It is certainly possible to arrange an international internship in most any field in most any region of the world, but if you are working on your own without a facilitating coordinator or program, be prepared to do a lot of legwork and get started well in advance.

Glenn Bronson and Ryan Walsh scuba dive off the Great Barrier Reef during their 10-week internship and making of "The Australia Project" five-part documentary.

Some academic programs incorporate internship opportunities or integrate them into the curriculum. Other programs place more initiative on the student. Either way, deciding an internship is on your academic bucket list is the first step.

In fact, maybe several internships are on that list during your college years.

If you are seeking out an overseas internship independently, it’s important to start planning at least nine months ahead so the process can go as smoothly as possible. It’s also important to tap into any and all resources, including your academic department, professors, study abroad office, and any business and alumni contacts that can provide leads on possible placements.

If you decide to work with an internship program, be sure to weigh more than just costs. You should also look closely at:

• Depth, variety and quality of internship offerings.
• Variety of international locations.
• Ability to customize internship dates to best fit your schedule and field of academic study.
• Track record of successful placements.
• Testimonial from past participants.
• Additional support services, such as:
• Visa and travel arrangements.
• Assistance with academic credit transfer.
• Housing.
• Financial aid assistance.
• Cultural introduction program.

Tailoring your internship for the perfect fit

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad is one of the leading international education organizations arranging internships abroad in all fields of study for U.S. and Canadian students.

The company regularly places interns with businesses and entities in Australia, New Zealand and Shanghai.

Students who want to intern abroad through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad can choose between two different internship programs:

- Professional Development for Academic Credit (PDAC) internships, which last 10 weeks and include pre-set dates and built-in academic credits from Chapman University.

(or)

- Custom Date Internships, which offer varying dates and are customized to meet a student’s individual needs in almost any academic major.

Students also have access to a variety of support services from program application to return home:

• Pre-departure assistance.
• Airport pickup.
• Bridging Cultures Program or on-site orientation.
• Housing.
• 24-hour in-country support from resident directors.
• Language education (for Shanghai internships) to assist students with cultural integration.
• Internship opportunities conducted in English.
• Academic credit through Chapman University or credit approval assistance through home university.

To connect students to these internships, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad works mostly with small businesses and nonprofits to find internship opportunities, says Barbara West, manager of internship programs.

Students have worked for CanTeen in Sydney, Australia, for example, putting together fundraising events to providing services to teens with cancer, for Toyota New Zealand in engineering capacities, and for the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust to assist with research.

“We can do internships in virtually any industry or field,” West says. “The only area we can’t really do placements in is clinical health care.”

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The term “internship” can be loosely defined as any short-term period of practical work experience during college.

Leah Johnston takes photographs during her internship aboard the Passions of Paradise catamaran.

But go beyond that surface explanation and internships can be quite varied in how they are structured. In fact, an internship can be called other terms, depending on the field of study. These include “co-op,” “field work,” “independent study,” or “practicum.”

Paid or unpaid? For academic credit or not?

Among top questions of prospective interns are:

-       Is this internship paid or unpaid?

-       Can I get academic credit?

Whether an internship is paid or unpaid depends on the hiring organization, the nature of the work duties, whether the internship is for academic credit, and the laws of the country where the internship is taking place.

For example, if an employer wants to classify an internship as unpaid in the United States, it must meet six U.S. Department of Labor criteria, which are designed to protect the intern from providing free labor without any of the benefits of experiential learning:

-       The internship constitutes training that would be given in an educational environment.

-       The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.

-       The intern doesn’t displace regular employees.

-       The employer derives no immediate advantage from the work of the intern.

-       Both employer and intern understand there is no compensation for the internship.

International internships are generally unpaid part-time or full-time work assignments in professional settings with students receiving academic credit.

Many internships can earn a student academic credit if the work experience meets certain guidelines set out by the university and academic department. For example, American University’s academic credit guidelines show an internship will earn academic credit if it is:

- At least 12 weeks long.

- Involves work centered on the student’s field of study

and

- Includes more than 85% of assignments substantially relating to the student’s major – a guard against giving credit for clerical work.

So, a minimum of 8 hours per week would earn 1-2 academic credits while a minimum of 20 hours would earn 4-6 credits.

