At the start of this year I spent a few months interning abroad, I feel like the whole experience had so many ups and downs that it would be a good idea to share my top tips on how to make the most of your experience and prepare yourself for the task!
I'm from a small town in good ol' countrified Suffolk in England and my internship was pretty damn far away in dreamy Miami, Florida so I literally couldn't have picked anywhere more opposite!
So let's get into it:
TIP 1
DON'T SCRIMP ON THE SPENDING MONEY
Always take more money than you anticipate you'll need, especially if you haven't been to that specific place before as you just don't know the exchange rates and shipping costs your groceries take before hitting those shelves! You never know you might be like me and find out little things like deodorant costs $9 (literally) and then you'll be living on cheese bagels your whole trip! (Which were damn tasty I'm not gunna lie). You want to make the most of your time there and explore all the sites, clubs, bars and restaurants and when will you have the opportunity to go back to that place again?! England doesn't have Cheesecake Factory so you KNOW all my money went on that. Also you want to buy souvenirs and things you can't buy at home without paying a ridiculous shipping fee. For me it was places like Sephora and Abercrombie. Things like that will make your trip more memorable and you'll 100% not regret it I can tell you that.
TIP 2
PREPARE TO FEEL ALONE
I didn't expect to feel so scared when I arrived in the States, as I usually think of myself as a pretty independent and confident person. You don't realise until you're there that you are completely by yourself, yes you will have work friends but the rest of the time that you're not with them it can be quite daunting. Simple things like going to the supermarket, going out to eat and going to the beach all seemed like bigger tasks than ever. I think this is down to the fact that everyone familiar wasn't around me and was thousands of miles away so it's not even a possibility of seeing them. It eventually becomes easier when you figure out your routine and the area around you, I would make a point of schedueling time to test out the bus routes or even Uber/taxi to figure out the roads just to make you feel more content with your surroundings. Don't be afraid to go places alone, if there's a a place you're dying to eat (mine was Plant Theory - vegan hot dogs erm DUH) or you want to do all the touristy things in town don't let the loneliness stop you, you'll be stepping outside your comfort zone and trust me it will get easier.
TIP 3
TOP UP ON TECHNOLOGY
My saving grace when I was away was portable phone chargers, there's nothing worse than being out without a charged phone, especially when you're by yourself. I advise taking two with you and charging them at night when you get home, this way you can alternate them between days and always know you have that extra one in your bag to make you feel more content, as you never know what emergency can pop up. When you're there your phone is your main source for contacting back home! So to feel less alone when out and about you know you can snapchat, insta message and call all day long as you know you have that back up. Also make sure you sort your phone co
ntract before leaving the country, this might mean changing to a different carrier or just making sure your carrier allows you to use it abroad. I'm on O2 but switched to Three as they have great deals for using your phone abroad especially America, HOWEVER make sure they activate the SIM card before you leave the country (double check that as well) as unfortunetly I was left without a working sim for a good three days and god damn was that emotional (not even joking actual tears) as again I say it's your only contact with home. Take your old sim with you as a just in case as well.
ntract before leaving the country, this might mean changing to a different carrier or just making sure your carrier allows you to use it abroad. I'm on O2 but switched to Three as they have great deals for using your phone abroad especially America, HOWEVER make sure they activate the SIM card before you leave the country (double check that as well) as unfortunetly I was left without a working sim for a good three days and god damn was that emotional (not even joking actual tears) as again I say it's your only contact with home. Take your old sim with you as a just in case as well.
TIP 4
PACK FOR ALL WEATHERS
You might think 'Yeah Miami, that's a hot place' but I'll tell you what isn't, a freezing cold air conditioned office you're working in 80% of the time. I literally only took one jumper and one jacket with me so ended up having to buy more clothes when I was there. You never know you might be going somewhere cold and discover the place you're working in is boiling hot with all those busy bodies running around, so make sure you have a variety of layers so that you're not either the person dying of pneumonia or a constant sweaty Betty. You just don't know how the weathers going to turn so pack a trusty umbrella, sandals and boots, just to cover all bases. Just pretend you're going for Autumn and Summer and use that mentality when packing.
TIP 5
BE PROFESSIONAL AND WORK YOUR ASS OFF
At the end of the day you're going abroad to do an internship that you can eventually add to your CV. So, do your best in the job you've taken on and make your bosses and coworkers feel satisfied that you are the person working beside them and make them feel glad that they picked you out of all the other candidates. Don't be afraid to ask questions (no matter how stupid they may seem), as everyone has to start somewhere and they know that! You want to feel like you've learnt something through the experience of working there so take on as much work as you can and if they ask 'have you done this before?' feel safe to say 'no but I would like to try it' and then eventually you'll know how to! Expect to do jobs that make you feel like 'why am I doing this' and if they become too repetitive speak to someone and ask when you'll get the chance to do something else or show interest in a role you would like to do and potentially shadow someone! They want to see that you're hard working but keen to learn new things and grow. So go ahead and smash it and feel satisfied that you did the best you could and that your reference will be nothing but amazing.
So yeah, I would say those are my top 5 tips to keep in mind in order to feel prepared and ready to take on your internship! So if you are planning on doing an internship or placement abroad I wish you all the luck in the world and KNOW you'll be able to face anything and make your trip worth while!
Peace and Love, I'm off to eat a salad (getting skinny for summer *rolls eyes*)
- Jessy
Instagram - @outfitorbit
Contact - outfitorbit@outlook.com
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