Great Experience in Tokyo

I had a great experience through IIJ!

As a graduate student in a pure STEM discipline, I had been in the process of searching for internship opportunities outside of academia. I didn't think looking for international opportunities would even be possible, but I decided to give it a chance after coming across IIJ. While the matching did take some time, IIJ kept me informed during the entire process and I felt prepared for my interviews.

This was my first time traveling out of the continental U.S. and it pushed me far out of my comfort zone. Despite this, I had a blast and, thanks to IIJ, I never felt alone. Settling in during the first week was the hardest, but everyone I met at my host company was nice and my IIJ contact checked up on me regularly during the transition.

Given my specialized background and narrow time frame, I knew it would be challenging to find a suitable internship. IIJ exceeded my expectations and the company I was placed with proved to be an excellent fit. I spent a month in Tokyo working on exploratory data science with a startup tech company. While there, I gained invaluable work experience and mentorship. Even after completing the program, I've still been in contact with my host company. I'm hoping to present our research at a conference and possibly work together again in the future!