First off, if you can get an internship set up for the summer before going abroad, this will reduce anxiety significantly and allow you to more deeply enjoy your time abroad. However, if this does not wind up happening for you, as it did not for me, here are some things you should know about the internship search while studying abroad.
1. The time differences can be a real pain in the neck, especially if the company needs you to have a later interview. This could mean you are interviewing at 9 or 10pm your time, depending upon where you study abroad.
2. Some companies love talking to students who are abroad, and some only want candidates who can meet in person. This means you may be offered an interview and when you request a video chat, you get ghosted by the company. It happens to the best of us.
3. Doing a phone interview can be somewhat complicated while abroad, depending on your international phone plan, so plan accordingly for this.
4. It’s a numbers game, so you need to be on top of BentleyLink, Indeed, Glassdoor and any other job board to apply to as many jobs as possible and get your resume out there. Also, cover letters are important, so although they may be a pain sometimes, it is important to put in that effort.
5. If you need more guidance, Career Services is always ready to help, so you can shoot them an email asking for assistance in your search and they will respond almost immediately.
6. Give yourself pep talks and prepare like crazy for those interviews you do get! This is because you are most likely at a disadvantage to other candidates who can shake the interviewer’s hand, so it is important to be extremely prepared and to blow them out of the water.
7. Always have good questions to ask your interviewer so that they remember you and you are set apart from the competition. Also, send thank you emails after the interview and bring up something you spoke about during the interview, showing your interest in the company and the position.
8. Be persistent and don’t give up!
9. As long as you are committed to your search, you will be successful. Success is a state of mind! Although it took me months to find my internship while abroad, I did wind up getting an internship that continued even through the summer into November, so don’t lose hope!