Program Reviews

I worked in the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the executive director said to me it was up to me what I wanted to get involved in so you really have to throw yourself into it and be proactive and get involved in all of their events/projects going on.

I was involved in copy writing for the website for example articles about events, as well as attending and helping to run events and business development.

The office is very small made up mostly of chinese staff who are all nice,and a great way to learn more abotu Chinese culture

I went to lots of events and at first felt a bit out of your comfort zone as business etiquette is very different to ours! lots of job opportunities and networking events where people ram their business cards into your hand and want to see what they can get out of you!

You get out of your internship what you put in so be proactive and engage and everything they do.. lots of post work chamber events which I pretty much went to all of them and got involved in the running of the event

Be approachable and offer help, you'll only get something out of it if you put the effort in.

CRCC was invaluable as a means to enter into China for a working-holiday. I had heard that this was one of the most expensive internship programs one could find, but they do the work of finding your job for you and the companies they place you with are very reputable. CRCC provides exactly what is in their contract with you, no more and no less. I found the living accommodations extremely agreeable, we had a new apartment with new furniture and ample space for 2 other flatmates.

On your first day of work, they take you directly to your office via hired van. Watch out, because they do not provide you with transportation to get home from your first day of work, so you feel as if you've been dropped in some random location in China and you have to become a homing pigeon to find your way home. I would recommend taking a taxi home that first day, it is not worth getting lost.

The staff at CRCC are very helpful and they love their jobs. A lot of their plans are communicated through email format, you must check your email daily to keep up with the ever changing plans. They tend to switch locales of events often, so to stay informed I kept in contact with the fellow interns to keep updated when internet was unreliable.

The Mandarin classes offered use a very quick technique of teaching! If you are attentive and take advantage of every class offered, you will learn enough Mandarin to have short conversations and survive in general in one quick month. Note that the Mandarin classes are held in an office that is "off the beaten trail" from the main streets, and I was slightly nervous walking to and from that location at night alone. It is better to meet up with a friend at the subway platform or a specific subway exit and walk together.

I would recommend this to a friend if he/she:
- has never been to Beijing/China/Asia
- does not know the language
- is travelling alone
- is willing to work hard at their internship, as it is not a vacation
- likes Chinese food
- has done other overseas travelling before

I Loved my experience with CRCC Asia and the city of Beijing. There were many opportunities to supplement your internship with extra edifying cultural experiences i.e. learning the language or visiting rich cultural sites such as the Great Wall of China. CRCC is very accommodating, if you weren’t satisfied with your internship you could be placed with an alternative option. Support from CRCC Asia could have been a little better, when first learning how to access phone usages or similar small activities could have a better experience. Overall, I had a really great time. Met a lot of interesting people and gained a few great friends across the world!

I participated in the program this July-August and had an absolutely wonderful time! I met fantastic people from all around the world, Shanghai is a beautiful city (the people take a bit of getting used to), my internship was awesome, and the CRCC staff are great. They really try to do everything in their power to make your trip worthwhile. I've read some of the comments here and a lot mention its hit or miss on your placement, and I would say that may be true to a degree but a bigger factor is what you make out of it. If you can show initiative, build a relationship with your boss, and show you can do quality work you will truly get a lot more from the internship than those that just sit at their desk and wait to be given work. The job is what you make it and I know many that loved their jobs and made great connections, I still email with my boss all the time. But by far the best part of the internship is interacting and exploring Shanghai with the other interns. An experience I will never forget!

An internship in China... who would have ever thought about it?? But WE thought & WE got it, WE went, WE worked & WE learnt, WE lived the CULTURE of CHINA.

Being an International Business Management Student, China was the best choice for an internship as China is the fastest growing economy in the world. It is a learning curve for all business students as it relates to the transition of international trade to global trade and serving the entire world as one supermarket, where China is considered the major outsourcing hub.

How to deal with situations where you know no one, nor can you speak in the local language? Shanghai presented us with such situation every day since people rarely speak or understand English and we didn’t Shanghainese or Mandarin either. So the solution was to learn basic Mandarin…..CRCC Asia provided us with the schooling facility where you can learn basic Mandarin and now we can rely on our Mandarin communication if we happen to visit CHINA again.

2 months in China, spent in meeting new people, friends, colleagues, learning business etiquette and Chinese culture and climbing the GREAT WALL of CHINA...…..time just flew…. CRCC Asia made it a visit worth with their excellent hospitality, celebrity accommodation and of course round the clock support for any single thing you ever thought about. CRCC Asia has the best people employed who look after all your needs and they are just a phone call away.

I miss orientation, welcome and leaving drinks parties, banquet, charity events and business seminars.

What a fantastic experience we had!

It was truly an eye opening experience. I have learned a lot about Chinese customs and culture in general, just by visiting many various sites across Beijing. Every day was a new adventure and I enjoyed every second of it. As far as internship itself, although people at my office were friendly, there was not much to do, other than sending e-mails and researching few things all day long. It all depends on who you intern for, but other than that it was an awesome internship.

