Why an internship abroad makes you a 'cool kid'

They say an internship gives you hands-on experience, sharpens your vocational skills, and expands your professional network. But you know what’s cooler than an internship? An internship abroad.

Interning in a foreign country does more than just developing you professionally - you’ll be exposed to so many unique life and cultural experiences that your family, friends, and even you will be surprised at how much you’ve grown when you get home. Here are 4 things you’ll have every right to brag about from your overseas internship.

1. Speaking a new language

We have all, at least once in our life, imagined how cool we would look to speak fluently a different language in front of our friends. Living in a foreign country is the perfect chance for you to turn that into reality. Surely, a formal class in your hometown does the job to a certain degree, but you can only learn how to “do it the authentic way” in a country that speaks the language. Get out there and bond with the locals, and soon you will be collecting all the cool phrases and speaking in the most natural accent. You can finally stop those awkward hand-signing conversations, and even laugh at your local friends’ inside jokes. What’s more, proficiency in a second language can also be a big plus in your resumé.

2. Your passport is a collection of stamps

What’s the point of going all the way to intern abroad if you don’t explore around? Once you step out of your comfort zone that is your home country, it is almost certain that you will be constantly inclined to move. For every new place you go, you’ll get to meet new people, experience new cultures, and find new perspectives of life - something you don’t get with an internship at your hometown. Tell all your travelling stories to those who miss out at home, and prove it with a passport full of cool stamps like this.

3. Having an international group of friends

People think having foreign friends is cool. We don’t know why, but we know for sure you’ll make plenty of them. When working abroad, you will naturally be brought into a social circle full of expats trying to build a career like you. You’ll start absorbing cultures around the world in the most unexpected ways. You find yourself using their slangs. You pick up their foreign sense of humour without knowing. You’re familiar with the local dishes and know exactly how the authentic ones should taste. You confirm with your own eyes all the social practices that you heard (or never heard) of. Imagine being that friend in the group who drops fun facts like “Do you know in Asia, they do stuff like this?”. That’s when you know you’re a cool kid.

4. Putting ‘international experience’ in your resume

Thanks to globalisation, most companies nowadays prefer having somebody with international experience to expand their business overseas. They highly value people who understand and adapt quickly to different cultures, thus helping them bridge the cultural gaps when doing business. Your internship abroad will be solid proof that you’ve got what it takes: communication skills, time management skills, problem-solving skills, you name it. The time you spend abroad also builds your independence, patience, and tolerance. Altogether, they make your resumé shine through hundreds of qualified ones.

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