As the world becomes wired and well-connected, employers are seeking out workers with global experience, and students are answering that demand by interning abroad in increasing numbers.
“We do a lot of advising, and we’ve seen a lot of student interest in interning abroad,” said Lori Lammert,Ohio University’s assistant director of the Office of Education Abroad. “We have a new partnership with IEP (International Education Programs), which sets up study abroads but also does volunteering and internships abroad … it’s very customized to each student.”
From the 2008-2009 academic year to the 2009-2010 year, undergraduate involvement in study abroad programs went up 698 to 711 students, according to the office’s most recent institutional data.
For some students, like Julia Dose, the idea for interning abroad came from a lack of direction after graduation and the desire to travel.
“I never got a chance to study abroad during my undergraduate career, and I really wanted the experience of cultural immersion,” said Dose, who graduated from OU in 2011 with a degree in visual communications. “I had no definite plans after graduation, so I started searching for internships in Spanish-speaking countries.”
Dose interned at I Love Chile media, an English language media organization based in Santiago, Chile as a multimedia intern. Most of her day-to-day work included communicating with clients in Spanish.
“The language and cultural barrier was difficult,” she said. “I was usually speaking English in the office with my co-workers, but when it came to working with clients and talking on the phone I had a very difficult time communicating initially. I minored in Spanish at OU, but workplace vocabulary is very different from what I learned in class.”
For junior Gabe Weinstein, finding a job at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was fulfilling a volunteer requirement.
“I had grown up playing soccer and always loved the game, and I started considering it in August of 2009 because the (Manasseh) Cutler Scholars program requires students to do a volunteer project every year so I was thinking ahead for the summer between my freshman and sophomore year,” said Weinstein, who is studying journalism. “I went on the FIFA website and found the opportunity.”
Weinstein worked in the spectator services department working directly with the fans as an unpaid volunteer.
“It was not paid, but the Cutler Scholars gave me some support and helped pay for things like lodging, transportation, and food,” he said. “FIFA gave us a little but not very much.”
One of the barriers for students considering interning abroad is the price. Airfare is usually not included in travel expenses and paychecks are not a certainty.
“It was expensive,” Dose said. “I got my flights far ahead of time, so that made prices a little better. Living in Chile costs a little less than it does in the States, food is much cheaper and housing is also less expensive.”
According to Lammert, financial aid through Ohio University is not available to students interning abroad unless they’re getting credit for it.
“OU will only accept transfers credit from an internship if it’s required of your major,” she said. “If it’s not for credit, then you can’t tap into financial aid. There may be some scholarships out there that apply, but not the traditional financial aid package at OU.”
But for students who have interned abroad, the cost was well worth the experience.
“Because it was an international event I got to interact with people from all over the world,” Weinstein said. “Living in South Africa for a while was an awesome experience and I got firsthand knowledge of the culture. I would recommend it because you can learn a lot about the professional and social environments around the world.”
That international flair on a resume could be what current employers are looking for in graduates, said Lammert.
“We talk a lot about the skills you get from studying abroad, you gain independence and flexibility, you take responsibility for a significant journey in your life, and it may not seem important but those skill sets are desirable to employers,” she said. “When you intern abroad, you can not only say you did those things but you also gained valuable work skill sets. Being able to work with a diversity of people is important in any job. Studying abroad looks good on a resumé, but interning abroad looks even better.”
jf392708@ohiou.edu
