[2014-2018] Customized internship with ABROADER

Prior to arriving in Vietnam, I had never had a so-called "life-changing" experience. There is no guidebook on how to achieve one, nor was I able to grasp such a concept, moments so strong as to change the path for your life. That is until I went to Vietnam.
There is so much more than meets the eye in the beautiful country of Vietnam. A tourist or temporary visitor may only be granted with picturesque views of rice fields and the women in their hats, the mountains of the north, or a steaming bowl of Pho placed on their plastic red table. And while these experiences are all incredible in their own right, there is so much more to discover, whether it be the story of the people under the hats, the sellers on the streets, or the history of the land that you have the opportunity to travel. SE Vietnam granted me the opportunity to uncover such stories, and an internship with memories that has left me longing to go back since the moment I returned home. Vietnam has become my second home. Granted, I had gotten the opportunity to travel and become accustomed to Vietnam for about four months prior to starting the internship. My University had allowed me to study abroad during which time I adjusted to the food and language, learning about almost every aspect of Vietnam culture. But this was only a preview of what was to come. My time with the internship let me interact with the people, practice my Vietnamese, take trips with my coworkers, and uncover passions for things I didn't know existed. I have too many incredible stories to be able to write them all throughout this review, and so I'll pick a few of the mostly little interactions that really meant the most. SE Vietnam set me up in a homestay, perhaps one of the highlights of my journey, and I can say with complete honesty that I felt like part of the family. There was a cook by the name of "Vui", meaning happy in Vietnamese, and how appropriate as she radiated happiness onto me throughout my entire stay. She did not speak any English, but somehow I was able to coordinate trips to the market, request my favorite food for dinners, and convey to her how much I loved her country. She bought me 21 roses on my 21st birthday, only proving her kindness. The mother of the household, unlike Vui, spoke some English. She often taught me Vietnamese when I had free time, as well as took me to the market, and made me feel extremely welcome when I felt the slightest bit homesick.
But as for the internship itself, I was placed in two hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, one directly in the center, and one located more on the outskirts. I'm not going to lie and say that there were no challenges. Originally people were confused to why I was there, I got lost several times, and some days I had no one to teach me, but those were a minuscule few days as most, out of a ten week internship. I made friends with the doctors who taught me about topics from infectious diseases in Vietnam, to the catheder lab, and even more in the surgical urology department.. We frequently went out to eat, where we exchanged stories, and I answered curious questions about my time in Vietnam thus far. Other friends I made were medical students, originally too shy to approach me, but through my time in the hospital gathered up the courage to speak to me. I served to help them practice their English and was happy about it as I know how many opportunities it can open up for them. They invited me for bubble tea, food, and even once to a Vietnamese fruit farm, two hours by train. I was gifted the opportunity to dress up in the MOST attractive brown cloth attire, and proceed to pick and eat as much fruit as humanly possible on perhaps one of the most humid days. While I felt almost at home, eating to my hearts desire, I most certainly looked out of place with the brown pants acting more like a short capri on my long legs. It was days like this that I got to thinking of how grateful I was for the opportunity to stay in Vietnam for a little bit longer. I learned lots about my friends, and one of my favorite aspects of their culture is how open they are to strangers; how they just immediately let them in to their personal lives, and are completely honest. It is something that I miss the most.
And lastly, as I don't want to write a novel here, I have to talk about my experiences with the nurses at the second hospital that I worked in. The first week as usual was slightly stressful with not much sense of direction, but I quickly made friends, and their generosity was incredible. My days consisted of learning from doctors for a few hours, walking from room to room, checking patients vitals, or just practicing Vietnamese. But as soon as I took a break in the nurses "lounge", I was bombarded with different Vietnamese foods coming my way. Each nurse wanted to share with me a piece of their dish, and talk to me as much as they could. Each morning from there on I would be asked in Vietnamese "Ali an sang chua?", a phrase meaning "have you eaten breakfast yet?" Per usual I had not, and my answer encouraged them to start making me a coffee, and once again piling different foods in my bowls and encouraging me to eat mysterious shaped foods. My response that the food was delicious, or "ngon", only encouraged them more. This routine continued until the end of my internship. The goodbyes were not easy, and there were many I had to make. Each attempted goodbye always ended with another attempt by them to try and meet up once more, at which I sullenly had to refuse.
There are only a few things I will say to end this review that went much too long. These moments that I experienced were granted to me due to my opportunity to take up an internship with SE Vietnam, who set me up in the select hospitals, with my host family, and opened the doors for me to make connections. And of course when you take on an internship you have to do your part. You must be open, able to laugh when things don't go your way, and not let any roadblock deter you. Looking back I know that I have changed. While I couldn't see it in the moment, the internship boosted my confidence and improved my relationship with failure. It also made my more open with myself and those that I met. I wished my internship could go longer, and perhaps I will find a job in Vietnam one day, so for now all I can do is reminisce through reviews about the most life-changing time I had with my internship and with SE Vietnam.

