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Next Step Connections

4.73 Rating
106 reviews
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Why choose Next Step Connections?

Next Step Connections offers real-world internship experiences across Asia for students since 2008. Our educational experiences are designed to provide all students with the skills they need to succeed in the modern workforce. We are committed to empower global youth to meet future challenges, and reach their full potential through transformative career-building experiences in Asia.

Our programs are best suited for students and young professionals looking to travel the world to build their skills in real work environments with an open heart to new experiences – those in search of diversity, community, and purpose.

We are experts in customised internships, study abroad, career starter programs, learning expeditions across Asia. From Hong Kong to Shanghai to Tokyo to Seoul to Bangkok to Singapore to Saigon to Delhi to Jakarta, we have been a catalyst of change for over 5,000 students, 100 university partners and 1000 employers.

Founded
2008
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First day with HR

Community Awards

  • Go Overseas Award

Reviews

Kendra
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Bangkok Future Leader Internship Program

The Bangkok Internship That Gave Me Work Worth Showing

Aug 31, 2026

I came to Bangkok through Next Step Connections as an International Business major with a marketing minor, and the placement they matched me with genuinely fit. I spent the summer as the digital marketing intern at Escaplan, an experiential team-building company, running social media for two of their products: GoSnoop, a detective-themed scavenger hunt through Bangkok's old town, and Agent Smith, a spy-themed corporate experience.

The work was real. I built SEO keyword strategies, produced Instagram Reels and TikToks, designed carousels, edited footage from live corporate events, and sat in on positioning conversations while the company reworked its brand. I came home with a portfolio and work that I could show.

NSC handled the parts that would have been overwhelming to sort out alone: housing, airport pickup, SIM card, transport card, and pre-arrival planning that meant I knew what my first week looked like before I got on the plane. PA and the Bangkok team were quick to answer whenever I had questions, and the cultural excursions took me to parts of the city I never would have found myself.

One thing worth knowing going in: my visa took longer to come through than expected. That's the Thai process, not anything NSC controls, but build in buffer time and start your paperwork the moment you're accepted. The team kept me updated throughout and was responsive whenever I checked in on it. If you want real responsibility abroad instead of busywork, this program delivers.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Learn a handful of Thai phrases before you go. Hello, thank you, sorry, and how much does this cost will get you surprisingly far, and people respond differently when you try. Beyond that, come in ready to ask for work. My placement gave me real responsibility, but part of that was because I said yes to things and asked what else needed doing. Interns who wait to be assigned tasks get less out of it. Learn the BTS early, get comfortable with Grab, and keep cash on you because plenty of places still prefer it. Say yes to the cultural excursions even when you're tired from work, since those are the days I remember most. And protect your weekends. Thailand is small enough that you can be on an island by Saturday morning, and those trips are half the reason to do a summer here instead of an internship at home.
Pros
  • Responsive team
  • Logistics handled
  • Good placement
What other participants should know
  • Self-directed
  • Other expenses excluded
Kimberly
Transgender Woman
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Bangkok Future Leader Internship Program

Wonderful experience that I recommend for everyone

Aug 22, 2026

I had a wonderful time with this program! Throughout my experience, I came to love living in Bangkok, and I made a variety of friends. By the end, I came out of it more confident in myself and felt like I was more capable. My job allowed me to work in the SRHR field, which I am passionate about. As a result, I felt like this summer engaged me with my career passions and aspirations more. Staff were supportive, and housing was overall nice. Bangkok is an extremely vibrant city with a plethora of opportunities - this summer gives you the space to connect with the local community. By the end of the summer, I felt like I had developed meaningful relationships.

D
Male
Australia
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Hong Kong Future Leader Internship Program

The internship group works hard for you!

Aug 20, 2026

My Hong Kong internship involved some setbacks and unexpected issues, but The Intern Group staff worked hard to improve the situation and make the experience run as smoothly as possible. They listened to my concerns, remained responsive, and made a genuine effort to find practical solutions when difficulties arose. I appreciated their support, professionalism, and commitment throughout the process. Based on how they handled the challenges, I would rate The Intern Group very highly.

