Global Experiences/AIFS Abroad

I have 2 big pieces of advice
1. SAY YES TO EVERYTHING! Even if something isn’t up your alley, try something new. That being said, try to cross one big thing of your To Do list every week. Also, download the “Pin Drop” app. It marks everything you want to do on a map. SUPER CONVENIENT!
2. Don’t except an internship if it’s not exactly what you’re looking for. I personally loved my internship but one of my roommates didn’t step up and say that she didn’t like the internship they lined up for her. This program is extremely accommodating and will find an internship you’ll love. They’re really big on having a 10 out of 10 experience.

My internship was very different in hours compared to everyone else. Most internships are 9-5 from Monday-Friday. Most days after work, I’d try to get together with the other people in the program and grab dinner or do a small activity. On the weekends I always tried to do something BIG. By doing this, I crossed off everything on my list!

My biggest fear was actually commuting to my job. I found out a month before going to Australia that my internship was 2 hours away by transit (most are local). I didn’t find out until the week before I got to Australia (when my boss emailed me) that she picks me up and drops me off from work 3 days of the week. Global experiences knew this too but I didn’t ask. I simply uberpooled (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) the other days. Most of the time I saved 50% off my Uber fee and they didn't pick anyone else up. I realized that commuting to work wasn’t even worth fearing. If you’re uneasy about something, talk to the global experiences staff or email your employer.

-Camping in the Blue Mountains
-Figure 8 Pools
-Sydney Bridge Climb
-Great Barrier Reef (a little piece of advice, you’ll want 3-4 days here at least!)
-Melbourne Cup in Melbourne!
-Glow worm caves
-Holding a Koala and Feeding Kangaroos at the Gold Coast
-Grounds of Alexandria
-Wine tasting in Hunter Valley
-Chinese Garden of Friendship

I'm lucky to be able to work with many of our alumni and interns while they're abroad and capturing their stories and experiences. I get to hear a lot of awesome perks that our interns receive from working hard at their internships, but my favorite was when our Barcelona Fashion Business intern, Olivia V., attended the 080 Barcelona Fashion Show for work. She was interviewed by Elle Magazine, and was featured on their next issue!

This question is perfect for me because I have gone on one of GE's internship abroad programs!

Fall of my senior year, I had a marketing internship abroad in Florence, Italy for 3 months. Studying abroad in Italy had always been a dream of mine, and Florence seemed like the perfect choice for many reasons. I wanted to experience a different culture, and knew that Florence had so much art, history and architecture to offer for me to learn and explore. For my first time living abroad, I wanted to live somewhere that was easy to get around in, yet was also an easy gateway to explore the rest of the country and Europe. The language barrier did not bother me either because I heard that Italians were friendly and just appreciated you trying to speak their language.

Upon arriving, these reasons proved to be right on all accounts. Interning in Florence, Italy was everything that I could have dreamed of and more!

I find Global Experiences to be unique because of how passionate every member of our team is about our mission. We've all had life-changing experiences abroad, and want to help young professionals gain a worldly perspective while enhancing their career path. We truly care about every single intern that goes through our program and are dedicated to finding the best possible match for them from pre-departure to when they're on the ground. I felt that myself as I was going through the Florence program, and was confirmed once I started working behind the scenes at GE.

I was especially proud of my team when we pledged to donate $20,000 every year in scholarships to interns. We want to make this experience accessible to as many students as possible, and to make this official was really exciting.

I believe that the biggest factor in being a successful company is to value your customers and always put their best interests first. It's important to ask for their feedback, listen, and act on it. No one knows their customer journey better than they do. Using their data to create useful, personalized experiences for others is okay, but it's important not to abuse their data. A successful business starts and ends with valued customers.