The professional benefits of an international internship are obvious. You gain hands-on professional experience in an exciting global market which makes your resume shine and makes you stand out from your peers. However, an internship abroad also offers many personal benefits, like being able to make friends from around the world. No matter how much you read about another culture , there is nothing like talking to a local about their experience. As economies become increasingly globalized, professionals need to adapt.
One way is to establish relationships and networks with professionals in your field who are working in other countries. Understanding your industry in a global context will widen the scope of opportunity. It helps you understand your field.
Making friends from around the world can stretch our sense of empathy beyond our communities and country. Making international friends makes you realize that we are all human beings who all agree on one thing — we want peace.
Opening up your heart and mind to someone from a different cultural background will change you for the better. Once you start making friends abroad with people from different cultures, it becomes easier and easier to continue to make connections with people from many different backgrounds.
You become good at establishing connections with people on the international circuit, giving you access to a much more diverse group of people who will give you a more expansive, interesting worldview. You can meet their friends, explore their neighborhood and try the local grub, not to mention, it tends to be a lot cheaper than traveling like a typical tourist. Making friends with people from different parts of the world who speak foreign languages allows you to practice in a friendly and relaxed environment.
