Program Reviews

Having spent two years as an investment banking analyst in London- I had come to the conclusion a career in finance wasn't for me, so I decided to look at all possible options of a 'career reset'. Upon doing some research I came across CRCC Asia and the opportunities they offered for guaranteed internships.

I felt this was the perfect fact to try a marketing role- despite having no previous understanding or experience in the industry- and also to add an international dimension to my CV. During my initial advising telephone conversation, I outlined a long-standing interest in the airline industry and the advisor mentioned they had just secured a partnership with airline host company and that I could be put forward for a possible internship in their marketing department.

The entire process was professionally handled, and whilst I was made aware they were no guarantees with that specific company- it was great to know that CRCC Asia would ensure I was placed in one of my sectors of choice. It completely eradicates the most stressful aspect of job-hunting- the process of finding and applying for jobs!

About 4 weeks before going to China, I was informed I had successfully been placed at the aforementioned airline- and it happened to be Virgin Atlantic! I was extremely impressed by the strong placement and the fact it was also within the marketing team (as per my first choice).

When I arrived in Shanghai- it was for the Feb 2013 intake- so there were fewer participants than the summer- but if anything this made the experience even more rewarding as all of us got to know each other a lot more and became a very close knit group. In total there were about 15 participants - mainly from the UK, Australia, and the US.

Socially, the experience was unbelievable. Outside of work, the group went out at the weekends, explored the city, took day-trips to Hangzhou and Suzhou, and generally become inseparable. Everyone has their own personality, but the best thing is that everyone is like-minded. We had all given up jobs/studies in our home country to come half way around the world to explore a new and different culture! And fundamentally this made it such a joy to spend two months with people who to this day (4 years on) I still consider many of them my close friends (our 'China crew' still has it's dedicated WhatsApp group- and we still meet up regularly to remember the experience - and the oh so many stories!)

On a professional basis, the experience was equally rewarding for me as I was given an insight into the variety of projects and campaigns the Virgin team were involved in. During my 2 months, I was involved in several Virgin- sponsored events including the Shanghai F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai Fashion Show, and James Bond Skyfall Exhibition (where I got to meet the Bond producers!). From the event-management side, I was also given the project of organising a dedicated Scottish-themed event for 50 of Virgin's agency clients to launch its new routes to Aberdeen/Glasgow- the autonomy of this project had me sourcing suppliers, venue, arranging the actual on-the-day logistics, and working the London marketing team to ensure relevant PR. Alongside this, I was exposed to day-to-day implementation tasks for Virgin's high profile 'Flying in the Face of The Ordinary' campaign- whereby I learnt how digital and physical marketing channels were tailored to a Chinese audience. In addition my time at Virgin coincided with the airlines 'April Fool's' PR prank- whereby the airline claimed to have developed a 'glass bottom' plane- and my manager was responsible for launching the PR aspect of this in China which got picked up by CCTV and reported as a genuine news story - thus generating worldwide attention! Overall the work experience was invaluable in terms of its insight and the fact I got a glimpse of the various marketing strands of a major organisation.

Throughout the program, CRCC Asia also organised various events for us - notably a KTV and dumpling-making session, which to this day my friends and I still talk about! Whilst I needed to rely on the CRCC Asia team for support- I always felt they were there and available if I ever required them. The communication on the ground between the team and the participants was clear but not overbearing- which meant participants still had a sense of independence without feeling patronised.

Overall, I cannot speak highly enough about the experience. For some, the biggest issue will be the funding concerns- which is totally understandable, but if you can secure the funds it's such a great experience - socially and professionally- it's something you will never regret.

I went to Shenzhen through CRCC Asia my sophomore summer of college with the intention to gain business experience as well as practice Chinese. My expectations coming in were completely surpassed from the internship, the great apartment, new experiences, and amazing people I met.

I signed up for the 2 week business course and I highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity. I was able to get close with the 12 other students in the business class and learn about different types of professions and businesses in China. We had 2 speakers a day that ranged from learning how Uber sets up new locations to creating a startup and working with Chinese suppliers as a foreigner.

The course offered great networking opportunities, which is how I got my internship at Omate, a startup that makes smart watches. I was able to grow professionally as well as make an impact on the company themselves. My days were filled with practicing Chinese, coming up with marketing ideas, creating a website, and modeling the smart watch. This experience made great conversations and gave me an edge when interviewing for competitive internships my Junior summer.

On top of the professional experience I gained, I really enjoyed all the activities CRCC provided outside of the office such as dinners, Chinese classes, art classes and karaoke! I also loved the independence you are given, you truly feel like an adult living and working in China. I highly recommend this program!

