For my final year as an undergraduate, I wanted to pursue something out of Japan. COVID-19 made me cancel every plan for the last two years of my studies, including my study abroad in the third year. But I didn’t give up my goal, and ICU provided me with an opportunity to intern at one of the prominent international organizations in the world. So here is what I learned from interning at an international organization and how it looks like to intern in a foreign country.
It sounds professional, but you don’t have to be “professionals” from the beginning.
As you may have heard of some international organizations like the UN, OECD, WHO… it is quite challenging to imagine yourself becoming a part of the team or working with the team. The people are, of course, really professional and keen on the topics worldwide, BUT it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be a professional from the first day of your internship. Because internship aims at enhancing the understanding and recognition of working at International Organizations, you would learn the steps one by one, and that’s what you should be. So don’t worry too much before you even start the internship, and if there is any chance to apply, just try it.
you can benefit from various perspectives to become a better student as well as a better human being.
Because the office is located in Paris, France, I can take French language courses as well as English. This is one benefit of interning at the organization. Also, there are about 500 interns every year in international organizations. You can meet many interns with different backgrounds and academic interests (I met many students at the after-work event for interns). Meeting as many people as you can is definitely going to be your asset, and that can be one of the biggest reasons you want to apply for the intern.
In my personal opinion, the place you are at and the people you spend time with during your youth are the core of who you will become.
“The future is something that we ourselves shape”.
Hope this helps you to shape your future selves!