SE Vietnam: Offers Customized Internships in 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.