Zentern - Amazing Internships in Japan

Program Reviews

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Adza
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Just Do It!

I was only in Tokyo for a month and I keep wishing I had come for longer because there is so much to see and do. I really wanted an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone this summer, and Zentern helped me achieve exactly that.

My internship placement was amazing, and I was given the opportunity to work with and learn from like-minded people. Additionally, I have picked up a ton of new skills that will benefit me in the coming school year, as well as in the future, career wise. I am also happy to have made friends in the office and with other Zentern interns.

The activities planned by Zentern were a lot of fun and pushed me to explore different areas of Tokyo and discover new interests. I was very nervous about navigating around Tokyo because I do not speak Japanese, but found people were very helpful whenever I got lost.

The highlight of my trip was the food and I am so happy to have tried so many new things and discover new favorite foods.

I wish I could do it all over again!

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Valeria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best expierence in my life

At first, I was quite worried about going to another country alone and not knowing the language but the Zentern team helped me with all the first steps to start my internship with confidence and to have a pleasant stay in Tokyo. They helped me to find a convenient accomodation, a sim card and to understand the public transportation. I stayed for five months and never got bored. The team organized every weekend different events around tokyo with other interns. It was nice to know not only japanese people but also from all around the world and to learn their different cultures.
Whenever I had questions or problems, Zentern was easy to contact and always wanted to help me. I can say going to Tokyo was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Raw chicken, sea urchin, sea eel, scallops and everything with matcha.
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Tom
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Business Internship

I applied at Zentern to do a marketing internship in Tokyo, the selections process was very smooth! Arriving in Japan for the first time was quiet scary and exciting at the same time! Luckily, the Zentern staff gave me a warm welcome and doing fun activities with other interns made making friends a lot easier. For example, we would go to the digital art museum, night aquarium and other fun events!

The marketing internship was quite challenging and helped me to grow from a student into a young professional. I was assisting the marketing director with market research, attending events, prospecting and other digital marketing activities. My intern company allowed me to take online Japanese lessons three hours per week which resulted in a conversational level at the end of the internship. I would definitely invest some time in learning the Japanese language this makes the experience more authentic!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
The most unfamiliar thing I ate was a sea urchin! Quite a different experience as the structure was something I never have tasted before! Highly, recommend to try it in a good sushi place.
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Lance
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My internship turned into a full-time job

I found Zentern when I was hitting a low point due to prolonged unemployment and increasing pressure from people around me, I decided to sign up in hopes that it boosts my portfolio for future job searches.

The Zentern team helped me get an internship in a great company and provided continuous support throughout, something I did not expect as I thought the company would leave me by myself after I got on board. By the end of my internship, I was offered an opportunity to work for that company as a full time staff, which I happily accepted.

I couldn't thank Zentern enough for everything that is done. On top of having a full-time job now, I also made many new friends and had many great experiences during my stay in Tokyo. If you ever dream of working in Japan, even if temporary, I recommend giving this internship a try.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I wish I found this earlier and applied earlier than I ha.
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Jesse
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great marketing internship in Tokyo

My internship in Tokyo was a life-changing experience for me. Thanks to Zentern I got to meet a lot of new people, expand my professional network and see Tokyo from a more "local" perspective.
Zentern saved me from a lot of unnecessary stress and headaches, even before my trip to Tokyo. They placed me in a great company, found great housing for me where I met a lot of new people, helped me with my VISA and answered any questions I had before the internship.
Zentern also provided me with amazing support during my stay in Tokyo. I remember that I had some problems with my house manager on my moving in date. I contacted Zentern and they fixed the problem quickly.
Zentern also organizes fun excursions and trips to make your experience really memorable. Participation is not mandatory but it is highly recommended since you get to see a lot of nice things.
11/10!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
One of the most surprising things I've seen was "Kanamara Matsuri" <-- you should definitely Google this. It's an amazing festival at the beginning of April in Tokyo.
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Finlay
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Kick-started My Career in International Business!

I have had a wonderful time with Zentern, and thanks to all the people involved with bringing me to Japan, I now have a full-time career at a multi-national company.

Since I arrived in Japan I have felt very safe and well taken care of. As many others have already stated, the Zentern staff are fantastic, and will make sure you receive an experience that is tailored to your needs and wants.

My internship was in finance and I was quickly able to apply the skills I had developed at university. The challenge curve was perfect for me as I was given a brief starting period to get comfortable, before important responsibilities were then handed to me on an increasing scale.

Socially the internship was also great, I have made many good friends at work and developed a true international network of professional contacts, that continues to grow. The activities with Zentern have been a lot of fun, the best of which was a trip to Mount Fuji and the lakes surrounding it, where we stayed at an amazing ryokan (Japanese Style Inn).

I definitely recommend this company, you will have a fantastic time!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
As someone who grew up with horses, probably raw horse sashimi! Not too bad though.
Nora
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience Japan

I really enjoyed my internship with Zentern. Especially the family like environment is nice as you are really treated as a person and not just a number. We had a say in which activities we wanted to do so the whole experience was pretty much customized, which made it even better. :) We got to do a lot of different activities like a kimono experience in Akasaka, went to Okutama to see the leave change color, ice skating in Roppongi and the Edo Museum. We also saw the cherry blossoms and had a networking event where we went to a VR Park later. So lots and lots of activities to do. Tokyo is a really exciting city and staying and getting the support from Zentern to get started and settled in really made me feel comfortable here so much so that I consider this place as a second home now.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
As our welcome dinner, we went to a Japanese restaurant and we ate semi seared chicken. It was actually pretty good.
Corey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Trip, amazing staff

From the beginning the staff at Zentern we’re incredibly patient and willing to help, there were several instances where I’d get a reply from Zentern staff within the hour who where over 5000km away, and it would take over a day for my university to fill out one request.

My experience both leading up to the internship and during it was great. I felt looked after and comfortable and everyone was willing to help. I have no Japanese language experience when I embarked and I was still able to successfully complete my internship and live easily with Zenterns help and expertese in researching suitable suitable companies and homes.

Overall my experience was great and couldn’t fault it at all, I strongly recommend anyone that can, to go overseas and experience other cultures and Zentern is the best way to do it in Japan.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would’ve undertaken some more intensive language training
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Lok Hei
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A fruitful internship in Japan

I participated in the Zentern program during January 2019. As a marketing intern, I get to learn more things about taking social media contents. Other than marketing-related tasks, I was also responsible for various ad-hoc tasks and this really trained my versatility. I learnt a lot throughout the internship. Also, the staff from Zentern are very helpful and they solved a lot of my inquiries before coming to Japan. I definitely recommend the Zentern program to the people who want to explore Japan and widen their horizon at the same time.

During the internship, my colleagues are extremely helpful and friendly, they taught me a lot of things that I could not get from University. I think this is a great chance to get myself prepared before I graduate from University. And for myself, I am considering to work in Japan in the future and I think Zentern did a great job in helping me to explore the country.

Also, the zentern trips are great. I went to different places with other Zenterns and they were amazing. We had lots of fun together and I made a lot of new friends.

What would you improve about this program?
If there is an additional workshop about Japanese workspace culture, I think that would be cool! But other than that, everything is perfect.
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Chris
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome Japan Expereince

Zentern was an excellent program and I recommend it highly. The time in Japan was enlightenment and I hope to come back again soon. The internship team was great. I worked full-time and in the beginning had to get used to the professional lifestyle and Japanese business culture. Most of my co-workers spoke English and the environment was very international. During the 3-months, I met a lot of new people and even though I didn't speak Japanese I was helped by all.