I took this program during the peak summer seasons with a lot of other people. Even so, people's experiences seemed to fall into 2 firm camps. Some people found their internships fantastic; they loved their companies, had worthwhile work to do and they made fantastic connections. Others had a terrible experience that was a waste of time for everyone involved. Examples of the horror stories I heard: Whole days spent sitting emptily at a desk, bosses seemingly devoid of a heart and who couldn't care less about you, telemarketing for 2 months in English to a population that virtually only speak Chinese.

But I still think this program is worth it because of two things. If you have never been to China, spending 2 months in either Beijing or Shanghai will deepen your understanding of this country and really, really widen your global perspective. Two, if you don't like your internship placement, request a change, immediately! The CRCC support staff are wonderful and personable, and they work really hard to accommodate requests and listen to what exactly it is what you want. Without them my summer could have gone a whole lot worse, and many of the folks who started out with awful internships also took this step and found their second placement much, much better.

I, Rick Purvis, was on a two-month internship in Beijing, China organized by CRCC Asia. I worked for Deli Solar, a subsidiary of China Solar and Clean Energy Solutions.

Firstly, the highlights as I do not have many difficulties to share. I prefer to learn from mistakes and to take experiences as they come, no regrets.

The CRCC staff were absolutely amazing. If I ever wanted advice (wedding presents), directions, or help to understand the Chinese characters on the washing machine they were always there for me. What stood out the most about the staff are their personalities and understanding. They knew we were in Beijing to work but also enjoy the city and were happy to accommodate. For me, I felt they were a fellow intern who wanted to enjoy each others company. The extra activities, school visits, and business talks (Gung Ho Pizza – is the best and most useful talk I’ve had, thank you). I lived in a Shaungjing hotel with 100+ fellow interns and roomed with the one and only Italian gentleman known as, Emanuele. The guy is a legend.

The locals I interacted with were very welcoming and especially helpful. It was good to see even with language difficulties we could laugh at the situation. Some comedic situations are universal. The social scene I found to be amazing (especially coming from little ol’ NZ). It is extremely forgiving and relaxed with rules etc. I miss the bars and restaurants scene in the Hutongs. Beijing provided a great mix between classy bars and areas where you just want to have some fun. The fun of the Sanlitun bars/clubs matches well with the vibrant food stalls in the same area. The atmosphere here is unique with so much going on, food, drinking, and with different nationalities mingling.

I thoroughly enjoyed the people I worked with at Deli Solar: Patrick (supervisor), Cisily, Serena, and Sunny. The girls were amazing and they were open to helping me understand China’s culture, people, and history. It was fun to work in a new environment to what I am accustomed to and to view different working mentalities and organizational processes. I wouldn’t say I was challenged with the workload, however, there is only so much a company can do for a 2-month intern.

On a more personal note, I could not have asked for better during my time in Beijing. I am naturally a confident person yet this trip as provided me with a greater zest for life, travel, cultures, and experiences. I always felt safe in Beijing because of my own ability to make intelligent decisions, otherwise I was aware of who could help and of emergency contacts (CRCC Asia). Personally, I choose not to be given prior information, I was in China for an experience and I believe in learning from your mistakes. It is part of my journey. I do not have regrets because I made the most of my opportunities and that is all I can ask for. However, when the doctor warns you of becoming sick from the food because your body is not used to it, listen and do take some prescribed medication with you ha. I do expect to return to China someday, it will not be through CRCC because the friends I met, experiences with them, and the ‘newbie’ situation is where I want to leave it. That was the most important time in my life and I want it kept untouched. For those I believe suitable, yes I would advise them to visit China through CRCC in a heartbeat. It was the best time in my life.

I have little to complain about, the lodgings were great, the staff incredible. I personally didn't feel like I had the most fulfilling internship. I was given little to do, and the work I was given wasn't particularly interesting. I don't know how much I'll be able to talk it up in a future interview. Talking to other interns, I don't think I stand alone in this regard. That's not to say every intern had the same experience. Some people had extremely rewarding internships, where they were given a lot of responsibilities and had the chance to develop some useful professional skills. Despite my own experience, I would absolutely recommend this to friends.

Graduation has been sneaking up on me and I was feeling the pressure from my advisors and peers to land a big kid job. I applied for the marketing internship in Beijing through CRCC Asia thinking that there was slim to no chance that a girl from small town Arkansas would be selected. Before I knew it, I was applying, interviewing, and accepting the internship.
Working in Beijing during the summer has been one of the most challenging and exciting experiences of my life. I gained knowledge, experience, and an advantage against my fellow graduates.
Take the plunge and go to China for your internship. CRCC Asia was a great program to work with. From the crash course in all things China to the social events to make friends with your fellow comrades, I always felt that the CRCC team had my best interest in mind.
My only parting advice is to opt for the longer internship because one month is just not enough to fully immerse yourself into the Beijing lifestyle.