Program Reviews

During my 8 week internship that I completed with my host organization in Beijing-China, I unfortunately had the experience of having my passport lost/stolen while touring the city.

In my last two weeks of my job where I had my major project due, I had to negotiate and organize time with my employer to call and visit the local police station and public security bureau multiple times, obtain evidence and documentation of the incident, and go through the long and detailed process of applying for a new visa and passport within 2 weeks. It was quite an adventure!! An adventure that resulted in me picking up my visa the morning I was due to fly home. Thank god public transport to the airport is so amazing because I only just made my flight!
The Staff were very friendly and understanding given my situation and were extremely helpful in helping me obtain my documents I needed to be able to come home.

I greatly enjoyed my time in China and would definitely do it all again.

This program was amazing. Living in a completely new country with people of completely different way of life was an eye opener and a great experience. The other interns were great people and I made a few lifelong friends and memories.

The highlights were the trips to Yangshuo and Guilin and drinking Snake Jio with the locals!

I highly recommend this program for anyone looking to have some fun, meet some new people and have a life changing experience.

I spent in Shanghai two months and I met people from all over the world, especially from Australia. I had the chance to go around the city with an amazing group of people, and I had the opportunity to improve my English with them.

This internship program was one of the best experiences of my life. I met so many different people from all parts of the world who I still keep in touch with. I was able to see so many different things an actually do a lot of activities that weren't even on my had to do list. So many opportunities presented themselves when I was there and I took advantage of every one. I was only there for 2 months and that was my only regret. I should have stayed longer. The program coordinators were always accessible every step of the way. Th culture is awesome. The hustle an bustle made my days go by fast. The food was great and I had no complaints. In Shanghai, English speakers weren't too hard to find an my basic Mandarin helped me more than I thought it would. I recommend CRCC fully!

That's Chinese for "I am from the United States." It's three months since I've returned home from what what was one of the best experiences of my life (no exaggeration). Let me give you a glimpse into the two months I spent in Shanghai. Imagine yourself riding in the passenger seat of taxi, in what should really be NASCAR considering how fast these people go...windows down, gold embellished temples just barely noticeable among the glass, steel, colorful skyscrapers that surround the city. You can actually smell/see the assortment of dumplings made by street vendors. My first impression...This is a Chinese New York, but bigger, much bigger. The nightlife is comparable to that of Miami; as a miami native that is a bold but true statement. Oh and the work you ask? Lucky for me I was placed in a Consulting Firm that challenged my thinking daily, with independent projects, group collaborations and close mentorship every day was an adventure (even getting there by Subway). The rumors are indeed true: there is no such thing as personal space. However, its a small price to pay seeing as you automatically become a local celebrity just for looking differently. If none of this tickle's your fancy, SOMETHING in Shanghai will. It's a city of bright lights, growing potential and exotic beauty. Give it a try, I'm so glad I did...

If it's your first time in China and you don't speak the language it can be very, very daunting. Staying in a hotel with a large group of other interns makes this much more manageable and fun.

The internship itself varies, though I think most people in my program would report having had a good experience. You probably won't be placed in a huge company but the experience in itself is what impresses your future employers.

The social aspects of the trip are definitely the highlight. I had the pleasure of meeting other likeminded interns from around the world and of course the nightlife in Shanghai is phenomenal.

While CRCC Asia is quite expensive, if it's your first time living in China it is definitely worth the extra money. The program staff were very helpful and the built-in social network is invaluable.

CRCC Asia is a great way to make your resume stand out. The program helped me get an awesome internship where I met a lot of great Chinese co-workers, developed my skills, and practiced my Chinese. CRCC Asia participants come from all over the world, which was also a plus for me. Depending on your internship, make sure it's right for you. Some of my friends didn't do much on the job, whereas I always had something to keep me occupied. The program was definitely worth the investment and I recommend it.

I am so grateful to CRCC Asia for providing me with an opportunity to not only live in China, but also work and enhance my professional development. The decision to work in Shanghai, China the summer of 2013 was one of the best decision's I made in my life. I was hesitant to take advantage of the opportunity at first because of fear that I could not finance it and living all away across the world from my parents and support system. However, I quickly realized what an awesome opportunity it would be and beneficial experience I would gain to enhance my life long-term. My parents and I were able to make this happen and I realized when you release fear and step out on faith, your life will be enriched in so many ways. I worked for a large law firm that challenged me intellectually, and culturally. I worked on so many valued added projects in the areas of law that I loved (contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and employment law). My boss was superior and helped me get exposed to as much as possible within those few months. My language skills improved tremendously because my firm spoke only Chinese. As a result, I have had numerous job offers and interviews because the employers in the United States are so impressed with my experience in China. I would recommend the experience of living and working overseas to anyone. Finally, it helps when the country you live in is so beautiful. I think I saw all of China while living there and did lots of shopping relatively inexpensively. I hope you will seize the opportunity like I did to live in China.

