Home - All the european internships information you need

The New

How to really profit from your internship abroad

The chance to do an internship abroad can be a really valuable experience. Living and working in a a new country can allow you to develop a range of different transferable skills including improving your commercial awareness. However, how can you make sure that you fully take advantage of such a life-changing opportunity? In this article we look at some of the ways you can reap all the benefits from your placement in a foreign country.


1.    Prepare in advance

Know before you go should be  your motto. Buy a guidebook or use the plethora of different travel internet sites to get to know the culture, customs and traditions of the country in which you are doing your work placement. This background knowledge will enable you to combat your culture shock and will facilitate your integration into the country. 

Also do research on the company you are completing the work placement with. Getting to know the company in advance will allow you to  work out what is expected of you and therefore to approach your assigned tasks with confidence. Your job may also require you to communicate the services and products offered by the company to potential clients. Studying these before you begin the placement will enable you to do this to the best of your ability. Showing that you have researched the company in advance will also impress your superiors therefore earning you more respect and responsability.


2.    Involve yourself in extracurricular activities outside of your job

Before arriving in the country you should also research any hobbies which you like doing in your home country and which you can get involved with abroad.  If you have a passion whether it be music, sport or cultural activities you are sure to find societies with  likeminded people. This will be a great way to make friends and will occupy your free time thereby reducing the likelihood of you feeling homesick. You can also choose to carry out activities to improve your language skills such as setting up one-on-one intercambios or participating  in tandem language exchanges.

3.    Choose your accommodation carefully

Accommodation is an important factor to consider when living in a country as its quality could affect the extent to which you enjoy your placement. The price and whether this includes bills, who you are going to live with , the distance from your company and from the city or town centre and whether the accommodation will help you to integrate into the culture of the country are just some of the aspects you should consider when studying the different options.

 European Internships offers a wide range of different accommodation all at reasonable prices including host families, shared apartments and student residences.All of these aim to give you independence and to immerse you in the culture of the country. 

4.    Learn the language

Learning the language of the country you will be living in or refreshing your knowledge will not only allow you to take advantage of all the cultural opportunities which are available but it will also enable you to interact with your collegues effectively.

Your competence in the language may also allow you to take on more tasks at work. Knowing the language will enable you to interact with the native speakers that you meet and will make tasks such as opening a bank account and setting up a mobile phone contact easier.

You could think about taking a language course before the internship. However,  if this is not possible European Internships makes it  even easier to learn the language of the country you are settling into as it offers the possibility of combing its internships with language courses.

 European Internships is also the partner of two online Spanish course organisations: my spanish courses online and cursos de español online. These organisations give  interns maximum flexibility as they can complete the courses when they have time.

5.    Work out how to contact your family

Although you can use strategies to combat homesickness there will be times when you may want to contact your family or friends. You may just want to update them on the exciting things you have done, the places you have visited and the people you have met or you may want to hear about what has been happening at home.

European Internships
offers internships in countries as far away as Australia and Latin America. Calling home from these countries could be costly so setting up accounts with video-messenging and email services can be invaluable.  You can also buy international phone cards or set-up a contract which allows you to make internatinal calls at a low rate or for free.

If you are working in countries closer to home it may also be possible for your friends or families to visit you or for you to go home. However, when considering these options you need to decide if they will make you feel better or whether they will increase your homesickness.

6.    Document your experience

When going abroad many write or create video blogs about their experiences. This is another great way to keep in touch with your family and friends and to let them know what you have been doing.

Many people also write diaries often in the language they are learning which provide a more personal account of their experiences. You may also want to create a scrapbook to document your time in the country filling it with tickets and leaflets of places you have visited , photos and other momentos of your time abroad.

All these methods will allow you to create a lasting record of your experiences which you can look back over in years to come.

In conclusion in this article we have considered how getting the most out of your internship involves a lot of forward planning focussing on several specific areas including how to record your  memories, how to stay in contact with those you love and how to integrate into the culture in which you are living.

 If you already have an internship I hope this article will allow you to fully enjoy it and to prepare successfully.

If you are looking for an internship investigate the options with European Internships. This accredited company offers internships in a wide variety of different fields and countries.



More news »


Our programs

The best Internships in Europe
Academic semesters abroad
Read more about hospitality managenet
Our Packs with spanish lessons and cultural activities
Questions? Let's Chat
Online Support!
Need Help? Chat with us on Whatsapp