I interned abroad in Shanghai in the summer of 2015. Shanghai is an incredible city to live in, and I consider myself extremely lucky that I was able to experience it. I have CRCC Asia to thank in part for my experience.
Because I am a Communications major, CRCC Asia doesn't have an internship program specifically catered to my major. I was nervous beforehand that they wouldn't be able to find an internship that matched what I was studying. However, the company I ended up interning with was perfect. The company I interned with is called Shanghai Premium, and is a talent agency that is in charge of commercial directors, producers, animators, etc. Through them, I improved my research skills, my journalism/writing skills, and even learned Photoshop for free! All of these skills I used later in life, and were very helpful to me in the job-search process.
The people in CRCC also helped me throughout my program. They were available via phone and email whenever I had questions or concerns. Once when I was really sick, a member of CRCC helped me find a taxi back to my accommodations, and bought me medicine to make me feel better. I really felt that the company looked out for me.
Long story short, I fully recommend this program.

When I graduated from by Bachelor Political Science I was looking for a new adventure abroad before pursuing my graduate studies and it was with great excitement that I decided to apply to the 2 months Language + Internship program offered by CRCC Asia in Beijing.
This incredible experience in China gave me a professional, cultural and social enrichment thanks to CRCC Asia!
After only a few days in Beijing, I had my routine and I was excited to discover all the beauty that the capital has to offer. All the interns on the program quickly became like family and we all spent so many great moments together. We did and saw during our stay in Beijing! Social and cultural activities were provided by CRCC Asia during the entire Program.
I chose to learn Chinese due to the growing place of that language in the world and my love for foreign languages. My first month of studying mandarin gave me the opportunity to learn some basic of the language and amplify my desire to speak it fluently, and also the desire to explore the world and even more the Chinese culture.
My internship in a Chinese company gave me the chance to have an international working experience in China! I was able to use my competencies, but also to learn so much about the working environment in China and in developing my capacity of adaptation and my autonomy. Discussions with my supervisor and colleagues, lunch meetings and participation at the Convention of Technology in Beijing gave me the chance to gain a better understanding of the business etiquette in China.
Shortly after my return to Canada I realised the beauty of my experience. My stay in China gave me a better understanding of the culture and the way of doing business in China, as well as the desire to become more familiar with different aspects of that country.
Participating in one of the programs offered by CRCC Asia was certainly one of the most rewarding experience I did and that I highly recommend to everyone with the desire to live a memorable professional and social experience.

I participated in the Spring 2016 internship in Shanghai , China. As a nursing major I was placed in at a local hospital. This experience allowed me to experience healthcare in China and will allow me to be a more culturally aware nurse. The staff at my internship were really nice and really took me under their wing. CRCC staff took us to our first day of our internship and I thought that was really helpful. I would recommend interning in China with CRCC Asia.

I had an overall incredible experience in Beijing. The staff was very friendly, helpful, and answered all of the questions that I had about my internship. The people I met during my time there were the best part about my trip. We all got so close and are still friends till this day. There are so many things to do in China and the nightlife is amazing! Overall, I had a great internship experience and would highly recommend CRCC Asia!

My friends and I decided we wanted to travel to one of the most complicated cities in China to reach. We took over 10 modes of transportation to reach our end destination. The longest mode being a 10 hour overnight train, not in sleeper cars. I have never become so close with a group of people as fast as I did on this adventure. I will never forget the people who stared at me on the train, that yelled at me in chinese, and the few people who spoke English that saved our souls.

CRCC Asia definitely went beyond expectations. The accommodation, the business seminars and volunteering programs have all been excellent and fun! There's so much to do in Shenzhen and with all the interns living in the same building it's so easy to make friends and explore the city! My internship has been really rewarding, everyone is so friendly and willing to help. The program managers are nice and always ask how the internship is or if there's something that needs to be looked at.

The best aspect of this programme was definitely the ability to meet new people from across the globe and essentially network with them. I was extremely nervous about coming to China as I had only travelled once on my own before but as soon as I arrived, the staff were very supportive and the other students were very friendly and approachable. The internship itself was okay, I wasn't involved in anything challenging although I asked to be, but I was kept busy nonetheless. I appreciated how the CRCC Asia staff were approachable enough to offer assistance when needed but offered us plenty of space to socialise and do our own thing. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone wanting to see a beautiful country, meet amazing people and learn skills from your placement. However, it does help learning a few words of Mandarin beforehand, although it's the capital, you'd be surprised at how few people actually speak Mandarin. A good tip - if you're lost, ask teenagers or very young adults for help, their English level is usually pretty good!

China was brilliant! Best experience of my life. I learnt and grew as a person.

I thought I knew a lot about China but when I went there I saw that I was not even close to knowing China. Beijing is a place full of life and culture. The people are amazing and are extremely friendly. They went out of their way to make me feel at home. I loved it. I loved them!

The work ethic there is brilliant and people indeed work hard. I found customer service to be a bit slow but I guess everyone and everything can't be perfect. The random spitting on the roads was also a bit of a turn off but I would say the positives in China massively outweigh the negatives.

China is beautiful and has warm and wonderful people.

I left a bit if my heart there.