Program Reviews

In the Summer of 2018 I spent a month working at Jingshi Law Firm in Beijing; and it was such an incredibly interesting and rewarding experience. It was exactly the type of firm I was looking for when I applied through CRCC Asia, so I was very grateful to have the chance to work there.

I thoroughly enjoyed going into work every day (even if it did mean leaving the great accommodation we were in!) and I found that I was assigned much more responsibility and tasks than I imagined considering I am not a Law student, which was fantastic.

Whilst I am by no means a linguist, and probably never will be, the optional Mandarin lessons provided by CRCC were not only useful and informative, but also rather entertaining.

I think my internship in Beijing was extremely rewarding and worthwhile, as I have gained a huge amount of knowledge, not only about the legal sector, but also about business and culture in China. This experience will benefit me greatly in applying for jobs in the future, as it should make my CV and applications stand out!

My experience in Shanghai with CRCC Asia is one I am very grateful for. The opportunity to live and work in a culture so vastly different than my own is one that very few people get to experience. While the hustle and bustle of Shanghai is not something I was used to, I ended up loving the fast paced culture I was immersed in. Not only have I boosted my workplace skills and employability but also my life experience. The memories made are some that will last a lifetime as they were once in a lifetime.

Being immersed in Beijing for two months was certainly a challenge and having been to China before it prepared me for the experience. During my time there I had the opportunity to travel outside Beijing to the city of Qing Dao and this was great time to relax after the two months.

The CRCC Asia program was great, they placed me in a international division of a marketing company. The company had a Chinese and International team. I worked in the International team. The accommodation was very good due to it's convenient location as there were many restaurants, cafe's and bars.

The staff was very friendly and this made the program less stress-free. The networking provided with new opportunities me opened more doors back home in London and I would highly recommend the program for one who is looking to widen their network and gain more experience.

The internship was amazing! It really was a brilliant way to get a feel for a tough work environment that's quite different to the UK. It gave me a lot of transferable skills and I had the best time and made some awesome new friends!! The social life in Beijing is fantastic as they really pride themselves on going out in groups either personally or professionally and it's a great way to interact and meet new people.

Being in Beijing was an incredible experience, compounded by the awesome non-governmental organization I worked with, Beijing Youth International Culture and Arts Association. The program CRCC Asia helped to coordinate was a phenomenal experience and absolutely something I would recommend to others. It was my first time abroad and it went beyond smoothly. Though the work was not necessarily what I was interested in (we couldn't find a human rights internship unfortunately) the work I did was nonetheless important in supporting low-income communities. I worked at the main office and created a comprehensive list of museums across the world for my organization to use in promoting globalized art and cultural artifacts. I also went in twice a week to a special needs primary school in Eastern Beijing, which was such a wholesome experience.

Overall, CRCC Asia did an excellent job at supporting our internships, our network-building, and providing a great experience abroad.

Being immersed in a completely new environment provided me with a sense of discomfort which allowed me to develop my personal character as well as change my approach to problem solving and question answering. This new environment allowed me to focus on my weaker points and helped me to put forward any ideas, and observations that I thought would be of relevance. I believe it is true that at times of discomfort people grow into a stronger person once they manage to overcome whatever obstacle may be present. In China, there were many boundaries and times where I felt discomfort yet I never lost hope or gave up. Learning new skills and techniques in China has shown me different ways to approach my personal education while I finish my studies at the University of Canterbury. The Chinese are firm believers of balance, my manager taught me that it isn’t about studying yourself into the ground on one day and relaxing for another, instead it is important to split your study and relaxation time in half. For example, for every hour spent studying, spend 30 minutes to an hour relaxing afterwards as a reward. This helps keep motivation levels high and avoids the crash of spending long hours studying non-stop.

I cannot to speak highly enough of my experience this past summer in Shenzhen with CRCC. The program will have benefits specific to each person that takes part, but for me it has allowed me to match my ambition to reality. To have the capacity to work in different cultures than that of my own has always been an ambition of mine. So I consider myself extremely privileged to have had the opportunity at such an early age, to do so. Not only that but to have that experience in a country as central to the worlds future as China and a city as exciting and awe inspiring as Shenzhen is something I intend to make the most of. The people I have been exposed to and interacted with as part of the program will provide me the platform to do this. Tue experience wouldn’t be what it is without the people at CRCC however. The friendly, approachable and professional nature of the whole team that looked after us and guided us created the perfect environment to make the most of what was and is an all-round fantastic experience and opportunity.

I had a great three months in Beijing and I wish I was still there. The apartment was located right in Beijing's 798 Art District which provided access to great food and exciting activities. The staff who assisted us in Beijing were professional, attentive and always happy to help.

One of my concerns before I arrived was the language barrier. However, I quickly found that the local residents were incredibly friendly and accommodating. I did not have a single problem with any people.

Beijing is enormous. I could spend my entire life there and not see it all. There is always something to do and new things to see. There are beautiful historical sites like the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City as well as a vibrant night life in Sanlitun.

The internship experience was similarly fantastic. CRCC matched me with a great organization that fulfilled all my requirements. Make sure to be very clear when signing up for the program about what you need. If you do, CRCC will go to great lengths to make sure your needs are met.

