End food tours. With friends from the program, I also had the opportunity to travel to Cambridge, the Olympic Park, and other famous British towns and sightseeinng locations. I even met one of my best friends through the program, and after the program was completed, we embarked on a 9-day backpacking trip through Europe!

This summer truly was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and I absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in gaining work experience abroad!

Summer internship in London with Global Experiences absolutely exceeded my expectation. I have gained both professional and personal development.
I was placed in the IT department of an real estate company and was given the opportunity to write my own application under the help of my supervisor and coworkers. It was a such a valuable learning experience. Housing is AMAZING and it is totally worth the cost.
London is such a diverse city, unlike anywhere I have ever been, even though I have a diverse background myself. I would absolutely recommend anyone to give it a try. It will change your life.

Oh what's in name is exactly right. When you hear the word "London" you immediately think of Big Ben or wonderful accents. But once you spend 3 months, or even just a week you begin to realize that there is so much more attached to that name, London.
I decided to study abroad, and due to some restrictions during the fall and spring semesters I needed a summer program. I Googled probably hundreds of programs, researched them all, and finally came down to my top three. I ultimately choose the London Internship program because it offered me an internship and it was in a country where I knew the language.
My first day in London, I was terrified. I didn't know anyone, I was super sleep deprived and I had just brought my two 50lb suitcases up four very large flights of stairs.
I met my roommates and of course of a little reserved. But AIFS was offering a quick tour of the neighborhood and we all decided to join. During this probably 15 minute tour of the surrounding area, I knew it was going to be an incredible semester.
I cannot rave enough about the professors I had. They not only enjoyed what they taught but they loved teaching it. And more importantly they loved us, and wanted to be immersed in our culture as well. My internship, honestly, was okay. But I have great friends, and it actually taught skills that I use everyday in my current job.
I was able to travel to other countries, and experience different cultures. I had afternoon tea, toured Buckingham Palace, and my favorite memory, I climbed the White Cliffs of Dover at sunrise.
London taught me to be adventurous and curious about the things around me. It taught me to reach out and meet people, and not just learn their name, but know who they are.
So "London" no longer just means funny people with strange teeth, it is a place I call home. Its a name filled with life long friends, experiences I'll never forget, and most importantly it's a part of who I am now.
So if you're debating where to go in the world, go to London. It's the gateway to everywhere else, and I promise you'll fall in love.

You do not need to use Global Experience or spend over $15 000 on an unpaid summer internship. Global Experience is a huge rip off, I had the most amazing summer but it wasn't because of anything from Global Experience. I met so many incredible people who were doing internships without paying the $15 000 it costs for Global Experience with all of the extra fees and hidden costs. HUGE AMOUNT OF HIDDEN COSTS. The housing was decent but more expensive then what other people were paying, there were 4 "social outings" that really shouldn't have cost more then $200. A lot of people had safety concerns with their placements and Global Experience didn't help them once they were in England. I was lucky enough not to have safety concerns but I defiantly worried about my roommates. I definitely recommend interning abroad it will change your life and be amazing, but don't use an overpriced company with mediocre staff and ones that provide half decent internships. Would definitely work abroad again but never use this company.

As a seasoned traveller, I wanted to seek out an internship that combined work experience with culture immersion. Enter Global Experiences.

After sifting through dozens of intern and study abroad programs, I narrowed down my hefty list to just a handful. Out of those few, Global Experiences was the first to get back to me. What surprised me about this program was that the application to participate wasn't readily available, you had to speak with a consultant first. I liked the way the consultants reached out and scheduled a one on one meeting with you over the phone instead of sending an information packet to your mailbox. From the beginning, the staff was dedicated to meeting my needs and specifications as a person seeking employment for a very specific sector of jobs. While there were over 100 interns in my summer program, I never felt like I was pushed aside. My emails during the entire process were always answered quickly and everyone was so informative.

Global Experiences assisted with everything from cover letter and resume review, to interview tips and visa advice. The staff was also able to assist me with finding a second part-time internship, after the one I really wanted was only looking for a part-time intern. I loved both of my placements and don't think I would've found either of them looking on my own.

Since we were staying in Central London, I didn't have super high hopes for the housing they would provide, but I was pleasantly surprised when the accommodation had 24/7 security staff, spacious and clean rooms, and was in a great location. I got on really well with the flatmates I was assigned, so it seems like there was thought put into that as well.

While there were set activities for us to participate in through GE, it didn't occupy every weekend. This left plenty of time to go visit other places and see what else Europe had to offer. Weekend trips included Bath and Stonehenge and Brighton, but there were also events like a networking night and a visit to the Globe Theater to watch a show.

I highly recommend this program to those who are looking for independence with structure. I say that because students that are willing to go to a foreign country by themselves for this type of experience are probably very independent, but will need a hand in sorting out all the logistics. It's hard to know exactly what visa you need and how you're going to get international organizations to look at your resume. Global Experiences provided a great balance of giving me the opportunity but still allowing me to decide whether to take it. I did take it, and I'm so happy I did.

Oh man, where do I begin with my experience? I went out on a limb with Global Experiences. I found their website by chance and decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did. Some of my family members weren't supportive of my decision to move to London for the summer. They thought it would be a waste of money, but I went anyway. Best decision ever. Global Experiences helped me with everything I needed. They gave me a step by step process of how to acquire my visa, provided housing, gave me a social life and of course -- my internship. They found an internship that fit with me perfectly. I grew as a journalist through this organization. I loved everyone I worked with. The housing was excellent and my flatmates were incredible. We bonded so much within those two months. I was really sad to leave. London became a home away from home -- all thanks to Global Experiences.

I spent the summer of 2012 in London while the Olympics were there. Global Experiences placed me in an internship where I had the opportunity to design polo gear for international polo teams as well as help design an Olympic themed tshirt that was sold. The staff was extremely helpful and set up exciting activities/adventures for us to help us fully experience London during our time there. I have made amazing connections I still keep in touch with today.