API Intern Group Reviews

I undertook an eight week project for Arktisma. Arktisma embodies Serversaurus, a cloud-based hosting company, as well as the Electron Workshop, a coworking space in North Melbourne.

The project entailed guiding Arktisma through B Corporation certification. Becoming a certified B Corp would show all of Arktisma's stakeholders that it defined business success as more than just making profit, proving its commitment to social causes and environmental stewardship.

I managed the project throughout its entire lifecycle and achieved certification on time and budget. I also wrote and published a blog on my journey I hope will act as a free guide to other companies pursuing certification.

My day to day role changed as the project progressed but included laising with B Lab staff (the non-profit organisation which awarded the certifications) and existing B Corps in Melbourne and beyond to better understand the certification process and how best to tackle it. I also worked with senior management to complete the certification assessment. Finally, I created all the necessary documentation needed to prove our environmental and social initiatives. This included a comprehensive HR document and employee manual.

The highlight of my experience was that I had complete ownership of the project and saw it through to successful completion. For me, this is where the true value of undertaking an internship lies.
To add to this value, I gained exceptional insight into responsible business practices which are increasingly important in contemporary business across all sectors. It was inspiring to network with the B Corp community. Their passion and dedication to their mission to redifine business success is one that has changed my personal perspective on modern business practices.
Finally, my internship gave me excellent international business exposure, as well as experience in a small start-up. This has broadened my international commercial awareness and appreciation for different organisational cultures.
These three factors will undoubtedly bolster any job applications I undertake in the future.

My internship was supposed to be 5 months. I started at a "company" at the Google campus, which wasn´t even a company yet. It was a startup, which figured out it´s business plan, etc. When I complained, the Intern Group told me to make a list with the tasks I had to do and it´s going to be better. There was no list, as my only task was to do research (I applied for an internship in the HR sector). I was lucky that the founders of the company admitted that it was too early to have interns and they would help me. So the Intern Group had to help me too to find another internship. I was really happy with the second company.
Moreover, I was disappointed that I wasn´t supposed to live with other people from the Intern Group. I got to know a really nice guy at one of the Intern Group dinners, so I decided to move to his house. Again- I had to organise everything on my own. All in all, for the money I paid-it´s not worth it with the little support you get.

I had an unbelievable experience in Hong Kong. The program was well-run, supportive, and has very accommodating and fun staff! The city itself is absolutely my favorite in the world and because of this trip I envision myself coming back very soon!

I stayed in HK for 3 months and enjoyed every single day!
When I came to HK I didn't really know what was going to expect me. Of course I was a bit scared, because I was so far from home (Switzerland) and there is nobody I know. The day me and my roommate arrived Blair, the former event manager of the intern group, came to our apartment, showed us around and had dinner with us. A couple of days later we had some after work drinks and got to meet the other interns. Everybody, from the company as well as the interns, were so nice. I am very glad I got to meet all those lovely people.

My internship: I worked for an online shop in Aberdeen. It was my first work experience and I was surprised by how much responsibility my two bosses gave me. Unfortunately, they weren't always nice to me. At some point I even considered to quit. At the beginning of my internship there were two other interns as well. They also had some problems with our bosses, so we talked about the work situation with the intern group director, Krystal Lee, over dinner. She listened to our problems and then contacted our bosses. I always felt very supported by her and I am so glad I got to meet her!

Accomodation: I was aware of the fact that the apartments in HK are rather small. I just didn't imagine them to be this tiny. I lived in Wan Chai with two other interns. We had three bedrooms, a living room (with a TV, which we have never used), a kitchen and a bathroom. I was shocked when I first saw my bedroom cause in there was literally just my bed. I didn't want to stay there, but then after like 2 weeks I began to like the apartment and so I stayed there. Also the location was great.
Leisure: There is so much to do in HK. Apart from the complementary events like a trip to Macau, dinner at the peak and visiting the Buddha on Lantau Island, we went clubbing in LKF, traveled to Shanghai and Beijing on the weekends, had boat parties, went to the markets and shopped a lot. There was always something going on.

In general there is not a bad thing I can say about my experience in HK. I was so sad I had to leave and I know for sure that I will be back. I have met so many amazing people and learned a lot - not just about how a business works, but also about me. Coming to HK was one of the best choices I have ever made and I can only recommend this company.

I have spent three months in Hong Kong on a legal internship at a compliance firm. The work I have completed has been varied, interesting and educational. some tasks I have worked on include client proposals, policy drafting and writing articles for the company magazine. I have learnt a lot about this particular field of law and also the everyday dynamics of a busy office.