Best,
Thelma Brooks

During the months of April and May 2015, I had the great privilege to complete a two-month internship at a Chinese law firm in Beijing, through CRCC Asia. The idea to benefit from a professional experience abroad had crossed my mind a few months earlier. When it became clear that I wanted to pursue an internship abroad, I immediately chose China. What had emanated from some research because of my curiosity became an ongoing learning experience during those two months that I will never regret!

I applied to CRCC Asia because, after researching other internship placement options, it seemed to me that the CRCC Asia Program was wide-ranging enough to offer me the opportunity to develop an advanced understanding of the innovative way law is practiced in China, with a privileged glance on the fundamental aspects of international business. China has the world’s fastest-growing economy and is undergoing what has been described as a second industrial revolution. China is one of the world’s top exporters and is attracting record amounts of foreign investment. To be introduced on a practical basis to the main legal issues arising from the globalisation of the world economy and to gain some experience delivering international standards of excellence in a stimulating unique environment, I knew that that internship with the CRCC Asia program was the key.

CRCC Asia provided me with the opportunity to complete my internship in a Chinese law firm consisting of more than 200 legal professionals and considered as one of the oldest and largest private full-service partnership law firms in China. My department specialized in facilitating legal services to multinationals, domestic companies, and individuals for both inbound and outbound investment. As an intern, I drafted and amended legal research documents, performed market research and sector analysis, attended contract meetings with colleagues and potential international clients, and practiced my presentation and interpersonal skills by briefing my supervisor on my research and individual projects. I really felt like part of the team!

Thirdly, thanks to CRCC Asia, during the very first days, I learnt the difference between visiting another country and living there. In fact, it was even refreshing to be destabilized from my usual environment. It was also good to be able to lean on someone who knows the place for any enquiries I had regarding the attractions, public transportation, fake money or fake alcohol, and cultural differences to pay attention to. With an amusing quiz testing our knowledge on China’s demographic and economic portraits, Sheree and Gogo, our two Program Managers, introduced us to this big city’s survival tips. How do we use our transportation cards? How do we read directions on bus stops since they are only in Chinese characters? How do we give business cards (yes, it matters a lot!)? All of this was eased thanks to these two friendly women who made us comfortable to ask questions – even the most ridiculous ones – from day one.

Also, if you have never been to China, the first thing that will strike you upon arrival is how you definitely need more Mandarin than “Nihao” and “Xie Xie” to get around in Beijing. In Western countries, we can easily find people with a minimal comprehension of English, and if not, it is quite possible to jabber some Italian or Portuguese thanks to our basic knowledge of Latin idioms. However, in Beijing, understanding each other is a massive challenge! Fortunately, with CRCC Asia, some Mandarin classes are included.

It is undoubtedly a well-structured program with constant support for your wellbeing, from the day you apply to the moment you will come back to your country. However, don’t believe that, because of that, you won’t have time to visit the city! First, the accommodation where all the CRCC interns lived was excitingly located in the District 798, where we can find several art pieces from Chinese artists. This area had such a modern energy! On our second day there, we visited the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, which was organized by CRCC. Catch a cab and quickly you can be in Sanlitun, the district that could be in any other international city with its infinite futurist towers and its trendy bars full of expatriates. On our second weekend in Beijing, we were offered the opportunity to climb the Great Wall and to camp by it for a night. You cannot go to Beijing for an extended period of time without seeing the Beijing Acrobatics Show, a classic of the Chaoyang Theatre, since the history of acrobatic shows in China has been existent for more than two thousand years. We saw it as well, courtesy of CRCC.

Finally, we also had the opportunity to meet other expatriates and feel like, as interns, we were part of the whole Beijing young expatriates community. If some cultural or business event for expatriates was held, CRCC Asia never failed to invite us. I performed some community service, attended networking events held by the British Chamber of Commerce, and even assisted to a Seminar at the Residence of the Ambassador of New Zealand. If these activities were incredibly intrinsically enriching, they were also great opportunities to meet like-minded young professionals and students from around the globe, to develop a lasting network of business connections, and, of course, to establish treasured new friendships.

Considering everything I gained, my experience with CRCC Asia undeniably provided me with everything I needed…and more. What I wanted to acquire from this internship program was the ability to run into unfamiliar situations with confidence. I did get that confidence; however, what I did not know before leaving Canada is that, thanks to CRCC, Beijing is now a place that I can call home.

The people at CRCC were great! From the first meeting in Australia, to getting of the plane and being greeted by water and cookies, everyone went the extra mile to make us feel supported. Besides organising accommodation and visas, it's being paired up with a business that is really priceless! Organised activities and plenty of opportunities to meet other interns and network. Can't recommend CRCC enough!