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An internship is an excellent way to unlock career opportunities early on in your professional journey, whether you’re currently in college or not. It helps you gain valuable hands-on experience and stand out from the competition, positioning you for future success.
Interning abroad provides additional benefits you can’t get with an internship in your home country. An international internship allows you to build your resume and stand out to future employers, all while you connect with new cultures and live in an exciting city abroad.
If you’re not currently in college, you may be wondering: “Do I need to be in college to intern abroad?” The short answer is NO, but there’s a little more to it than that.
AIFS Abroad offers many internship opportunities for young people who are not in college. Read on to learn how and why you can intern abroad as someone who is not in university.
Why Intern Abroad?
An international internship offers valuable opportunities for personal and professional growth, regardless of whether or not you are a college student. Some of the benefits of interning abroad include:
- Unlock career opportunities: International internships expose you to career opportunities that may not be available in your home country. Plus, they allow you to get your foot in the door, gaining access to industries and future positions that are notoriously selective.
- Boost your resume: AIFS Abroad international internships focus on practical, real-world experience. This hands-on approach helps you build a portfolio of skills that will enhance your resume and benefit your career.
- Develop a global network: Many internships will place you with international colleagues from a range of cultures or countries, allowing you to connect and network with people from all around the world!
- Improve intercultural communication: During your internship abroad, you’ll strengthen your cross-cultural communication skills—a valuable and highly sought-after asset for any future job candidate.
- Test out different careers: Figuring out which direction to take your career is a challenge for many young professionals and soon-to-be college students. With an internship before or after college, you can try out different fields, helping you to determine a career path before committing to one direction.
In addition to the benefits above, interning abroad offers the following advantages for those who do so before college:
- Apply real-world experiences to your studies: An internship before college provides hands-on experience that you can use to inform your learning, giving you practical context to build on in your classes at your future university.
- Intern or study abroad more than once: Interning abroad before college will give you more opportunities to study or intern abroad while enrolled at your university if you choose to do so—you’ll also be able to intern during your freshman, sophomore, junior, and/or senior year! Plus, after you intern abroad for the first time, you’ll be more qualified for competitive internships later on.
Intern Abroad Requirements—Who Can Intern Abroad?
As we mentioned, you do not need to be currently enrolled in college to intern abroad. AIFS Abroad provides a wide variety of internship opportunities among countless career fields and international destinations for people who are not enrolled in a college or university.
To be qualified for an international internship with AIFS Abroad, the only requirement is that you must be at least 18 years or older. However, it’s important to note that some internship programs, career fields, and host countries may have additional requirements, including:
- College-level coursework: Certain programs, host countries, and internship placements may require some level of completed college-level coursework. While AP-level courses may help you qualify in some cases, they are not a guarantee as some countries don’t recognize AP classes as college-level coursework.
- Industry experience: Some internship programs, especially competitive placements in fields like pre-law will require prior experience in the field or robust academic knowledge. However, other fields, like non-profits and NGOs may be more lenient.
- Host country visa: Some host countries, including the U.S., will only grant a student visa for an international internship if the student is currently enrolled in university. However, this is not the case for all host countries.
In addition, college graduates may be able to intern abroad with help from their host institution if they do it directly after graduation. This is not required for all internship programs, but doing so can help you receive a student visa in a host country that requires college enrollment. For example, if you are going to graduate in May, your home institution may approve a summer intern abroad program that will count towards your degree. So, if you’re currently enrolled in university and want to intern abroad after you graduate and earn credit toward your degree, we recommend speaking to your college advisor ASAP!
While it is possible to intern abroad as someone who is not enrolled in college or university, whether you’re a high school graduate, gap year student, deferring college for a year, or a college graduate, it’s important to note that your eligibility will be based on a range of factors. The best way to determine your eligibility is to contact our team. We can help you determine which programs are available to you based on your experience, career fields, and desired destinations abroad.
If you’re a recent college graduate, you are likely eligible for a wide range of internship programs, so all you have to do is apply!
AIFS Abroad Internship Advantages
With an AIFS Abroad international internship, you’ll get many amazing benefits, including:
- Guaranteed internship placement—after you’ve been accepted, we guarantee a placement in one of your two approved career fields.
- Integrated career readiness features pre-departure, during-program, and post-program training focused on professional growth and ensuring you’re prepared for your internship and supported throughout. The AIFS Abroad team provides personalized coaching to help you succeed and overcome challenges at your internship, in addition to other career-focused benefits like the renowned CliftonStrengths assessment and cover letter assistance. Plus, we’ll help you use SMART goals to advance your career.
- Safe & central housing in a private room within a shared student residence with other AIFS Abroad program participants.
- On-site support, including an on-site Program Director who will meet you as soon as you arrive and who will support you in your host city throughout your program.
AIFS Abroad internship program inclusions don’t end there! Learn more about our internship programs.
Develop your career and explore new cultures with an AIFS Abroad international internship!
You don’t need to be a college student to intern abroad—you can improve your resume, develop your career, grow as a person, and travel the world before or after college as an international intern. If you’re a high school graduate, gap year student, deferring enrollment, or a recent college graduate, an international internship may be the perfect way to get a head start in your career. With AIFS Abroad’s valuable internship program inclusions and reliable support, you can’t go wrong! Connect with our team to find out if you’re eligible for an internship abroad.