Hong Kong is a great city for social activities and sight-seeing. The InternGroup program is great as you get to meet so many other people and they organise lots of trips and social gatherings.

I have encountered no difficulties during my internship but I always knew the InternGroup staff were a phone call or email away ready to help.

I would recommend an internship in Hong Kong to anyone wanting to experience a vibrant busy city and fabtastic work opportunities

I completed a 3 month journalism internship and had an amazing time. I gained much needed industry experience which has helped me find full-time employment, while at the same time I was able to explore one of my favourite cities and meet people.

I spent twelve weeks in Medellin living with a Colombian family. I previously studied Spanish at university in the States do I did not take Spanish classes during my stay. However, living with a family that only speaks Spanish was a great way to better my language skills. I also had the opportunity to practice at my internship so I think my speaking ability has greatly improved. I felt very safe during my entire stay. The neighborhood in which all the interns live is very modern, comfortable, and easy to get around. Taxis and the metro are very cheap so it is easy to travel to other neighborhoods in the city. The social programs and day trips provided by the Intern Group give you a chance to meet many other interns in the city, and I spent three or four days a week with them. I have made friends from all over the world and that has been one of the best parts of this experience. I only had minimal complaints. One being the amount of work I was given at my job was minimal and at times I was bored with nothing to do. The work ethic in Colombia is very different than the US so that was partly the reason. Also, although my host family was alright I would have preferred to be more like a family, cooking dinner together, sightseeing, etc. Living in an apartment as opposed to a homestay, however, does lessen your Spanish exposure significantly. Overall I had a good experience!

The quality of internships that The Intern Group finds for interns is outstanding. They take the time give you the best internship that suits you!

In addition, the overall experience between housing, events, and assistance throughout your stay is wonderful. The staff is very friendly and willing to assist you with anything you need.

My advice to future interns: This is your experience - make it what you want! Don't be afraid to wander alone and meet locals. You are there to make connections and advance in your career so you need to take advantage of that!

Within this review, you will find out about the horrible experience I had with The Intern Group during my summer internship in 2014. This company used deceptive marketing to lure in interns and did not deliver on their promises. The directors of this program were not responsive when I dealt with severe issues with my accommodations during my 2-month stay in Hong Kong. After speaking with several other unhappy interns on this same program, I feel that a warning is in order for future interns considering the Intern Group for their internship abroad program.

To begin, I will start with the most relevant piece of information regarding the "top-quality" internships that the Intern Group provides. During my time in Hong Kong, I got to know several other interns on the program. After speaking to everyone about his or her internship, I found that everyone seemed to feel unchallenged, unhappy and taken advantage of. In my personal situation, I had asked the Intern Group to facilitate an internship with a large financial company, preferably with a company that has a presence in the US. This was 6 months prior to my program start date. One month before I was to leave for Hong Kong, the Intern Group finally contacted me and pressured me into taking a position with a start-up insurance brokerage that employed two other people, since there was limited time.

The Intern Group claims to have several connections around the world with top companies in various fields. However, I did not come across a single intern on my program that was with reputable company. Near the end of my stay in Hong Kong (HK), I asked my employer about how the Intern Group approached him about taking me on as an intern. He told me that the director, Krystal Lee, met with him and simply asked, "Do you want a free intern this summer?" Wow... I could've done that. A huge portion of the Intern Group's program fee is the internship facilitation & accommodations. For the up-charge that participants spend in the JOKE of the "facilitation of an internship", one could spend the same amount and stay in a luxury hotel for 2-months, with free breakfast!

Now I will move on to discuss the bed bugs; a problem that not only greatly affected me, but also affected everyone in my life back home. During my research stage, I found several photos on the Intern Group website displaying western accommodations, double beds, a huge kitchen, and modern appliances. Upon my arrival in HK, I walked into the apartment they had facilitated, and was SHOCKED. The building looked and smelled 100 years old, one of the rooms had bunk beds, and the entire apartment was approximately 400 square feet. I didn't complain, however, and stayed in the flat for about 5 weeks. For those few weeks I was getting severe bites all over my body; my ankles, shoulders and arms! Some of the bites are still on my body and will likely leave a scar. Since I have never dealt with bed bugs, I attributed the bites to mosquitoes at first, thinking they must've gotten into the flat through the bathroom fan that was exposed to outside and unable to be closed. However, when I started noticing black and yellow debris all over my bed, I started to get worried. I started googling, and immediately found out that I was dealing with bed bugs. I did thorough research into bedbugs to find out the severity of the issue I was dealing with. The results were unsettling. I searched my bed and found several casings of bed bugs and was completely disgusted. I found that bed bugs were treated in several methods, but the most effective was through hiring a professional fumigation company, then a cleaning service to remove any eggs that weren't killed during fumigation. I read terrible reviews online about people who used cheap bug bombs or mattress protectors, only to find that these methods almost always resulted in the issue persisting for several months. I relayed my research to the the HK director, Krystal Lee, and the manager of directors for the Intern Group, Andrew Prachuablarb. I laid out exactly what I expected from the company in terms of dealing with the situation effectively; I did spend $7000 for this program, after all.

