Program Reviews

My 7 week program with Abroader flew by! This program gave me the opportunity to learn applicable business skills in southeast Asia, as well as work with a social enterprise that supported a cause I cared about. Like many people will say, it takes about 2-3 weeks to adjust to the new cultural norms. Once you've done this and figured out your place in your organization, you will have more confidence to lead your own projects. Abroader makes sure you have plenty of resources to explore Vietnam fully, while also having a professionally rewarding experience. The program also organizes a few "get to know eachother" retreats throughout your time there, so you'll get to make connections with other international interns. I met a bunch of great friends from Vietnam and other countries, and owe it to the dedication of Abroader staff.

For the past 5 months, Abroader had helped ensure that everything is smooth-sailing for the duration of my internship. From landing in Vietnam till my return trip to Singapore. My transport pick-up from airport and accommodation were already well-planned and I settle down comfortably.
However, a problem I encountered was language barrier. Only a small portion of Vietnamese is able to converse in English or Chinese. Fortunately, basic Vietnamese lesson were provided to us by Abroaders before we venture alone. Beside the above mentioned, a booklet filled with contacts, places to go and common Viet phrases were also provided. The agents were really passionate and tried their best to meet my needs and hear my concerns. I would like to specially mention Mia and Kasia for going the extra miles.

Abroader is a trustworthy and reliable organisation. They have helped us to settle down in Vietnam. I do not need to worry as all were provided once I arrive in Vietnam. To name a few, they arranged airport picked up, prepared local sim card, settling our accommodation for us. They even took a step further and gave us Vietnamese crash course, learning basic Vietnamese which has helped me a lot. These have helped me to settle down in Vietnam quickly.
Other than that, there were also fun times. They organised events for us to bond and meet new friends. They have brought us around to explore Vietnam such as the Mekong River. They also planned an amazing race for us to explore the various tourist attractions in Vietnam.
They are always there to guide and help us whenever we needed.

I would say that it is best for people who are trying to learn outside of their own country. I had a wonderful time spending time by learning their culture, exploring places that you are have been before. Getting to know well how to be responsible once in a while. Learning the language was little tough but was able to understand with the help of the local buddies. The working environment in Vietnam is actually pretty good. The food was quite interesting to me as most of the people like seafood instead of poultry. Overall I would say people need to visit to these places to understand more about the world where their own country is not only place to gain opportunities. In your life, this might be a chance to give a shot if you getting this opportunity.

It's amazing to have our local buddies lending a helping hand while interning at a whole new environment. They were really easy to get along with and kind as well

I really enjoyed the gathering session organized by Abroader e.g. the cooking session, city tour, bowling et cetera

I love the cooking session the most, we were able to bond each and one another while cooking and enjoying the food together at the end of the day. I was also able to get a taste of their local delicacies, it was extremely delicious and I would not mind going for another event like this in the future.

In terms of growth, this entire programme made me realize how fortunate I'm really am.

I would definitely recommend this programme to students, any adults that are adventurous and willing to step out of their comfort zone.

This was my first internship and global internship that I had the opportunity to participate and it is a daunting experience especially going to a new country where its very likely to encounter the language barrier.
There are chances to have with people representing Abroader such as going to Mekong Delta or other tourists sites in Vietnam.
Participants will have every opportunity to interact with local buddies for they will help you with anything you are interested in doing whether if its dinner at a good restaurant, morning coffee, or visiting the city.
The most important value in the internship at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is understanding the culture and doing the little things because anything you contribute to your internship site is worth it.

My experience was unique because I was required to interact with local restaurant owners who did not speak English. I was introduced to an innovative product and my goal was to convince these people that it would benefit their business. As a medical student, I have no experience in entrepreneurship or this kind of research. However, I was able to improve my communication skills and at the same time immerse myself deeply in Vietnamese culture. I learned independence, confidence and getting out of my comfort zone helped me grow and appreciate my blessings in life.

I learned about the benefits of biomass technology and could see myself promoting it somewhere in the future. My supervisors were very friendly, welcoming and happy with my work. I will cherish this experience forever.

My experience here for the past 6 months in Vietnam has been great and a fruitful one. I have learned so many things during this internship period with my company and have also picked up many new good habits like being more independent, washing my own clothes, saving money and being more self-conscious of the things that I say to someone. I always think before I speak. I faced a few hiccups during the first month in Vietnam as I had language barriers, I had to get used to the type of food that is served in Vietnam. Most importantly, I had to get used to the culture and values that were instilled in Vietnam. The first month will always be the toughest. Eventually, you will get along and blend in just fine. With the help of my colleagues, the process for me to get used to being in Vietnam was much more smooth and fun for me.

I did have a bit of trouble with my original internship, but the Abroader team was very supportive and active in ensuring I got the best experience and helped me switch to a different company. My new company became a place where I learned about company life and got to work on independent projects. It was also great to have the local buddies with us, as they went around town and did different activities with us. The local buddies definitely made my experience here more fun and made it easier for me to acclimate to life here. Also, going around Ho Chi Minh City was actually much safer than I had imagined, and people here are usually very friendly to help out foreigners. My time here went by very quickly, and my summer experience of growing, learning, exploring, and lots of eating is definitely one I will remember!

Having the buddies there showing us where the locals go and translating things for us and just generally hanging out with us really made the trip for me. Something small like booking a soccer field for us to have a muck-around game was really well received but we wouldn't have been able to do that without the local buddies. The buddies really understood us and what we enjoy doing and catered for us throughout the trip. Even when we went across the country, out buddies from Saigon put us in touch with some more buddies in Da Nang. We were taken to some amazing local restaurants and food stalls, some historical monuments and even went on a weekend retreat away to the Mekong. The local buddies also gave us introductory language and local customs lessons at the start of the tour which was extremely useful.