Why intern abroad? In a word: BENEFITS
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.
