1. Key Components of
Internships Abroad
Elena Villaescusa, Barcelona SAE elena@BarcelonaSAE.com
LaSharon McLean Perez, UC Riverside lasharon@ucr.edu
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2. Questions for the Audience
ò Did you participate in an internship abroad?
ò Have you sent students abroad for an internship?
ò What’s one skill you learned from your internship?
ò What’s one skill your students have learned?
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3. What we’ll do today
Discuss the key components included in a premiere internship program
From two perspectives:
The university The on-site staff
Q &A
DISCUSSION
INTERNSHIP TOOLKIT
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4. Building a Premiere Program
ò Choose your comparison:
ò Icing on the cake
ò Construction of a better house
ò Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
ò Starting with the bare bones necessities including:
ò Internship Placement
ò Housing
ò Emergency availability
But adding on from there to create a premiere internship program
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6. What UCR Students Say
ò What’s the one skill you learned?
“How to wear a suit properly”.
“I learnt different methods of teaching and communicating.”
“I learnt how to manage and motivate children, a skill that I know carries
into business management “.
“How to find work after a major natural disaster”.
“I learnt general office skills as they relate to being in another country”.
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7. What UCR Students Say
ò What’s the one skill that you want to learn or improve?
“How to maintain a professional yet approachable candor”.
“I think learning the language with which I spent my internship, in this case
Korean, would've allowed to much more effective teach”.
“I wish I could've learned to be strict because although I did motivate them
sometimes I would need help from the other teachers to correct the behavior
of some students whom would disrupt the class”.
“ I found that communication is key. Coming from the US, I found that
what I say does not always translate well. So I would have liked to improve
this”.
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8. What UCR Students Say
ò What support did you have in seeking an internship?
“The UCR Career Center had a workshop on working in the government, which is where I
learned how to apply to governmental jobs - internships included, and I attended a Career
Day in which I received information on the internship”.
“The IEC gave me tons of support. What more could I have asked for?”.
“During my application process, I also worked with the UCR Extension Center for
communication purposes and found it also very helpful”.
“I think that my experience with the International Education Center has been exceptional
and positive. Having someone who has experience being abroad to help me with my
question was very useful”.
“Very little from the provider of this particular internship. I sought the help of my brother”.
“Right after the Japan earthquake, my program gave me guidance on how to find work”.
“I managed to find my job on Craigslist”. 9
9. What UCR Students Say
ò What support would you have wanted in helping you
find an internship or wanted during the internship?
“I wish my provider could have been proactive in helping me find an
internships, they only posted tutoring jobs and had a tedious application
process, or would require proficient understanding of the language”.
“What I didn't like about the internship was the lack of communication
between the professional staff and "intern students" at the university”.
“ I wish I had a clear understanding of what the work day would be. I did
not like answering emails and phone calls at 9pm”.
“ Trying to find ways to express myself in communicating. I did not have
the language proficiency to explain what I needed or wanted”.
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10. Key Components of Internships:
University Perspective
LaSharon McLean Perez
Assistant Director International Education Center
UC Riverside
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11. Internships Abroad : Benefits
• Adds to the educational value in the classroom
• Encourages students to study abroad
• Raises the profile of your office & university
• The economic factor (esp. summer)
• Increases diversity on campus
• Academic credit = income generation
Heather Mitchell
• International experience for the C.V. Global Crossroads
Medical Internship in Kenya
• Increased opportunities for students who are not able to S.A.
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12. Forms R Us -
Applications, Resume, Logistics – All the
Cover Letters, and Nuts & Bolts
Interviews
University
Role
Managing
Focus - Goal Setting/
Expectations – Wash,
Learning Plan
Rinse, Repeat
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14. Internship Courses
ò What are the existing internship courses on campus? Which majors
already have internship procedures/requirements?
ò What does the abroad internship course consist of ? Does it match
campus requirements?
ò Work with appropriate offices to develop a baseline/standard
internship syllabus with an international addendum
ò Determine internship credit hours and tuition fees associated
ò Set baseline requirements/procedures but be flexible too
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15. Lots of Logistics
*Make Life Easier – Integrate Existing Procedures
1. Application
2. Cover Letters
3. Resumes
4. References
5. Standard Study Abroad waivers, agreements, budget sheets,
etc.
