February 1, 2010
Barnard Career Development Elliott Hall, 2nd Floor www.barnard.edu/cd
STAFF Robert Earl, Jr. Director Alexandra Nestoras Senior Associate Director Won Kang Associate Director Nadine Verna Associate Director Will Simpkins Program Director / Community & Diversity Initiatives Rachel Tannenbaum Career Counselor Christine Shin Alumnae Counselor Katherine Hendry Assistant Director Halle Kiefer Career Resources Assistant Hiraida Crespo Office Assistant Genise Reid Student Employment Assistant Bruce Ross Administrative Assistant
Career Connections INTERNING ABROAD During her junior year at Barnard, Elise Serbaroli spent a semester in Spain. After graduating in 2006 as a Psychology/Human Rights major, she wanted to continue improving her language skills while gaining experience in the field of education. She found a job teaching at a bilingual elementary school in Madrid, Spain. After two years of tapas and teaching, she returned to NYC and is currently working at CDS International (www.cdsintl.org), a non-profit that focuses on international professional exchanges. She works in the Internships Abroad Department, setting up internships for U.S. college students and has shared some advice for students interested in international internships. WHY INTERN ABROAD? Thanks to the Internet and the ease of mobility, it is increasingly common for companies, organizations, and individuals, from every professional field to collaborate on a global level. In order to live, work, and communicate with others in today’s global society, intercultural skills have become essential. Traditional study abroad programs provide American students with the opportunity to improve their language skills, as well as learn about foreign cultures. An internship abroad offers an alternative experience. It offers insight into the work culture of the host country, providing opportunities to gain transferable professional intercultural skills such as the ability to work in and adapt to a multilingual and multicultural professional environment. WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE INTERNING ABROAD First ask yourself some questions as to WHY you want to go and BE HONEST! Is it to explore, study, intern or work? Realistically, what do you hope to accomplish? Ask yourself some more questions to determine the location and length of time. Do you speak the language of the host country? If you don’t speak the local language and have only 3 weeks free, perhaps searching for a language course or a volunteer program in English would make more sense than searching for an internship in your field of study. A country’s and/or industry’s work calendar is an important aspect to also consider when searching for an internship. Some students want to intern during their holiday break. However, many companies and organizations close during the holidays. In fact, depending on where the country is geographically, the December holiday season may also fall in the middle of “summer”, as is the case in Argentina. Some organizations may take the entire month of August off, as is quite common in Spain or Germany. If you plan on finding an internship or plan on having someone find you an internship, keep in mind that internships are not usually found overnight! Plan at least 3 or 4 months in advance! (See page 2 for tips on how to find internships abroad)
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