Article from the NY Times on Overseas Internships

Overseas Internships Can Benefit, for a Price

By PHYLLIS KORKKI

AS the world becomes more interconnected, employers are clamoring for global experience in their work forces. So it should come as no surprise that college internships are going global, too.

Such internships can be pricey, because air fare is generally not included, a paycheck is unlikely and it can be hard to arrange them without outside help. But they can offer a window into a different business culture, along with a chance to practice language skills and perhaps earn college credit.

“I think if a student is interested in pursuing any sort of career outside of the U.S., it’s a great idea to immerse yourself in the environment” through an overseas internship, said Lauren Berger, author of “All Work, No Pay” and chief executive of Internqueen.com, an online internship site.

And she doesn’t think you need rich parents to intern abroad. Financial aid could be available, she said, or “students can choose to work hard during the year and save up for something like that.”

Stephen Keil, a sophomore majoring in international relations and minoring in French at Syracuse University, worked full time last summer to save for his fall internship with theCouncil of Europe in Strasbourg, France. The university arranged the internship.

Mr. Keil did research for the council’s Pompidou Group, which combats drug abuse and drug trafficking. He is considering a career in the State Department, so the experience was very useful, he said, “and my French improved greatly.”

During the school year, Syracuse students who study abroad have the option of pursuing internships in addition to taking classes, but their tuition is the same regardless. Beyond tuition, program fees (including housing) range from $5,735 to $7,500, and substantial financial aid is available, said Suzanne Shane, program director at SU Abroad. In summer, students may pursue a full-time internship for credit without taking other courses. For this option, they pay about $1,000 a credit, as well as fees ranging from $2,000 to $3,840 when lodging is part of the package.

In the United States, a debate has arisen over the fairness of unpaid internships. So the idea of not receiving a salary, and in fact paying thousands of dollars more while putting in almost three months of work abroad, may not sit well with some students. But others feel that paying to have internships arranged helps to ensure their quality.

Joe Roma, director of programs for Intrax Internships Abroad, said: “We do a great deal of work seeking host companies that are going to provide value to the student.” Intrax is a for-profit global education company whose internship arm offers positions in Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Intrax’s internship programs cost from around $5,600 to $7,900. That includes placement, visa help, housing, a global skills training course, cultural activities, insurance and individual support, he said. Airfare is extra, and very rarely are students paid. “Some companies offer a stipend; we don’t arrange that,” Mr. Roma said.

Cheryl Miyake, a junior at Stanford majoring in sociology, got an internship in Beijing last summer through Intrax after meeting a company representative at a career fair. She interned for a local company that offers music and English immersion classes to children.

“Not only did I get to travel and work on my Mandarin speaking skills, but I really got to understand what Chinese business culture is like,” she said, gaining a better sense of “guanxi,” a code of building relationships that is important to conducting business.

She was relieved that Intrax handled setting up a work visa, which can be hard to obtain in China, and arranged housing in Western-style apartments.

While in Beijing, she was part of a group of students that took training courses arranged by Intrax. Being able to meet others who, like her, were undergoing a certain amount of culture shock, was helpful, she said.

OF course, students who are already abroad can look for positions on their own. But Ms. Berger advises students to tread carefully. Studying abroad is such a valuable, pleasurable and short-term experience that it could add more stress to work as well, she said. As an alternative, she suggests that students arrange 10 or so informational interviews with professionals while they take classes abroad.

“People have internships on the brain” these days, she said, but it’s important to choose the right time and place for them.