All of my coworkers were friendly and welcoming and taught me about life in Vietnam. However, what the company wanted from me was different from what I wanted to get out of my experience in Vietnam and working for the company. […] SE Vietnam did a great job with the service provided to me. They are not entirely at fault for the situation at the company I worked for, and they were able to fix the situation at the end. I was satisfied with the rest of the services provided by SE Vietnam. The Local Buddy system is a good way to have a proper cultural exchange and the host family I was set up with was perfect. All of the employees at SE Vietnam were also very helpful and genuinely care about me.

My first internship placement, at Bac Lung Secondary School, was excellent. I love living and teaching there, and I wish I could have stayed the entire time. I felt like I was making an important contribution in the community in allowing the students to learn English from a foreigner when they might not get that chance otherwise. Obviously, having to move and change everything halfway through my internship was not ideal. Since I came to Vietnam expecting to live in the countryside and teach English the entire time, the move to the city, where I could no longer teach, was frustrating. That being said, my experience in Hanoi ended up much better than I could have expected, and I am grateful for the opportunity to go outside my comfort zone living in the city. One of the best parts of my experience was the local buddy system. […] it was invaluable for me to have him (the local buddy) as a support and confidant. My experience would not have been the same without him.

I am satisfied with everything that SE Vietnam arranged for me. Everyone was extremely responsive, my questions/concerns were always addressed within 24 hours; everyone I interacted with worked extremely hard to make sure my internship fit well and went smoothly. It took time and effort for both parties, but it was necessary in order to ensure a worthwhile experience. My supervisor at my host company was great at communicating exactly what she expected me to do without micro-managing. Many times, she gave me the freedom to problem solve on my own, which contributed a lot to the learning experience. She understood that my well-being and holistic learning experience were the highest priorities, even above my day-to-day internship responsibilities. Every time I encountered health challenges (3 different times) or had the opportunity to experience a different side of Vietnam, she was extremely supportive and encouraging, even when I felt obligated to work. I would definitely recommend this program to my friends/colleagues that are interested in doing internship abroad.

“My internship is an education service provider that connects Vietnamese students with opportunities to study abroad. It is a small office, and I work in both Marketing and Partner Relations. I write a lot of PR articles about studying in North America, school profiles and upcoming events. I am also working to expand their partnerships, particularly in my home country of Canada, and am connecting with universities and colleges there to discuss how we can work together. During education fairs I talk directly with students who are potential clients. I share my experiences and answer their questions about life abroad… I learned a lot about how to work in a fast pace environment, and how to organize competing priorities, as I am often given multiple tasks to work on. Working in a small office with young, motivated people is a great experience, because they know how to work really hard, while still having fun together. […] Vietnam is even more beautiful than I had imagined. I think it’s amazing that Hanoi is such a busy urban area, yet there are parks and lakes around every corner. Outside of the city the scenery is breathtaking. I love that there are so many opportunities to experience nature, with activities such as kayaking, hiking and rock climbing.”

The most difficulty in my internship was language barrier. It was the first time to visit Vietnam and learn Vietnamese for me. When I worked with co-worker, I felt I looked like a baby that I can't understand what they said, and speak Vietnamese.

The experience felt sure now that I am back in my own country. Vietnam is place of wonders where I just cannot put my camera down to capture every single memory I have.

The culture is unique so of course culture shock, in a good way, will be part of the experience. Tourist sites are here and there but Halong Bay is a must go place. Shopping, cheap and amazing.

Tourist craze aside, being a student in Vietnam also have its own highlights. Lecturers are very committed to their work and students are fairly shy yet helpful and are very much interested to bring you to their view of Vietnam. I have pretty much learned the history of Vietnam although briefly and looking around the locals there, you will realize how strong and ambitious they are for a better future for their country.

Studying in Vietnam provides me a lot of new experience and knowledge. since I come here, I have never stopped learning; information comes from everywhere not only from the class, but also from people who live here, they are friendly and willing to help me. Environment here is also great, I often go for a walk in the evening to see beautiful rivers and mountains around the campus, this is an amazing experience.

The work ethics here are different. No matter what position they hold everyone here are given a chance to state their opinions and ideas' Therefore they exchange knowledge and skills no matter how high their rank is in an institution. Everyone give an effort to learn something new especially about your culture and religion, therefore you should also open your self to the local people. At first it is kinda weird when people in the office like to sleep during lunch hour but after some research, a short nap can result in high concentration of doing your work. As a third year student, i am still far from the ''working world'' and my colleagues are patience and sincerely guiding my work for the past 6 months. And for that, I am very grateful as asking too much can be a nerve-wrecking.

Again, thank you.