Generally speaking, an international intern earning academic credit must fulfill responsibilities to not only the host company but also to superiors, colleagues and academic advisors.

In addition, an internship for academic credit will require certain assignments, whether summary reports, personal journals and other exercises so the student can reflect on the experiential learning.

Academic credit is actually one of the more complex factors of an overseas internship, according to a June 3, 2010, article “As Overseas Internships Grow, So Do Challenges for College Officials,” by Beth McMurtrie in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Sometimes students fall into the trap of lining up internships on their own, particularly in the summer, then discover that they cannot receive academic credit for them because the college or department has no system in place to recognize work abroad,” McMurtrie writes.

To guard against misunderstandings about academic credit, do your homework on the guidelines of the internship and work closely with your university and academic advisor to adhere to your institution’s requirements.

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With internships abroad, there can be additional benefits.

For example, internships are not as common in Australia and New Zealand, so students are viewed more as full-time employees and are not subject to much of the busy work associated with internships in the United States.

Internships in Australia, New Zealand and China also offer a rare opportunity for students to prepare for their future occupations while enjoying the unique experiences of life as international citizens.

An intern in Shanghai.

International internships also may benefit students who are restricted on when and how long they can participate in international study abroad programs due to sports, family obligations, and specific degree schedules. Internships, however, are not restricted to university dates, so they can be arranged at any time of the year and for numerous durations.

Finally, for students who have financial restrictions that prevent them from participating in a semester or year abroad at a foreign university, an internship – because it is often shorter in duration – is an affordable option for gaining international experience.

“The teaching internship in New Zealand gave me the experience I needed to boost my confidence in my teaching abilities, and I gained a new perspective on the art of teaching.” – Marlowe Brant, interned in 2010 at the Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in Wellington, New Zealand.

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The benefits of internships – whether domestic or international – are real and tangible.

Interns in GlobaLinks Learning Abroad's program in Shanghai tour the city during the Bridging Cultures program.

Graduates with internships or other work experience in their fields have a competitive edge against those non-internship graduates pounding the pavement for the first jobs of their careers, according to research from NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers).

NACE’s 2010 Student Research Brief, for example, shows internships in general result in more job offers and higher starting salaries.

In fact, candidates with internship experience were considerably more likely to receive a job offer than their counterparts who did not have any experiential education in their backgrounds.

More job offers: Approximately 42 percent of graduates with internships who applied for a job received an offer compared with only 30 percent for students who had no experience. (NACE research)

 Graduates with internships also tended to receive a significantly higher starting salary offer.

 Higher starting salaries: Applicants with internship who received an offer had a median starting salary of $41,580 attached to the offer compared with a median salary position of $34,601 for students without internships on their resumes. (NACE research)

Those who seek out an internship abroad, in particular, may catch an employer’s eye if they can demonstrate how their experience shows cross-cultural understanding, adaptability to new situations, and in some situations, foreign language competence.

A few of the benefits of participating in an international internship:

• Gain exposure to real-world problems and issues not found in textbooks.
• Cultivate adaptability and creativity in a dynamic world.
• Increased marketability to employers
• Ease transition from being a student to entering the workforce.
• Increase self-confidence in the workplace while developing an expanded network of associates and professionals.
• Facilitate a higher starting salary than non-interns. In a recent study, interns received, on average, $2,240 more than non-interns for starting salary.
• Have résumé-building experiences while applying academic concepts and principles.

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One Student’s Experience

Jen Williams during her 2006 internship at The Wetlands Centre in Australia.

When Jen Williams reflects on her 2006 internship abroad in Australia at a wetlands conservation center, the 26-year-old from Lancaster, Pa., is certain the experience played a pivotal role in her decision to earn a master’s degree in social work and begin a career in public child welfare.

“The personal growth that I experienced during my time abroad instilled confidence and self-esteem within me that I have carried over into all aspects of my life,” says Williams, reflecting on her 10-week internship through GlobaLinnks Learning Abroad (then AustraLearn). The internship included creating a marketing plan for a canoe trail through the ecologically diverse Hunter Wetlands in Australia.

“Completing an international internship helped me see the world and its social problems in new and diverse ways, which shaped my understanding of the global community,” she says. “Spending time in Australia and learning about the vast social programs in the country provided me with new perspectives and ideas for helping disadvantaged populations in the United States.”

