Preparing for an International Internship: A New Journey Begins 🔰

5 min readSep 18, 2023

Charting a Course Toward Professional Growth and Global Adventure

It was long before 2016 that this year marked our internship time, and even though the idea was clear, the plan wasn’t, and as I sit here, surrounded by lots of processes to do, I’m on a journey that has long been my dream — embarking on an international internship. As a software engineer, the best and only possible solution to your life is an internship. It is time to take your work experience to the next level, and this journey promises to take me far from home, immerse me in a new work culture, and challenge me in ways I’ve never experienced. It’s a journey of new explorations, discoveries, growth, adaptation, and personal development as a whole. It all begins with unfathomable preparations. Today, I will take on a journey on how we, as in you, can prepare for this life-changing experience. So tag along, because it’s going to be fun! 🚀😄

The Aspiration Takes Root 💡

The drive, the passion, and the desire to undertake an international internship need to be the number one priority to be sure of. As long as there is the drive, so is the will and the motivation to do so. I heard this saying a million times: “Passion can drive your work”.

Choosing the Right Internship: Research and Reflection 🔍

The first step in this journey is selecting the ideal internship opportunity. This decision carries tremendous significance, as it will shape the professional growth and experience that we gain. Researching various programs, organizations, and locations became an essential part, and quite the major one, to be honest. Conversations with mentors and career advisors, taking insights from real-life successful people and also from people who have gone through what we are going through at the moment, deep self-reflection, and reliable sources can help pinpoint the internship that resonates most with our career goals. Don’t just dive in and look; compare different opportunities, relate them to your skills, see the pros and cons of each of them, look into the internship from top to bottom, and, as a remark, put them in an ordered list from most wanted to least wanted.

The Application Process: Crafting a Professional Story 🏃‍♂️

Now that the internship program has been selected, what can I do next? Now, we apply. This is a journey through a maze of forms, essays, recommendations, and deadlines. Of course, all of them have different kinds of requirements, and based on them, we have to pass through each of them to apply, but here is the risky part: how to apply. Most don’t have experience with what to write, how to write, or what it is that we are writing on. Having the resources and knowledge of what we are getting ourselves into is a favorable choice, which is why taking some time to figure out what is required of us is good, and then, as we go through, taking each of them as a subproblem and solving them one at a time is a perfect solution to landing these internships. Remember, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies anymore.

Financial Planning: A Journey to Secure Resources 💰

One of the most practical aspects of preparing for an international internship is managing the financial aspects. Beyond the internship stipend, considerations include travel costs, accommodations, daily expenses, and health insurance. This journey has involved securing funding through scholarships and grants and exploring part-time work opportunities both before and during the internship. So it is also our job to see this through before deciding which to pick. I know the sky is the limit and everything may seem possible, but let’s also not forget that we have gravity.

Practical Preparations: Visas, Vaccinations and Logistics 💳

Apart from emotional and professional preparations, there’s a practical side to this journey — the one that can destroy everything with just a snap of a finger. Securing the visa, arranging vaccinations, packing lists, and coordinating travel logistics become essential tasks. This journey is a lesson in planning, organizing, and adaptability. It can also bring everything we worked for to dust. So, as a suggestion, be sure to make some preparations before we even start to apply, know about health issues, prepare and find out which times could be available for flight, tick off the checklist one by one, navigate bureaucratic processes, and ensure that every detail aligns seamlessly.

The Countdown Begins: An Adventure Awaits ⏳

Imagine this: With your applications submitted, your financial arrangements neatly sorted, your bags packed, and that very first acceptance letter in your hands, you’re standing at the brink of an incredible adventure. As you prepare to board that flight and step into the unknown, remember this: your bravery and courage in taking this leap are steps in themselves.

This journey isn’t just about reaching your destination; it’s about embracing the experience, welcoming the challenges, and nurturing your personal growth. It’s about venturing beyond the cozy confines of your comfort zone. The professional world, my friend, holds a beauty that transcends the ordinary.

Don’t let stress cloud your path. Life is a treasure chest of surprises; for some, today may not be the day, while for others, a single push is all it takes. What truly matters is your unwavering patience, indomitable will, and the burning motivation to persist.

So, let’s hope for the best, and let’s kickstart these applications with unshakable determination. Besides, when you think about it, what’s the worst that could happen? You’ve got this! 🌟💪