From differentiating your resume to gaining valuable hands-on experience, there are many advantages to interning abroad. With API’s intern abroad experience in England, you can expect to work with the Student Engagement Program on the picturesque Victorian country house in Lincolnshire.
Students who intern abroad help the Student Experience team to coordinate activities and provide resources to the students studying overseas. With the sprawling estate and historic gardens where The Secret Garden was filmed, this internship abroad experience makes for an unforgettable one. We spoke with one of the interns, Alex Breitling, this past summer. Alex is currently an Oklahoma State University graduate student studying Educational Leadership. Read more about his experience below!
Describe your typical day at work. What are you currently working on?
The fun thing about working here is the fact there are no typical days! However, each day is typically filled with heavy student interaction via online platforms or in-person. The students are sponges and are soaking in so much of their experience which has been great to witness.
My duties are vast and ostensibly no task is outside of my realm of work. I am currently helping the team prepare for the Summer II Session students to arrive in early July by confirming their flight details and room assignments. I also have been able to implement my own dialogue program which has been a fun tool for students to engage with and make meaning of their ways of knowing.
Could you see yourself having a future career in this industry? What are you learning?
Yes. My passions and career goals are student development and facilitating growth in university students. I am learning how to best serve students from a myriad backgrounds and identities.
While most of the students here are based in the Indiana area, there are students from all corners of the United States that I am actively working and learning with. I am also learning skills in time management and flexibility. Because the Manor is such a massive place, issues arise, and I have learned to enter each day with a smile and a ‘can do’ attitude.
Have you taken any cool trips on your weekends off? Established any new friendships?
I have really enjoyed traveling, and I’ve seen some incredible places in central England. I just recently took a trip to Venice, and have a trip planned for Greece. My colleagues have become good friends. The work environment is so refreshing, happy, and regularly exciting.
What expectations did you have going into this experience?
I came to England with a superficial understanding of the people that live here. I have so much more knowledge on British culture and how British people have come to know life. It is so fascinating to watch people from a completely different culture interact. I have unequivocally learned so much in just a month. I tried not to come in with any preconceived notions, but rather come in with a lens of learning that has helped me seek to understand a different way of life.
Picture Yourself Interning Abroad in England
You’ve heard Alex’s experience, and now it’s your turn! This is what your day would look like if you interned abroad with API in England.
Intern Abroad Spring: January – April
As a part of this internship, you can expect to prepare trip documentation for students, assist the Student Travel Coordinator, and answer questions about surrounding trips. You will also work with the Student Experience team to coordinate airport pickups, orientations, and student events. Other responsibilities include helping the Residential Assistants with on-site queries and problems, and help with bookings and preparations for travel for Customs Programs that commence in May.
Intern Abroad Summer: May – August
If you can’t stay for a full semester, there is a summer internship option. This version of the internship allows you to work with Custom Programs during the summer months. Similar to the semester internship program, you will be involved in attending occasional day trips with groups of students, assist in airport pickups and dropoffs, and plan evening activities for groups. You will also act as a point of contact for students in the evenings, and prepare documentation for Custom Program arrivals including printing itineraries, tickets, and keys for attendees.
Feeling inspired by Alex’s experience? Are you ready to take the leap yourself? England is waiting for you! This internship in England could serve as a great option for students pursuing majors in Education or Leadership Studies. This program requires strong attention to detail, the ability to work independently, diplomacy in challenging situations, and some form of experience traveling! You can learn more about interning abroad in England here!
