Asia Internship Program (AIP)

I had thought about life in Japan for a couple of years before I finally decided to go there while on summer break form Uni. I remember I was a little bit too excited when I submitted my application.

I chose AIP mostly because other internship providers in Japan required you to be there for a specific start and end date which didn’t fit in with the allotted time given from my University.

My biggest regret was not taking the initiative to learn some of the Japanese language because I feel like I would have gotten a bit more of an immersive experience if I did. I was there for a grand total of six weeks before I even learned hello or thank you which I am pretty embarrassed about but realistically no one expected me to speak it.

When I stepped off the plane in Tokyo airport I was super nervous, I stayed in a hostel called Hop Step Inn for a few days while I looked for accommodation - a lovely hostel in a great location btw! I think this was one of my better ideas because I met some really nice backpackers from Germany!

I gotta admit that on my first day I was pretty nervous but I wasn't there a week before I felt completely relaxed. During my time there I created content for their blog and social media outlets and as one of the only native English speakers in the company I did a lot of proofreading and editing of the other staff’s work. I loved my work there and the staff are great people, I wasn’t expecting the responsibility of making my own promotional blog series so I was delighted with that. The other interns in the company who started a few weeks before me were some really lovely and helpful people!

Japan itself is an amazing place, the food was particularity amazing - my new obsession is jiggly cheese cake. The overall experience was well worth the trip!

My overall experience with AIP was wonderful. They were very responsive and helpful when it comes to enquiries, also their monthly networking event was a bonus to all interns. I have attended a few of their #BIG vents. It was informative and at the same time enjoyable when it comes to socializing with different business individuals during the networking session.

As for my working experience. It has definitely improve my interpersonal and communication skills during the past four months. By being able to perform multiple task efficiently and communicate more effectively within and outside of the company. Furthermore, I'm able to clearly identify my strength and weaknesses. Some of discovery are quite surprising. Definitely it is not a full stop when it comes to learning and there are room for improvements within those specified areas.

Not to mention the travels and the countless adventures in Thailand. Few of the highlights were hiking some of Thailand's beautiful national park and bike rides to some local hotspots. Best of all was the selfless and kind hearted people I have encountered throughout the months. After graduation, I look forward in developing my career in Thailand. A country which has so much to offer. Thanks AIP for providing us a gateway in enhancing our career!

My time in Malaysia was mostly good. My Dad is half Malaysian and it was a side of him I wish I could relate to more hence my deciding to go. I applied through Asia Internship Program and the rest is history.

I had an interview with AIP and it was fairly painless after that (I'd say it was about six or seven weeks later) I was set up with an intervire for a Hotel based in KL which I gladly accepted. I applied with a few months to spare before my interview was due to start which I think made the preperation more relaxed. I hate feeling rushed so I'm glad I was so overzealous.

The placement was pretty good, a little slow going for the first month as it was off season but it picked up for my last couple of weeks there. My favourite duty was talking behind the reception as I got to speak with lots of people from different backgrounds. Considering I was an intern I got a fair amout of exposure and responsibility, I can't say I love the feeling of being thrown into the deep end but I know it's the best way to learn.

Most of my time in Malaysia was amazing, the only down I has was leaving my bag unattended in a bar one night, of course it was taken and really it was more my own absentmindedness than anything else but it was still upsetting. Aside from that I was delighted to travel the country I've heard my Dad talk about for years, my favorite spots being Panang and Redang Island! So beautiful. I'm not really sure what else to say just that I'm delighted I decided to try this out!

When I applied through Asia Internship Program to do a HR internship in Indonesia I was looking to mesh travel and gaining experience to make my LinkedIn profile and resume more impressive. I had indevered to go to Indonesia because it was not the most typical place to see down on a resume so I thought it would be eye catching.

As a person who has never gone anywhere on their own before going to Indonesia I can say that the staff at AIP did a fairly good job when setting me up for my move, the process did take a little longer than I expected but I suppose the visa time is out of their hands, but to be fair I was given precise directions for the visa arrangements.

When I landed in Jakarta I stayed in a hostel in the ‘city centre’ - I had no idea just how massive the city was - the hostel was in a pretty good location for touristic activities but far away from my work, finding a house was a bit stressful just because I had to do it after work and I was just so tired but I found one eventually! Day to day life was pretty pleasant in Indonesia, the people seem very relaxed I wasn’t crazy on the food just because I am a weakling when it comes to spice!

Human Resources suits we down to the ground because I love talking to people and helping people, during my internship I had the opportunity to converse with many international people so I was in my element. It was a great fit for me. While my time here was amazing I am looking forward to going back home and bragging to people about my stint abroad!

As a South Korean American who never had the opportunity to discover and explore his heritage, this trip was exactly what I’ve been looking for! A trip to Korea was never possible because I was always caught up in my studies and I spent all my summer holidays working in the family restaurant. I never had the chance to really learn my language (I can speak Korean ok but I can’t really read it), eat my food and explore my culture. This didn’t sit too well with me so as soon as I was graduated from University I applied to intern in Seoul for 4 months to gain cultural and professional experience, no brainer to me!
In University I studied marketing but I had zero experience which is why is was so vital for me to do an internship. I really enjoyed my placement, I was heavily focused in digital marketing and social media which comes quite naturally to me. I really enjoyed the work aspect of my time abroad. As I look like a Korean native I had a lot of people speaking to me in rapid Korean – my Korean is only ok and I know almost no slang so this was quite difficult for me at times. I did see an improvement in my language skills but I still need more practice. While I loved my time in Korea the only thing I didn’t care much for was how spicy the food is, even if you say not spicy!