Maria Abroad

How to find an Internship in China

Posted on 19. Jul, 2009 by MariaAbroad in China, Internship Abroad

How to find an Internship in China

You want to do an internship in China? But you don’t know how to get things started? Well, after I finished my Bachelors Degree, I decided to get some work experince abroad before starting my Masters and an internship in China seemed the best solution. My university (CIBU in San Diego) offered a study tour to China and after visiting this amazing country for 2 weeks, I knew that I wanted to go back there and get a deeper insight into this culture. Here is some information on how to find an internship in china, things you need to organize before you go and other helpful advice:

1. Find an internship position:

- Contacts: Talk to any Chinese people in your network about your plans and ideas about going to China. Chinese are very helpful and will not only give you good advice and information about their home country, but it might happen, that they actually know someone in China that works in your field of study, who would be willing to become you host company. This is how I found my internship position and as networking in China is the way of getting things done, your chances are pretty high.

- Internet: Research on the web and check out the websites of your home country’s Chamber of Commerce network in China. Many of them do not only list jobs, but also internship positions in China. You can also research companies in your field on DMOZ or other industry directories and send your application directly to the companies that you want to work for. Regarding your resume, you should include a professional picture, date of birth, and list your work experience and education in chronological order.

- Internship placement programs and language schools: If you do not find an internship position in China through your contacts or the internet, you can also use an internship placement company. They will review your resume and find you an internship position in the field of your interest. Of course, this is less work for you, but it will cost you some bucks to find a good placement service. Also, some language schools offer an internship placement service, but you usually have to do a language course for a certain minimum period. This is actually an option worth to consider, as it will be a great advantage for you, if you already know at least the basics of the Chinese language. You will be able to take on more responsibilites during your internship and work more effectively with your Chinese colleagues. In addition, you will get a deeper insight into the Chinese culture and you can do more things on your own, as you don’t have to rely on others to help you with the language issues.

Here is a great book that I can really recommend for everybody that wants to organize an internship abroad DYI: The Imaginative Soul’s Guide to Foreign Internships: A Roadmap to Envision, Create and Arrange Your Own Experience It already came out in 1993, but it is still one of the best books on the topic out there. It has a step-by-step guideline of all the things you need to take care of and shows you why an internship abroad can be a great alternative in today’s job market.

If you are interested in going with an organized program, check out the following links:

Hutong Language School

InternAbroad

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Tags: China, Internship Abroad