In regard to traveling to Beijing, just remember to keep an open mind and leave your expectations at home. There is a lot to experience and the more open you are the better it will be. After coming home, I have decided to continue traveling abroad. In the coming months, I will go to South Korea to teach English. My experience in Beijing with CRCC has given me the confidence I need to live and work abroad.

Some last notes. Alert your bank that you are traveling before you go. Download your VPN on your phone and laptop before you leave. Make sure you download WeChat on your phone. Once you arrive, make sure to make friends with the owner of a restaurant called Makatos in 798.

I chose CRCC Asia due to the range and quality of companies CRCC could provide. I definitely feel I was placed within a relevant company. Additionally, the other activities CRCC organised and offered whilst out in Beijing sounded really good and would give me the best chance to meet lots of people and take part in amazing experiences. Some of the events I took part in were: an acrobat show, Mandarin lessons, a Man City v Arsenal match at the Birds' Nest Stadium and numerous nights out to local bars and restaurants. The pre-departure drinks evening in London was also great for meeting fellow interns before heading out to China a few weeks later.

Whilst interviewing for my first job (as a Project Manager in a bank) as well as a few others at the time, talking about my internship was amazing. It made me stand out to employers and in a few interviews it ended up with them asking me all about my time in Beijing more than anything else! During interviews I found myself having a lot more interesting situations to call upon and refer to, as well as finding that the interviewers seemed a lot more interested in my answers to their questions. Since becoming a teacher, I really feel the confidence and life experience I gained in China has really helped me become successful in my job and be able to tackle any problem in front of me (since after being lost in a massive city where no one understands me any problem doesn't seem so daunting!!).
Professionally, my confidence in dealing with the unknown and being able to improvise in any situation was improved. I also gained my first experience working with international clients and having to adapt quickly to different working styles and cultures.

Personally, my confidence was given a huge boost by this adventure. After returning home I was immediately more motivated to go out and make things happen for myself, not as afraid to put myself out there and take (calculated) risks.

This trip has also gave me the travel bug, since 2012 I have travelled to more than 20 countries and have no intention to stop anytime soon! Prior to this trip I'd never left Europe, yet here I was preparing to work in one of the most contrasting countries to my own. I also began learning Mandarin prior to my internship Mandarin (which I am continuing to this day) and being able to experience and use the language first hand was excellent for my progress.

It's really hard to pick a favourite moment from my trip! I was mesmerised by the vastly different culture and spent a lot of time interacting with my work colleagues and locals in order to immerse myself in their way of living. Beijing is a fantastic city for seeing ancient history (Forbidden City etc) as well as sparkling new architecture (CCTV Tower etc) and I loved being able to experience both, sometimes within metres of each other!

My advice to future interns would be to make the most of every opportunity. You never know how contacts made in a random meeting in the middle of a massive city like Beijing could have a positive effect on your future. Also, enjoy the best of both worlds during your internship; take on everything possible during your working day, challenge yourself and test how far out of your comfort zone you can go. On the other hand, after work, enjoy everything amazing places like China has to offer. Try the strange food, talk to the locals in an unfamiliar language and visit the fascinating landmarks around you. Even to this day I am still not over how amazing my time was in Beijing and my friends and family will tell you, I'm still not finished talking about it quite yet!!

I interned with CRCC Asia in Shanghai over the summer of 2014. Three years later and I am still seeing the benefits of my experience!
I had always wanted to go to China - plenty of my friends had travelled South East Asia but few had been to China so it seemed like a great place to go to get something different for my CV. Shanghai in particular is such a vibrant city. There's always so much going on so you're never stuck with nothing to do! My highlights included lazy afternoons in the markets and the parks, and further afield I will never forget camping on the Great Wall!
I chose CRCC Asia primarily because I valued their professional approach to the internship. I wanted professional experience as opposed to simply travelling. I also got a lot from the business seminars and mandarin lessons that CRCC Asia provided - it was great to have something extra to talk about in interview that showed that I hadn't just partied whilst in China!
When I arrived in China I made friends for life, and three years later am still regularly in contact with many of my Shanghai friends. All CRCC Asia interns are serious about their futures and passionate about their careers. We all quickly found common ground and made not just friends for life but also a professional network that we often rely on on the year's since Shanghai. It's also great to be in contact with other CRCC alumni at the events that CRCC Asia put on throughout the year. Our China internships are the common ground and it's fantastic to be part of a network of such successful and driven people.
I interned with Riviera Events. I loved my internship, getting experience and responsibility that I couldn't have imagined receiving in the UK. The most important transferable skills in my career since China have been: problem-solving, adaptability and confidence - China really threw me in at the deep end, I learnt to think on my feet and adapt to a new way of working but more importantly be confident in putting my ideas forward. It's great to be able to have examples from China to evidence these skills to future employers. Since returning from China I got a job within a month of being home. My employer was really interested in my experience in China - in the company, it was a country that few people had been to and less had worked in. The team valued my different experience and knowledge.
My advice to anyone thinking of interning in China is that it is a fantastic investment in your future. It shows you take yourself and your career seriously and are able to take on challenges that not every graduate has the courage to do. You learn so much about yourself, the World and your area of employment. And you genuinely make friends for life!