How to Prepare for an Internship
How to Prepare for an Internship: 4 Thing to Pack!
Don’t let packing get in the way of your internship abroad! Our Admissions Adviser Tyler has heaps of advice and experience when it comes preparing for your placement.
Written by Tyler DeVice, CRCC Asia Admissions Adviser
Packing for travel – the task that some people complete weeks before their trip begins, and that some people complete an hour before their flight departs.
However, if you’re wondering how to prepare for an internship abroad, it’s important to consider the items, clothing, etc. that you’ll need to bring along. There are few feelings worse than arriving on the other side of the world and realizing you forgot to pack something important, especially if there is no way to obtain a similar item abroad.
Along with the numerous other items you determine are vital for your trip, here are 4 essentials to pack to ensure you’re prepared for interning abroad.
Charger Adapter
Before you intern abroad, it’s important to consider how you will continue to power your phone, laptop, camera, etc. during your trip. There are a large variety of power outlet types – pertaining to the prong settings, wattage, and output that you need to be aware of. Using the wrong type can affect your ability to charge or use your electronic devices.
Before departing on your trip, do some research about the location(s) you are visiting and the types of outlets common in these areas.
Common indicators are
- Prong Type (A-M)
- Voltage (100, 110, 120, 220, 230, or 240V)
- Hertz (50Hz, 60Hz)
There are many different “universal power adapters” that can be purchased to allow you to plug in your phone and computer chargers into the wall outlets in the countries you are visiting. Many of these can be purchased for around $10-$20 USD.
If you are someone who find themselves easily misplacing items, it may not hurt to prepare more than one adapter for your internship!
Don’t get left on a low battery in the middle of your internship!
Appropriate Clothing
Regardless of if you are traveling to China, Japan, or the UK, weather is a serious factor to consider when packing for a trip abroad. While you may think that you only need to pack shorts and t-shirts for your upcoming trip to Vietnam, weather patterns can prove to be incredibly unpredictable and can mean the difference between a great internship abroad and one where you were woefully unprepared for in the wardrobe department.
There are many pieces of clothing I recommend you should always pack for pretty much any climate:
- A windbreaker jacket (one that is waterproof and can protect you against winds and sudden drops in temperature).
- A comfortable pair of sneakers (they are not always the biggest fashion statement, but I have seen people struggle helplessly to hike trails in trendy sandals and trust me, it is not a situation you want to find yourself in!).
- Sunglasses (this is your chance to be as stylish as you want while also protecting your eyes from damaging UV rays which occur everywhere, even if it doesn’t seem that sunny).
Even though Shanghai is warm for a large part of the year, you’ll definitely want to pack a hat and coat for winter.
Journal
One of the best ways to capture the memories of an amazing trip abroad is to document your travels in a journal. When you have downtime during your internship, try writing about some of your adventures and lessons thus far, or things you are excited to be doing before your trip concludes. You can write about the things you are feeling being away from home, or getting to explore a new place, or people you have met during your internship.
Even if it does feel a bit tedious in the moment, years after your trip you will have a journal that was hand-written by you and can be quite a treasure. You can choose to share your stories and things you wrote about with others or keep them private. It can be very fascinating to read things you have written in the past and see how much you have changed in certain areas or how you kept the same opinions, values, outlooks, etc. over the years!
Gifts from your home country
If you’re preparing to intern abroad, one of the best ways to share your home culture with people you meet is by giving gifts. A nice idea is to bring them some items that are special to your home country (chocolates from Switzerland, coffee from Colombia, tea from China, etc.)
Giving and receiving gifts is ingrained deeply in many cultures around the world. In Japan for example, it is customary to present someone with a gift when you are invited to their home or when you are beginning a job or internship abroad. Gifts can be a very inexpensive way to showcase your gratitude and kindness while also sharing some special aspects of your own culture with people you meet abroad.
Looking for more packing tips? Our Intern Influencer Edlyn shares her personal packing tips for interning in Japan. Ready to speak with our team about interning abroad? Apply for a Global Internship today!
Here’s what you WON’T need to prepare with a CRCC Asia Internship Program:
- We’ll provide high-quality accommodation in our Program Locations.
- No need for taxis! We’ll be waiting at the airport to pick you up on arrival.
- Confused about visas? We’ll help to guide you through the application process.
- Forgot to research the best things to see and do in your Program Location? Our Program teams have you covered!