Now, Williams has finished her master’s degree in social work and moved to Detroit, where she works in foster care helping foster children and their biological parents address the issues that separated them. Besides her internship in Australia and an Americorps position in a remote village in Alaska, Williams completed two field placements in public agencies working with children in foster care and a child protecting services unit.

“I still believe that the self confidence that I gained from studying abroad has helped me,” she says. “Living in a new city and trying to get my bearings while working at a new job is exactly what I dealt with during my internship abroad. I am using the same skills to adjust to Detroit that I used to adjust to Australia – keep an open mind, explore the city and don’t be afraid to try something new.”

Williams during her Americorps assignment in a remote village in Alaska.

During her wetlands center internship, “I gained a new appreciation for conservation while personally witnessing the therapeutic effects of nature,” she says. “Eventually, I hope to obtain my license in social work so that I can provide nature-based therapy to children who have experienced significant trauma.”

With so much work experience, she felt well prepared to find a great job in a major metropolitan area.

In short, she says: “My experience and internships abroad led me to where I am today.”

International internships: A birds-eye view

Internships are an increasingly viable way for students to test career interests against job realities, and ultimately, gain real-world job experience to not only build a resume, but also launch a fulfilling career.

Internships, in turn, serve business and industry by providing a pipeline of the best and brightest young talent for assessment and training for full-time jobs, and ultimately, help organizations build the best possible skilled workforces.

As the world becomes “smaller” due to improvement in global communications and transportation, businesses are becoming more internationally invested and their workforces more diverse. This means the need for graduates with international work experience is likely to grow.

Internships abroad give students career experience in a foreign country so they are more marketable for jobs in the global economy. They also cultivate well-rounded citizens with solid foundations of career-specific skills.

Only 1-2% of college students have any international experience, but those numbers are expected to rise, especially as more students recognize how interning abroad helps their resumes stand out from the crowd.

In fact, the number of students participating in practical work experiences as part of their study abroad rose 37%, according to the (2008/2009) Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education. Specifically, 18,715 students received academic credit at U.S. colleges and universities for internships or work abroad.

“College graduates need an international perspective to be competitive in today’s job market,” wrote Cindy Chalou, director of the Office of Study Abroad at Michigan State University, and Charles Gliozzo, director emeritus of the Office of Study Abroad at Michigan State University, in a Feb. 24, 2011 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. “Many will have to negotiate foreign cultures whether they work in the United States or abroad. As part of this continuing change, international college internships should now be viewed as steppingstones to career success.”

Excerpt (“Why International Internships Are Key to University Global Engagement, Feb. 24, 2011, Chronicle of Higher Education.)

“Several trends have fueled the growth in international internships over the past decade. For one thing, more students and graduates are pursuing opportunities in Asia, given the weak economy in the United States. …

“In addition, international internships are increasingly becoming integrated with college service-learning programs. Student interns now work abroad in hospitals, orphanages, clinics, and schools. One Michigan State University student interned with Mumbai Magic Bus, a charity in India that mentors impoverished youth. Her experience assisted her in later working with a similar American nonprofit.”

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Bonus dollars open doors to more possibilities for Gilman scholarship recipients studying abroad via GlobaLinks Learning Abroad programs.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, a provider of international education programs across the globe, is awarding $500 bonus scholarships to participants in its programs who receive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships.

Javahnda Kea, a Gilman Scholar studying abroad through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad at Korea University, standing in front of one of the national palaces in Seoul.

“GlobaLinks Learning Abroad is underscoring the goals of this important international program by awarding Gilman scholars participating in our programs a $500 bonus to support their study abroad plans,” said Cynthia Banks, founder and executive director of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. “The Gilman Scholars program provides U.S. students of limited financial means with scholarships so they can make the important academic, professional, personal, cultural and social discoveries that come through international education.”

The Gilman Scholarship Program provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. Established in 2000 by the International Academic Opportunity Act, the program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go by supporting undergraduates who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints.

“Receiving the bonus award allowed me to readjust my expenses budget and provided me the opportunity to visit the second largest city in South Korea (Busan), in addition to paying for airfare to South Korea’s world famous Jeju Island for five days,” said Javahnda Kea, a senior marketing and international business major at Georgia State University who is studying abroad at Korea University.

