ISA Internships in New Zealand

I decided to spend my summer (winter) in Wellington, New Zealand interning in the Clinical Trials Unit at the Regional Hospital.

I came into this internship with an open mind, because that's basically what all of the reviews I read clearly stated one should do when traveling to a totally different country on the other side of the world. I chose New Zealand because it isn't the typical study abroad spot where I'm from.
I've attached a few photos to this review, mainly of the sky or landscape because I’m continuously amazed each day. Literally, one day you wake up and it’s bright/sunny and feels like summer - then the next it can be dark and gloomy as if the sun never existed. My favourite times of day are when the sun comes up and when it decides to go down especially when it’s not raining.

One of the photos attached is a picture of what looks like an orange/blue lake with smoke rising from it. This is located in a place called Wai-O-Tapu or sacred waters, which is part of a Scenic Reserve that has been administered by the Department of Conservation. I didn’t expect to find such rich Maori culture/history or such diversity when I was planning this trip. I can say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Aside from the obviously beautiful landscape and sky, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with some amazing and wonderfully friendly kiwis during my 8 weeks.

As part of the internships BCP, I’ve been in Auckland and Rotorua prior to starting my internship in Wellington and I can say by far, Wellington is a home away from home. In my opinion Auckland reminded me of New York where it’s busy, hectic, crowded, and big. Rotorua was just pleasantly small, but smelled like sulfur everywhere. Last, but certainly not least – Wellington by far is my absolute favorite. It has the small town feel, yet the big city vibe, the downtown life, the crowded traffic, the obvious animosity between strangers, and of course the good-more so than bad weather habits.

I definitely plan on coming back to Wellington, whether it be for a holiday or to work. If ever presented with the opportunity to intern abroad – take it. It won’t be a poor decision. I’ve studied abroad and I’ve also interned abroad. The key difference is having the confidence to be able to venture out without the “supervision” that comes with studying abroad. As an intern, you learn the “ins and outs” of the local life of the country you’re visiting without presenting yourself as a tourist. And of course, you can also do all of the touristy things as a local.

I've always had the desire to travel to Oceania, but as my academic career wouldn't allow for taking classes abroad, I decided to apply for an internship. In my 21 years of life, I feel that this is easily one of the best decisions I have made.
GlobaLinks worked with me, and my specific interests, to find an internship that perfectly matched the experience I was looking for. As a Chemistry major, I told them I wanted to do something that involved Biomedical Research. Within two weeks, I got a call from the program coordinator, offering me a spot in a natural products lab that tested marine life for compounds that have use in medicines in Wellington, New Zealand. It was perfect!
I immediately began finalizing my plans for the trip. To be honest, the two months leading up to my departure seemed surreal.
Upon landing in New Zealand, the other interns and I were greeted by a GlobaLinks coordinator, who was in charge of us throughout the six weeks I spent in Wellington. The first few days were an orientation that introduced us to the country and its culture.
I spent four days a week in a research lab at Victoria University, and I was given the other three days to travel and explore the country.
The internship itself was everything I could have asked for and more!I was given a project with a species of algae. I extracted compounds from the material and spent the subsequent weeks separating and testing the compounds. I went into the internship with absolutely no organic chemistry knowledge, but the staff in the lab gave me a crash course in the subject and helped me every step of the way. I gained an incredible amount of experience throughout my six weeks in the lab. Most exciting, however, was my last hour in the lab; in the last set of tests I ran, I discovered two compounds that had never been seen before! The entire lab was standing around me as the result popped on to the computer screen. I watched in elation as the lab director jumped out of his chair and cheered, and my lab mom smiled and hugged me. I nearly cried from excitement (in fact, I'm tearing up now just thinking about it!).
The travels were amazing, as well. I have countless stories, way too many favorites to write about here. However, I will say, if you end up in New Zealand, travel to Taupo and do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. I went during the New Zealand winter, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. I fully plan on traveling back to New Zealand during their summer to do it again.
Overall, the six weeks I spent in Wellington could not have been better. It was easily the most amazing thing I have ever done, and I consider it the experience of a lifetime. I grew academically, I grew professionally, I gained an incredible amount of independence, and most of all, I've been able to step out of my comfort zone and have become much more social than I have ever been before. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
If you are even remotely considering an internship overseas, do it. I promise it'll become the best decision you've ever made.