They responded by telling me I had to sleep in that infested bed for the night, and that they would "take care of it" in the morning. After the first night in temporary flat, they emailed me saying they had taken care of the bed bugs using a cheap bug bomb and the company refused to clean the apartment, even the mattress!!!! Based on my previous research, I refused to re-enter the apartment until it had been properly fumigated/cleaned. Again, they refused to live up to this standard. They decided to move us into a different flat, and told my roomate and I to collect our belongings from the infested flat. While this sounds like they did a great thing, since the fumigation company didn't treat our belongings, we were simply moving the unhatched eggs to the new flat!! Sure enough, I started finding bed bugs left and right in the new apartment and after complaining, the intern group scheduled a "consultation" with a fumigation company. They treated me as if I was over-reacting to the situation, even though I had bites on my body to prove I was getting bit! During the consultation, they told me I had to find a bed bug on command, as if they were just conveniently sitting around for me to find. AFter finding out that it was 20,000 HKD for treatment, they decided to, again, take the cheap way out and give me a ghetto, zip-up CLOTHES DRYER that I could treat my belongings in cycles. However, my mattress couldn't fit inside of it, all of the cracks and crevices in my flat couldn't fit into the machine. It was a temporary fix to shut me up for the remaining few weeks of my stay. Not to mention, I found out that the same day of my departure back home, they moved new interns into the old flat with bed bugs!!! I quickly warned them of the situation. The day I was leaving I woke up to two adult bed bugs crawling towards me right when I woke up. The experience was absolutely revolting.

Upon my departure home, I had to throw away all of the clothes that I had with me, to ensure I didn't bring the bugs back home. My parents were sick with worry and had to lay out an extreme plan-of-action to prevent the spread of the bugs which involved: throwing away my suitcases at the airport, staying in a hotel for 3 days, and doing a lengthy RID treatment through my hair to ensure that I didn't have eggs near the roots. This not only caused a financial burden on my family to replace my lost itms, but also gave them emotional distress upon my arrival home.

While communication was a huge issue, the program itself also had several flaws. The excursions that were promised on the website conveniently changed upon my arrival to three, rather than the four that I paid for. "Dinner with a View at Victoria's Peak" turned into just dinner, since they chose such a foggy night to take us up there. I felt like I was utterly trapped for two months with no way out and the responses I received from the Intern Group were always questioning and unhelpful. The practices of the Intern Group during this ordeal were extremely unpleasant. The company only has 3 employees in Hong Kong, leaving participants with no where to turn in the event of an emergency when they are "busy".

After being home for about a week, I found out that The Intern Group sent out an email to the interns that moved into the infested flat saying that the bugs in the flats were cockroaches and are brought in from the US. Basically, lying about the type of bug & blaming ME for bringing them into the flat.

I have never dealt with such an unprofessional company. BUYER BEWARE & GOOD LUCK!

Intern London provides support from the moment participants are accepted into the program! I was involved in the internship interview process, was informed about my living arrangements and the social events that were provided with the fees of the Summer Deluxe Program, and had one on one interactions with the professional staff throughout my entire time in London.

As soon as I arrived, I got a call from a staff member to ensure my arrival and airport pickup, then met with her as well as other interns later that day to get to know each other and get a welcome to the city.

I never had to worry about having something to do after work, because Intern London planned events and meet ups for all of the participants to do, which not only were great for socializing with the other interns, but were cultural experiences that really rounded out my trip. I had the option to attend any or all of the events which also allowed me to have a trip that was unique and full of the experiences I wanted.

Intern London does a fantastic job of providing a professional experience for its' participants through finding an internship, as well as allowing participants to have an incredibly unique and incredible experience through the extra events that interns can attend.

A tip I would give to participants who opt for the Bethnal Green shared flats: set aside a little extra in your budget for either kitchen supplies and/or utensils. My group that lived together were able to find utensils and small pots for cooking in the neighborhood for between 15-20 GBP, just to give an idea of how much to set aside.

That being said, I would recommend the Bethnal Green shared flats as the living option. Out of about 30 interns who were in London with the program while I was there, probably 25 lived in the Bethnal Green flats and we all were able to hang out and do things together; it really added to my experience to make friends in my building and have them to go to Intern London events with!