Their communication helped me feel supported during uncertain moments.
They approached each concern with patience and understanding.
I could see that they cared about improving my overall experience.
I would recommend them to others considering an international internship.

Liam
Male
Australia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Bangkok Future Leader Internship Program

My experience and support was perfect

Jan 15, 2024

I feel like I was able to get enough support to allow me to grow and smoothly move into an international country. I was able to learn to become more independent and responsible in 8 weeks. Aaron was able to find the perfect company for my preference and had always given me support and guidance when travelling. I thank him a lot for his help and it makes me want to do the process all over again! I’m still shocked by how much I learnt during my time in Bangkok, I’m surprised at how much I’m capable of growing. I’m very drived after the experience to continue to work and I’m excited for my future endeavours

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Future Travellers, just be open to trying to new things and saying yes to everything. As my workmate said “push yourself out your comfort zone, you would have already grown ”. Also be prepared to learn a lot even things you didn’t know you needed to understand. But overall the all work together!
Pros
  • Kind Environment
  • Everyone willing to help and challenge me
  • Independence
First day with HR
Katie
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Bangkok Future Leader Internship Program

Life Changing Experience

Jan 1, 2024

My time as an intern in Thailand with NextStep was one of the more life changing experiences I’ve had. NextStep did a fantastic job helping me with placement and making sure I was having an enriching experience while I was there. NextStep provided me with an advisor that taught me about cultural history and norms that was crucial in gaining a broader understanding and appreciation for Thai culture. I can’t recommend doing an international internship enough because not only did I learn professional skills, I learned a lot about myself and my worldviews.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I would recommend for future travelers to accept and embrace uncomfortable moments. Living, working, and traveling abroad will inevitably place you in situations that are new and probably uncomfortable. Being willing to embrace these situations will leave you as a more resilient and well rounded person.
Pros
  • Gain extensive first hand experience in an international setting
  • Learn about a new culture and try new foods.
  • Gain professional skills needed for entry level career postions
What other participants should know
  • Far from home
  • Various uncomfortable situations but many led to enriching and fulfilling memories
  • Difficult to learn a new language
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Programs

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Max Leblanc

Program
Shanghai Future Leader Internship Program
Max Leblanc is a 21-year-old dual French and American citizen who grew up in New Jersey and is currently an undergraduate student at Skidmore College. He is studying International Affairs and Biology and interned in Shanghai.
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Describe a goal you set and how you went about accomplishing it:

One of the goals I had set for myself before I left for Shanghai was making as much of an effort as I could to apply the Chinese I learned at University of Melbourne. I really wanted to integrate into Chinese culture as much as I could rather than being just a tourist. In the beginning of my experience in Shanghai, I was a little intimidated to speak Chinese because I was afraid people would not understand my pronunciation.

However, as I started to meet new people especially at work, I started to learn more words and improve my pronunciation. This gave me more confidence to speak in public like at shopping malls when I need to get a size for clothing or ordering something on a menu. Being able to communicate better makes want to continue to improve my Chinese vocabulary even if I’m not in China.

Tell us about an experience that you had that you could not have had at home:

One experience that I have had in China that I certainly could not have in France or America is the traditional Chinese cultural experience. For example, Tea is an integral part of Chinese history that emperors regarded as crucial for physical and mental health. I was walking in Yu Garden, which is an area of Shanghai to visit old Chinese temples, eat some local food, and buy some silk products.

As I was strolling along, 3 Chinese students approached me asking questions about myself. A couple minutes later, I was walking with them because they wanted to take me to a traditional tea ceremony. Going inside a private room, a woman was showing and explaining different types of tea to me and their various effects to the human body and mind. The woman also washed the teacup after introducing each type of tea. I was able to taste the best fruit tea of my life, which was a splendid red colour.