Kea describes her time abroad as “the experience of a lifetime” and has immersed herself in the Korean culture through involvement on campus and learning the Korean language. “I also now have a better understanding of Asian culture in general,” she says, “and am even more set on my goal of working in Korea once I obtain my degree.”

Specifically, the Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support a diverse range of students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to:

• Students with high financial need.
• Students studying in non-traditional countries, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
• Students with diverse ethnic backgrounds.
• Students from a diverse range of institutions including four-year, public, private, community colleges, historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges, Hispanic serving institutions and other minority serving institutions.
• Students with disabilities.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad annually offers Gilman bonus awards, as well as many other scholarships and funding resources to enhance the affordability of semester, year and summer-abroad programs in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the South Pacific. It also offers financial aid counseling and budgeting advice for all of its programs to students, parents, advisors and study abroad offices.

For more details about scholarship and study abroad funding resources, go to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s Scholarships page.

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CNN’s Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Jill Dougherty, writes this week about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s new video that urges more American students to pack their backpacks and study in other countries.

Only 1% of American students enrolled in college study overseas. In a new YouTube video, Clinton encourages more students to think about going international.

“This year, the number of international students studying in the United States reached a record high,” Clinton says. “International education is a growth sector for our country, having increased 7% last year.”

“Unfortunately, only 1% of American students in two-and four-year institutions are studying abroad,” she says. “… I’m asking all American students to think about expanding your own world view by studying in another country. I hope the administrators of our American colleges and universities will support this study abroad experience.”

Read the full article here.

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GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s Cynthia Banks Among New NAFSA Directors

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2011 – Six outstanding leaders in international education will join the board of directors of NAFSA: Association of International Educators in January 2012. With nearly 10,000 members, NAFSA is the world’s largest nonprofit professional association dedicated to international education. NAFSA’s board guides the work of the association, while hundreds of NAFSA members volunteer to serve in leadership positions, and thousands more advocate for international education.
The newly elected board members are:

Deborah L. Pierce, PhD, Northern Illinois University
Vice President for Education and Professional Development, 2012-2014
Pierce is associate provost for international programs and adjunct assistant professor of French at Northern Illinois University, where she is also a faculty associate of the Title VI-funded Center for Southeast Asian Studies. She previously served as assistant professor of linguistics and director of international affairs at Loyola University Chicago. She earned her PhD in linguistics from the University of Michigan and has worked in international education for more than 20 years. Pierce has also served on the national boards of the Association of International Education Administrators and Phi Beta Delta Honor Society.

Fanta Aw, PhD, American University
Member, NAFSA Board of Directors, 2012-2014
Aw, who is beginning her second term of service on the NAFSA board, is assistant vice president of campus life and director of international student and scholar services at American University. With nearly 20 years of experience in the field of international education exchange and higher education, she is a frequent presenter and trainer for NAFSA, the U.S. Department of State, the Institute for International Education, and other international educational organizations. Aw earned her MA in public administration and her PhD in sociology from American University.

Cynthia Banks, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad
Member, NAFSA Board of Directors, 2012-2014

Cynthia Banks, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Founder and Executive Director.

Banks serves as executive director of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, an international education abroad program that has helped more than 25,000 students study abroad over the past 20 years. She earned a BS in business from Colorado State University and an MS in organizational development from the University of Colorado-Denver. Banks is an elected member of the International Women’s Forum, a director of the board of the Up With People nonprofit organization, and was a finalist for the Denver Business Journal’s “Outstanding Women in Business” Awards.

Jolene Koester, PhD, California State University-Northridge
Member, NAFSA Board of Directors, 2012-2014
Koester has served as president of California State University-Northridge since July 2000. Prior to her appointment, Koester was provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University-Sacramento, a post she had held since 1993. She and her husband authored the textbook Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures, which is currently in its sixth edition. Koester earned her BA from the University of Minnesota, an MA in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a PhD in speech communication from Minnesota. She is a past chair of the board of directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Mary H. Reeves, PhD, Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
Member, NAFSA Board of Directors, 2012-2014
Mary H. Reeves, PhD, is senior accreditation consultant for the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA), and currently serves as NAFSA’s vice president for education and professional development. With 30 years of experience in international education, Reeves also consults independently on setting professional standards, conducting external reviews, and carrying out quality assurance processes, with recent projects in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States. She is past chair of CEA, and past president and past vice president for advocacy of the American Association of Intensive English Programs. Reeves earned a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies with a focus in international education.

