I chose this program because I have read several reviews before and everyone seemed to have a great experience with Meiji Internships. At first I wasn't sure about which country I should go to, but as they were working with many countries in Asia, I thought it might be a good idea to contact them and ask them directly which country would be the best for me.
Alumni Spotlight: Mike Cox
Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
They assisted me with the accommodation, the airport pick-up, the transportation card, the pocket WI-FI, weekly activities... They also assisted me before the internship with my CV, the interview with my host company etc. Basically I only had to book my flight on my own. I could always ask them anything if needed.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
I would say "Don't be afraid to talk with everyone and take advantage of every opportunity. This kind of experience is really life changing and it can become the best experience of your life if you have enough ambition and motivation. Don't be afraid to say "yes" when someone offers you their help and be kind to everybody so they will pay it forward."
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
My internship was a full-time internship. So I woke up at 7am, ate my breakfast with the other interns who lived in the sharehouse and left the house around 8:30 am. Everyday was slightly different in term of work but in the morning I was primarily working on some promotional content for different restaurants and hotels we had partnerships with, or attended meetings with the team. In the afternoon I did a variety of different things such as help manage events or meet with new potential partners. The working day would end at 6 pm, and we either went to have dinner with the team, or I had made plans with my fellow interns.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
I was afraid of failure, that I might disappoint my co-workers and make too many mistakes. I actually overcame my fear by making mistakes and learning from them! I realised that I cannot be perfect from the beginning, because that's exactly the reason why I chose to do this internship: to learn. Making mistakes is in fact the best way to remember and learn faster. And my co-workers were never angry at me or anything!