Sometimes we need a change of scenery and sometimes we just feel the need to experience things that we haven’t before, and sometimes an internship abroad is the answer to that. However, what exactly are the benefits of working as an intern somewhere you’ve never been?

Read on to find out why it would be perfect for you!

 

Personal Experience, Growth, and Development

Whether you’re on the lookout for experience, finding a purpose, understanding other cultures, or wish to grow into an experienced young adult, doing an internship overseas can help your case. By being miles from home, you will learn to adapt and be independent in a setting much different from home.

You may not be able to determine how you want to move forward in your life, but changing your scenery and being away from distractions can clarify your vision.

Plus, you get to experience a (maybe, once in a lifetime) opportunity to live out the dream. Who knows? Perhaps it’ll convince you to follow a different path altogether.

 

Traveling & Networking

Travelling is one of the more evident reasons to hop on the first opportunity of doing an internship abroad. The chance to get out of the town you spent your life in and consequently escape your comfort zone to experience the world a bit differently comes hand in hand with an overseas internship.

By going to a place where you don’t know anyone, you will have to network and meet new people to get by. This will not only add to your people skills but also you’ll get to expand your network and meet people who will potentially help your professional path.

If you work on your network while young, older you will be infinitely grateful. You will always have safety nets and people who will guide you to the right decisions.

 

Academic Merit & Career Opportunities

Numerous universities will list internships or some sort of practical training as a requirement, along with the grades and tests. If your desired university does too, then why not use the opportunity to go somewhere abroad and achieve academic merit while also getting to have a fun, useful, and once in a lifetime experience?

What is such an internship, you will have a chance to not only see what you like but also what you’re good at and what career you could pursue. It may not seem like a big deal now, but many people go about their lives unsure which path to follow and figuring that out early can be of immense help.

 

Rich Skillset

Apart from interpersonal skills, you will get to develop your skillset even further than that. You will get to work on a different project that will teach you something new every time. Be ready to accept skills that come with certain cultures and take away the best they offer.

The best part is, most skills you develop while doing an internship on the other end of the world will be transferable and you will get to put them to use back home too.

Whether you’re getting ready to get an MBA or work as a social worker, except that the variety of both hard and soft skills you gained on your year away will help your case.

 

Changed Viewpoint

After experiencing all of the aforementioned, your worldview will have changed, and more times than not, it’s for the better. 

Often, we get lost in our little bubble due to the fact that we spend most of our lives in one town, meeting the same people we have always met. Doing an internship abroad, interacting with people with different cultural backgrounds than ours, learning to live like them, and developing new habits will surely make you see how big the world actually is.

Whether you’re after enriching your personality, growing, experiencing something new, academic credit, or a new worldview—an internship abroad will help you with it. So, what are you waiting for? Get your laptop and start applying!

 

Arta Mekuli is a writing enthusiast and is eager to write about topics that tackle educational and life issues. As a former student herself, she spends most of her time writing about student experiences and personal development. She hopes that through her writing, she’ll be able to help students with their studies and other matters on their minds. Currently, she’s writing for the blog of Bay Atlantic University.