I spent my summer (winter) interning at Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka, New Zealand. As an IPR major and an action sports enthusiast, I was placed in the marketing department where I helped conduct day-to-day marketing programs, social media generation, on-hill photography, and so much more.

Cardrona is the only ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere with an Olympic sized Halfpipe. This summer they hosted the NZ Winter Games which is a platform event for the 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi this spring. I was fortunate enough to be a part of this event, and was able to meet many Olympians I had looked up to my entire life. None of this would have been possible without Globalinks and their efforts to place me with an organization that was an ideal fit for me. This experience has truly given me a leverage within the industry and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity, and took the initiative, to participate in a program that literally changed my life.

I consider New Zealand a second home- the landscape, people I met, and relationships I developed helped to make this experience one of a kind. I would recommend a trip to New Zealand to any and everyone, because it truly is a place like no other. I fully intend on returning there one day, and can't wait to re-experience its rich culture, breath-taking landscapes, and friendly people all over again.

If you're considering an internship in New Zealand, don't hesitate! It will without a doubt be the best and most rewarding decision of your life.

Don't expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter - it might take a few days to get used to your new life in a different culture. New Zealand is a beautiful country filled with honest and loving people. It doesn't take more than a day or two to feel comfortable here.
For example, don't go to your internship site in the morning and plan to go directly to your hotel room when you're done with work. Each day after work, I made it part of my schedule to venture into the city and meet new people - it really is easy as most of them come up to you in coffee shops or the laundromat!

I was an intern at Child, Youth, and Family in Porirua (just outside of Wellington) and it was one of the most amazing experiences! Our group immersion was in Rotorua consisted of tubing in caves with glow worms, learning how to do the haka, and plenty of good information on how to explore the country safely and thoroughly.

After our immersion, we left for our internship sites, and I saw our apartment, which was basically the penthouse of a downtown apartment building, very close to everything Wellington had to offer. My roommates and I went to the Wellington 7s and had an amazing time dressing up and fitting in with the locals.

At my internship site, I got real hands on experience of working at a social service agency. It made me appreciate what I had, and made me want to help others more. The social workers that I worked alongside were super supportive not just in the workplace, but also trying to get me integrated into the Kiwi lifestyle. This internship provided the reassurance that I needed to follow my dreams. I am now in a master's program in social work, hoping to make a difference in the lives of our American children and hopefully child abroad as well.

In NZ I visited Rotorua again to visit all the geothermal sites, Auckland, Napier, and took a tour of the South Island, which absolutely amazing. I did the 134m Nevis Bungy in Queenstown, swam with wild dolphins in Kaikoura, and hiked up Fox Glacier. I have countless stories about how amazing NZ is. It would take a lifetime to explore all the gorgeous nooks and crannies. I am definitely planning a trip back to NZ in the future!

I did a custom date internship for 7 weeks in Wellington. I suggested a few advertising agencies that I was interested in interning at and the GlobaLinks staff got me paired up with my FIRST PICK, Young & Rubicam! It was super easy to get enrolled.

I would walk to and from work. At work I was able to experience all components of ad agency life. Everybody was very friendly and encouraging. It was interesting to see advertising perspectives in a different culture.

While there, I lived in a VERY nice apartment complex with other interns. I only had one roommate, who was also a part of the Globalinks program. Wellington is super safe and has a great nightlife. There was a great farmers market each Sunday on the water. I only worked for days a week, so I was easily able to travel on the weekends. I went to about four different places in the month and a half I was there. New Zealand has great buses that can get you pretty much anywhere. I traveled around a lot by myself and never had any safety issues.

I met a lot of awesome interns from GlobaLinks programs, but I also met a lot of awesome locals out at night as well! One of the best experiences of my life!

I had an internship in Queenstown, NZ at a hotel and got to learn all about the daily operations of the hotel with experiences at the front desk, back of house, housekeeping and inventory management. I was also placed on special assignment to work on updating the website and other marketing management for the property. Globalinks, specifically AustraLearn did a grand slam with finding and placing me in an excellent internship.
The city of Queenstown itself had plenty to offer. As the "adventure capital of the world" it draws in a variety of tourists which gives you an opportunity to meet more than just Kiwis. One of the highlights of my weekends in Queenstown was definitely the Canyon Swing where you drop the height of the statue of liberty and then swing across a canyon (safely in a harness, of course) over a river. It is a bigger rush than bungy jumping!
I suggest this program and this city to anyone and everyone who is thinking of going abroad. Personally, I cannot wait to go back!