I was even able to take some fruit tea home with me after the ceremony. This experience was unique because not only did I learn about tea practices; I was able to meet local students. It is isn’t common to see other people my age just approach me like that in France or America and was a wonderful moment.

What was the best place you visited outside your intern abroad city?

My favorite city outside my intern city was Hangzhou. I would say I even liked it more than Shanghai. I went to Hangzhou to visit my friend from my university in America. It was a beautiful city surrounded by green hills and mountains. It had a national park with a lake in the centre. My friend and I rented bikes for the day and we were able to explore the entire park.

I saw lotus flowers for the first time and also the Broken Bridge that is a historic bridge of Hangzhou. One thing I really liked about Hangzhou was the people. I found that they were a lot friendlier than Shanghai. It seems that life had less pressure and people valued their leisure time more. I also like it because there was lest foreign influence than Shanghai.

I loved the local food like fresh grilled fish on a stick coming directly from the lake. I also really loved the way people dress. Women dress quite elegantly with a summer dress, high heels, and a sun umbrella.

Where was your best photo taken and what was it of?

My best photo taken was in GufuBao village in Hebei province about 2 hours south of Beijing. It’s a picture of myself with one of the little girls in the school at the village site. She certainly made me smile, as I was so happy to make an impact at her school.

This photo was very meaningful because it taught me how much of a difference in gap there is between children who live in the large coast cities like Shanghai and those that live in a rural village. This photo also taught me about what’s important in life and how fortunate I was to be able to travel thousands of kilometers to help children in need.

Describe your favorite must-have food that you tried abroad:

There are so many delicious foods to eat in Shanghai and I highly encourage everyone to try foods they cannot eat in their home country. For drinks, China has incredible watermelon juice, banana milk, coconut milk, tea, and milk tea with pearls. They are all very refreshing especially during the summer when the humidity of China is quite high.

For foods, China has great tasting bread for meals and/or snacks especially pork floss bread and sausage bread. In addition, food from Xinjiang province, which is noodles with beef, peppers, and onions, are delicious. Xinjiang restaurants are all around Shanghai and are definitely worth the search.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Aaron

Program
Bangkok Future Leader Internship Program
Job Title
Managing Director - Bangkok, Thailand
Experienced Resident Director with a demonstrated history of success working in the higher education industry.

Skilled in Event Management, International Relations, Leadership, Student Development, and other International oriented projects.

Strong educational and professional background in Southeast Asian studies and Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Aaron

What is your favorite travel memory?

It's hard to choose just one, as my journey abroad has been full of so many amazing people, places and cultures. I would say the best parts were the unforeseen and unexpected moments where plans and related expectations went out the window and I was just living side by side with locals following no plan.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to be directly involved in the creation of new programs from idea and development phases through the marketing and delivery of those programs. I am excited to work with students helping them find their professional footing and access improved professional growth and opportunities through internship and working side by side with leadership on the processes for improving programs for our students and partners.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I have so many alumni that contact me, and return and visit me, but one of them said I am part of their Thai memories and experience, and so they felt a return without catching up would be a tragedy. That was the best story. In fact, now I have more than 10 students living in Thailand working, in relationships and continuing education. We are all close, and that is meaningful to me.

I always said to my students: once a P.A. student always a P.A student. My students refer to me as a P.A., which is a term of respect in Thai culture.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

What makes NEXSTEP unique and makes me proud is that our specialists are truly specialists.

In many companies, you speak with a program manager or specialist who has hardly or never actually traveled to the place they are promoting and sharing with students. We are all specialists in Asia and the majority of our programs are managed by people who have lived in the country for years, or native to the country.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

It's all about the students who we serve. We were them, we are their connection to the country they chose, and it is a duty and an honor to be the person who helps them fall in love with the country we represent.

It is that dedication to international education and what that means not only to our customers but to the people and places where we work and the world, as we help build peace, through knowledge and understanding.

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Anthony Woo
CFO and Director of Strategic Planning at Next Step Connections

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