Yenbo Wu, PhD, Associate Vice President, San Francisco State University
Member, NAFSA Board of Directors, 2012-2014
Wu has been associate vice president for international education at San Francisco State University since January 2007, having served as director of the Office of International Programs and associate professor in educational administration and interdisciplinary studies since July 2000. Previously, he was director of the Office of International Studies and Programs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Wu earned his undergraduate degree in English language and literature from Capital Normal University in Beijing, and an MEd in Teaching English as a Second Language and PhD in comparative and international education from the University at Buffalo. Wu is a former executive committee member of the Association of International Education Administrators and member of the Internationalization Working Group of the California State University System.

For more information on the 2011 election, including photos and other member-leader election results, please visit: www.nafsa.org/ballot2011.

Current NAFSA board members who will be continuing their service in 2012 are:
·       Meredith M. McQuaid, JD, Associate Vice President and Dean, International Programs, University of Minnesota
NAFSA President and Chair, 2011-2012
·       Susan M. Thompson, Director, International Programs, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Vice President, Member Relations, 2010-2012; Member-at-large, 2007-2009
·       Sherif Barsoum, Director, International Student and Scholar Services, Vanderbilt University
Vice President, Public Policy and Practice, 2011-2013
·       Charles A. S. Bankart, Assistant Vice Provost, International Programs, University of Kansas
Member-at-large, 2011-2013
·       Lars Heikensten, PhD, Executive Director, Nobel Foundation
Member-at-large, 2011-2013
·       Mora McLean, JD, President and CEO, Africa-America Institute
Member-at-large, 2011-2013
·       Jody K. Olsen, PhD, Visiting Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work
Member-at-large, 2011-2013
·       Kavita Pandit, PhD, Associate Provost for International Education, University of Georgia
Member-at-large, 2011-2013
·       Peter M. Robinson, President and CEO, U.S. Council for International Business
Member-at-large (two terms), 2007-2012
·       Jem Spectar, PhD, President, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Member-at-large, 2010-2012
·       Chunsheng Zhang, PhD, Vice Provost for International Affairs, University of North Alabama
Member-at-large, 2011-2013

———
With nearly 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education. Visit us at www.nafsa.org. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.ConnectingOurWorld.org.
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Seventeen GlobaLinks Learning Abroad students have been selected for the Bond University Scholars Program, a specially designed study abroad program for high academic achievers.

The program is a unique opportunity for students that includes networking opportunities, specialized seminars, professional development workshops, guest lectures and meetings with the local Australian Vice Chancellor and Dean of Scholars.

The Bond Scholars Program is capped to 30 high achieving study abroad scholars and is offered to students who attend Bond during the January and September semesters only.

Here is a sample of the Bond Scholars program topics:

- Australian Aboriginal Art.
- But I Need Those Gucci Shoes! Exploring the World of Luxury Brand Management.
- Forensic DNA : From TV to Real.
- Can You Handle The Heat? Adaption to Climate Change in Urban Areas.

Students who successfully attend the program will receive a commemorative certificate acknowledging them as a Bond Scholar.

The 2011 September GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Bond Scholars are:

Kyle MacIlvain, Western New England University

Jenn Sabo, Western New England University

Helene Cohn, Pacific Lutheran University

Nicole Moriguchi, Azusa Pacific University

Chastity Saldebar, Azusa Pacific University

Lauren Williams, Azusa Pacific University

Amelia Schulz, Furman University

Sara Matlack, Trine University

Stacey Oetzel, Xavier University of Ohio

Alysa Meisterling, Belmont University

Rachel Piscitelli, Quinnipiac University

Heather Rohrer, Bethel University

Emily Gray, Champlain College

Brittany Egan, Manhattan College

Sadie Gordon, University of New England

Emily-Anne Boone, University of New England

Haley Lyons, University of Hartford

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GlobaLinks Learning Abroad awarded nearly $80,000 in scholarships recently for study abroad participants attending programs beginning between July and September 2011.

The more than 60 scholarship recipients came from home universities across North America. The study abroad scholarships helped fund summer, semester and year-long programs in locations around the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe.

A list of the award recipients can be found here.

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