6. Internship Learning Plan/Goals
7. Workshops & Seminars – Collaboration with Career Services
& Internship Coordinators
8. Consistent evaluation and refinement of learning plan/goals
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16. Managing Expectations
ò Wash, Rinse, Repeat
ò Emerging Professionals – Back to the Basics
ò Current skills
ò Language ability
ò GPA requirements
ò Previous experience
ò Previous coursework
ò Cultural challenges and differences
ò Be flexibile but demand quality
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17. Learning Plans & Goal Setting
ò Study: Goal setting activities have high impact on student
learning during in any international experience (Kitsantas,
2004)
ò Integrate goal-setting into existing campus policies and
expectations
ò SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,
and Timely
ò Personal, Professional, and Cultural Goals
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18. What is the provider’s role?
Link
home university internship
and/or student placement
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19. What’s included in the
internship package?
q Placement
q Customized placement process
q Housing
q 360 support from app to return
q Emergency
q Professional development/Mentoring
q Visa
q Cultural integration/excursions
q Insurance
q Training of on-site staff working with
q Financial aid advice
q Pre-departure orientation American students
q On-site support
q Airport pick-up
ò
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20. Universities,
Be Prepared to Provide
ò Special requirements in terms of eligibility, forms, on-site visits, evaluations,
hours worked, give to us along with application!
ò Support of academic supervisor to ensure credit transfer.
ò Full disclosure.
ò Expectations management, again.
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21. Key Components of
Internships Abroad:
On-site Staff Perspective
Constructing the Premiere Internship Program
Elena Villaescusa
On-site Internship and Activities Coordinator
Barcelona Study Abroad Experience
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28. Finding a match
¿ habla s español ?
• Minimum level
required?
• Application and • If there is a range of
interview process? requirements, how this
• How long will it take to affects the types of • Type of
find a placement? placements that a organizations?
• What questions are student can have? • What makes a
asked to assess students’ • How is the language successful intern in
needs and goals? level assessed? ____ city?
• When and how are • Is there an opportunity • What happens if a
interviews conducted? for students to take a student
• What kind of questions language class in- isn´t happy?
do they ask? country?29
29. Finding a match
“Expectations
for you at this
“You will be specific
interning in X location”
“You will field”
have an
internship”
Internship Skype
Questionnaire interview
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30. Internship Questionnaire
and Skype call script
ò What is your ideal internship placement?
ò If your first preference isn’t an option, what else would you
be interested in doing?
ò What tasks do you envision taking on?
ò Do you prefer a lot of supervision or more independence?
ò What experience do you have in that field?
ò Imagine I am talking to this company on your behalf, what
should I say to them to convince them that you should work
there?
ò Can we speak for a couple minutes in target language?
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33. Orientation
On-site placement team
• Experience with US college
students?
• Locals who have lived
abroad/US nationals in-
country for a long time and
fluent in local language?
• Excellent in-country
reputation and connections?
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34. Orientation
Orientation:
Cultural
differences,
Personal Goals
Orientation:
Health &
Safety,
2 addresses: Transportation,
Housing & City logistics
Placement
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36. Evaluation & Supervision
Intern supervision and evaluation:
what’s the system?
• How are students
supervised?
• Are any on-site visits
conducted during the
semester?
• How are the interns
evaluated and what does the
final report look like?
• How is intern feedback on
their place of work received?
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37. Continuous evaluation
ò 1st Evaluation (by e-mail)
ò To both student and placement
ò 2nd Evaluation (in person)
ò Cross-Cultural Workshops to discuss, reflect, share…
ò Personal Space issues
ò Concept of time
ò Communication style differences
ò Re-visit goals
ò Weekly Work Logs
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38. Cultural Integration
What is the environment
of support?
• How are students led into the
culture, work ethic,
communication avenues?
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39. Cultural Integration
• Weekly get-togethers
• Weekly e-mail or e-newsletter that connects them to each
other
• Excursions
• Special visits by field
• Networking events (Afterworks)
• Language exchange partners
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40. Professional development
What do students get out
of the experience?
• Mentoring or coaching
happening?
• Workshops or seminars?
REFLECTIVE
ACTIVITIES
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41. End of
Program
During
Program
Upon Arrival
Pre-
Departure
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42. End of the program
Re-entry
workshop &
final
Packet of presentations
information
about
“Adios” challenges of
going home
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43. Re-entry workshop
1 “How to use this internship experience on your resume”
Document
2 Keep your experience ALIVE– Networking (LinkedIn).
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