An internship abroad is a once in a lifetime experience that many students take for granted. Most of you will only have this opportunity once or at most a handful of times!
You need to take advantage of it while you can because there are so many ways that an international internship can help you grow, both personally and professionally. Some of the lessons you learn may surprise you, too!
Here are 7 unexpected ways that you’ll grow and change – in a good way! – during your time getting educated in another country through Ediphi.
1. You’ll Experience New Cultures
If you’ve only ever lived, worked, and studied in your home country, then you’ve probably never had the chance to experience new cultures.
Ediphi provides internships to diverse locations all around the world. There’s our Bridge USA J1 Program, as well as education opportunities in Spain, France, Malaysia, and Thailand. All these countries are rich in culture and history, and they all have something to teach you. You’ll be able to experience how your lives are the same as the people who live there, as well as how they’re completely different!
In the end, you’ll develop a much greater appreciation for how many values that vastly different groups of humans share with one another.
2. You’ll Visit World Famous Tourist Destinations
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the Roman aqueducts in Spain – most people only dream about seeing world famous tourist destinations like these. But on an international internship with Ediphi, you’ll be able to visit such places that you’ve only read about in textbooks or seen pictures of on social media. In doing so, you’ll create core memories that you can tell your friends and family about for years to come.
3. You’ll Discover New Ideas
If you only ever stay in one place, you’re not likely to learn anything new.
An international internship plucks you out of your comfort zone and plants you in a whole new world, thus helping you discover new concepts and perspectives that you probably never even thought of before. As a result, you’ll develop soft skills like empathy and respect for the differences between individual people’s backgrounds and opinions. You might even adopt a fresh worldview, or perhaps appreciate your current one even more.
4. You’ll Learn How To Be Out On Your Own
When you go on an international internship, you’re going out on your own. Sure, you have the Ediphi team and your hosts to help you, but you won’t have any family to take care of you. You’ll have to learn how to be independent and self-reliant, critical skills that will aid you to no end in your professional journey.
5. You’ll Make New Industry Connections
When you’re a college student hoping to kickstart your career in hospitality, nothing is more helpful than making connections within the industry. By going to other countries, you’ll meet lots of people who also work in hospitality. You’ll be able to create a network of friends and fellow professionals, so that when it comes time for you to start your career, you’ve got a list of contacts with whom you can exchange support and advice.
6. You’ll Develop New Skills (And Improve Old Ones)
Internships are all about learning new skills and improving the ones you have. While working at luxury hotels and famous restaurants abroad, you’ll pick up valuable insights from some of the best leaders in the hospitality industry. The experience will be far more valuable than if you stayed at home and only limited yourself to classes you can take locally.
7. You’ll Discover Who You Want To Be
While interning at various hotels and restaurants in a new country, you may just discover what career you want to pursue. You may find that being a hotelier is your calling, or that you love concocting culinary masterpieces in the kitchen. Even if you’ve already decided beforehand what you want your future in hospitality to look like, an international internship will help you realize and achieve your dreams.
Are You Ready To Grow Your Hospitality Career Through An Internship?
To learn more about how you can participate in a life-changing international hospitality internship, talk to us here! We’re happy to answer all your questions and help you start your journey abroad.
