AIFS Abroad: Intern Abroad in France

I had the pleasure of working in Upper concept store, a boutique/art gallery/event space in the 4th district of Paris, France. The coordinator at Global Experiences did a really good job of setting me up with a job I wanted - while there, I helped creative business & marketing strategies for the concept store. I felt very involved in the workplace and rarely had any downtime while at work. When I had time to myself, I made lots of friends in the program and traveled all over France and to Rome & Amsterdam. This was by far the best summer of my life! I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is looking to do a summer abroad!

My name is Maria, I am 25 and was born in Madrid, Spain. I was studying Graphic Design in NYC and decided to move back to Europe for a while. Even though, I've been very lucky to have the chance to live all over, this was my first time living and working in a francophone country. I was very familiar with Paris before coming as I have a few friends that live here and I had visited several times. However, it is never the same when you actually live in a place. You get to discover many aspects of the daily life and culture. I was incredibly lucky with my internship at an art gallery. I am very artistic person so being in Paris and working there was the perfect match for me. I got to learn a lot about the industry and how the art business works. I also got to work on my french and my social skills in a foreign language which I think is very useful and satisfying at the same time. I loved every second of the experience. I you enjoy being out of your confort zone and exploring new cities, and getting to know different people, you'll love it!

Overall, my experience with Global Experiences was great! From the start, everything was straightforward and you get what you pay for, black and white just like that. The GE team was very attentive and I must say, they earnestly try to find the best internship that is suitable with your qualifications. I didn't have any concrete experience at all when I applied, after my internship as a fashion editor and writer for a Parisian magazine I can say now that I do. I honestly only have good things to say about Global Experiences. They truly do everything that is in your best interests and are there for you when you and your employer clash for work-related reasons. It must be said that sometimes internships are not the most ideal, but that is not in any way their fault as you can only have what you are qualified to do. In conclusion, I had a great time in Paris this summer because of them and I would do it again if I could. :)

I have always dreamed of going to Paris one day. Not for a vacation, but to actually experience the culture and life-style of French people for a couple of months. Global Experiences made my dreams come true, I came to Paris as an intern for two months and these two months abroad were the best couple of months in my entire life. My dream would not have came true without Global Experiences because they took care of everything, they got me an amazing internship, a place a to stay, a location coordinator and so much more.
I'm so grateful to Global Experiences for making my summer so unbelievably amazing and a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget!
Thank you so much Global Experiences!

My internship abroad taught me so much more about myself than I ever imagined. I found how independent and bold I really am. The only thing I would alter is that I wish I opened up sooner. Because now that I know what I’m capable of I want to jump in head first and explore without holding back. I had the best summer of my life so far in Paris, France. And part of what made it so awesome was the challenges I face while here. I would encourage everyone to try something like this for yourself. Find something that’s going to push you to recognize parts of yourself you never knew. It’s totally worth it.

Finding the perfect internship for the summer is always a stressful time. One day, my French professor told me about an opportunity of working abroad through Global Experiences. From then on, everything just fell into place. All the informational videos and chats just got me more excited about being able to work in Paris. After being accepted, Global Experiences helps you through all your questions and hesitations about going abroad. Although I have been to other countries before, I had never gone to Paris or lived in a foreign place for an extended period of time.

Being a game design major, I was initially a little skeptical about being able to find a relevant internship for my major through Global Experiences. I didn’t want to be just one of those interns who grabs coffee or does busy work that no one else wants to do. Finishing up my last days here in Paris, I am very happy with my placement. The internship might not have been specifically for game design, but because of that, I was able to learn more about different types of programming. My boss was a designer, and therefore she had an eye for aesthetics. Building a website was one of my main tasks. Being a programmer, I could build the main structure of the site, but with her help, I learned about making the website aesthetically pleasing. Towards the end of my internship, I was even able to make a little game experience. This internship gave me the opportunity to go as far as I wanted. I didn’t feel like a machine but rather a relevant team member, so much so, that my boss offered to have me come back to the company when I finished my studies.

For my homestay, I was very close to the metro. Getting around was easy and simple with my Navigo Découvert. For two months, it was me, my host mother, and one other American in the house. I had five meals a week, home cooked by my host mother, and each meal was delicious. I had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life here in Paris, but my host mother’s dinners were definitely on the list too. These meals were also a good time to bond with my host mother and practice my French.

The activities set up by the program location coordinator were unique. They were a good time to be able to talk with the other interns and go to places I might not necessarily have known about. Building these friendships definitely helped me to feel more comfortable living in a foreign place. They were people you could relax and have fun with on the weekends, or just a group to be able to talk to in English once in awhile.

Coming out of this experience, Global Experiences helped me to build my résumé, strengthen my interview skills and just made me learn more about myself as a person. I also get to say that I spent my summer in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I am just finishing up my internship in Paris and looking back, I am extremely happy with my time abroad with Global Experiences. An opportunity like this is not easy to come by but this program made it a very real and very rewarding experience. The language program at the beginning prepared me for my work experience later on and the class was overall very helpful. My internship was awesome and I learned a lot about the world of work that I know will be useful when I return home.

The host mother that I lived with during my time ib Paris was amazing and I truly could not have asked for anyone better. She was patient with my French and made sure I was getting the best out of my time there. It helped that she was an awesome cook too!

The activities set up by our program advisor were great. I had some of my best times during them especially during our trip to Chenonceau in the Loire Valley. He chose activities that we would not normally get to do on a normal trip to Paris but that were still great experiences.

I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in interning abroad.

Paris was definitely a change for me coming from a small town. At first, this city intimidated me. I remember calling my mom and venting to her about all the things I found different in this city. The first month I was here I attended a language school for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. After that, I did a 2 month internship. It was nice in the beginning to only have 3 hours of school so I could get to know the city. Once the internship began, I started to work 40 hours a week and I did not have much free time. I did, although, learn a lot in the work place, improve my French, make friends, and build my resume and knowledge further. This was truly a life changing experience and I am glad that I decided to step outside my comfort zone and apply to this program.