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Sylvia Chang, Shanghai Internship Program

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Sylvia_Shanghai_2

Interned for US Consulate General Shanghai under the Commercial Service group, Spring 2013

I Learned: One of my biggest takeaways from this program was seeing how big this world is and how many different opportunities there are. In Shanghai, not only did I learn how to live and work in the local environments, but also I met people from all over the world such as Europe and Australia. Although this world is big, any similar experiences or interests will allow you to start a conversation and make friends with people from around the globe.

Also, it is unbelievable how quickly China, particularly Shanghai, is developing. Stepping out of my comfort zone, even just slightly, gave me the most rewarding experience I had in my life. Sometimes, I would live the life of an expat. But one block from the bustling street, you can find local vendors for the local experience. Among the high rises and wide roads, you may also find countless motorbikes and bikes waiting for the red light to turn green. Sometimes I feel like there are more of these than actual cars.

Comparing/Contrasting My Work Experiences: My internship environment was slightly different than my other classmates abroad. Since I worked in the Consulate, it was a relatively American environment. Even all the locals who worked in the office were fluent in English. The Chinese work culture in the Consulate was less evident in comparison to the cultural immersion experienced by those who interned at Chinese firms. I highly recommend this position to those who are hesitant due to the language and cultural barrier. However, again, if you are able to step out of your comfort zone and communicate with the locals in the office in Chinese, they are more than willing to hold deep conversations with you. The work environment in China tends to be more lax, for example, lunch breaks tended to be longer. You can go to lunch and visit a trade show afterward before heading back to the office. I was working more independently than I was in the States, so I was responsible for completing the projects on time. This was opposite from the team experiences in SMG.

Hardest Part: Traveling and settling in a foreign country was not easy, especially coming from the all-so familiar America to a developing country like China. For some, the hardest part was the language barrier. For others, it was the cultural differences or homesickness (most will experience that some time during their stay abroad); however, for me the hardest part was the commute. Their subway system is definitely more developed with 13 lines and newer than Boston’s. However, the commute to and from the city could easily take an hour, not to mention the amount of people during rush hour (especially when commuting to work). A solution to this is cabbing. Fortunately, cabbing is affordable, especially if you are commuting with another person or a group.

Best Part: There were too many parts of my study abroad that made it the time of my life. This includes the people I met, the freedom and independence, the internship experience, the travels, and best of all, the FOOD!! No one will disagree with this.

Bronwen Ambridge, Paris Internship Program

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Paris Pic 1Interned in fashion marketing with Jasmin Santanen, Summer 2013

Internship: I worked for a designer, Jasmin Santanen, who designs luxury apparel for women by combining Nordic simplicity and Parisian elegance. Her first couture collection was presented in Paris in 2007 for which she was recognized with the “Elle Style Award” for best collection of the year.

As an intern, I took on a variety of tasks such as working on brand development presentations, researching material and compiling summary documents.

What I learned: Living in a French-speaking environment allows you to experience the French culture and language in a way you never could in the classroom. I became more accustomed to hearing French everyday and picked up colloquial sayings. I enjoyed French customs and culture such as French cuisine, museums, beautiful gardens, walking along the River Seine and stunning architecture. Studying abroad is essential when you are learning a different language because these are experiences you cannot get in school.

Compared to other work experiences: When studying international management, it is important to understand all perspectives, so it is beneficial to have work experience internationally. In Paris, I learned the European perspective on fashion, which would have been hard to do working in North America. Paris is one of the centers of the fashion industry, and, therefore, an excellent place to have work experience if you are interested in pursuing this field.

Hardest Part: When people spoke to me in French, I understood them. The most difficult part was not being afraid to make mistakes especially when communicating with the locals. Although this was challenging at times, constantly speaking French was how I improved.

Best Part: One thing I would recommend is to live with a French family, as this was one of the best parts of my experience. For this program, you have the option to live in dormitory style housing or with a host family. My host family was welcoming and friendly. They always spoke to me in French, which helped improve my language speaking skills immensely. Overall, they really made me feel at home while living abroad.

Another great part of my time abroad was my internship. For anyone who is interested in fashion, I would suggest working in Paris. I worked closely with my boss, the designer, throughout my internship, and I had a wonderful experience.

Blair Lineham–Auckland Management Internship Program

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NZ North Island 1Interned in Market Research for SIMTICS, a medical e-Learning application for learning to perform surgeries and ultrasounds through simulation.

If you’re thinking of studying abroad, I cannot highly enough recommend doing so. My cousin graduated from BU 3 years ago and told me that his biggest regret in college was not studying abroad. I took the hint and headed to New Zealand for 6 months.

Internship: SIMTICS is a very small company and I worked virtually, but physically operated out of the BizDojo, which is a co-working space for entrepreneurs, designers, developers, videographers, and tons of other creatives. It was a really great environment for collaboration, as people would constantly ask each other for feedback on projects, and often times these conversations would turn into them working with each other on something. I met a lot of really interesting people working on cool projects.

For the internship, I did a lot of research on schools in the United States. New Zealand is a relatively small country, and the USA represents a huge market for companies producing virtual goods and services. I helped build out SIMTICS’ database of potential customers, but also got to give a lot of marketing feedback and advice for the company. I loved sitting in on monthly meetings (it was just the four of us), and getting to share my honest feedback and perspective on the company’s efforts. Experiencing decision-making and feedback in real time in an environment like that is something I really learned from. I’m really interested in entrepreneurship and it was great to gain the perspective of a start-up company on the rise.

Perspective: I met a lot of really down-to-earth classmates, as the Auckland Program had me studying at the University of Auckland. It was interesting to learn in a non-BU and non-American schooling environment. Being there for multiple months really allowed me to soak in the local culture. New Zealand is just a sliver of the world, but having met so many great people there really shows me there are amazing people all over the world. Going to another country allows you to connect with like-minded people that you had NO idea even existed.

Travel: This is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and we were fortunate to have so much free time to explore it. The highlight for me was a 10-day car tour through the South Island, where we slept in tents each night and hiked and explored in the day. The scenery was mind-blowing, and I got to know my fellow abroaders a lot better in such an environment. The climate change throughout different parts of the country is incredible in New Zealand. The last week in New Zealand, my family came to visit and we went skiing in perfect snow. Exploring both the North and South islands are essential.

I was really happy with my internship and continue to do work with the company. So incredibly satisfied with my Study Abroad experience, I can’t see why someone wouldn’t take the jump. Trust me, it’s worth it.