10 Reasons Why My Internship In Asia Was Amazing
Fresh out of high school, I felt like taking on an adventure.
I had done internships before when I was still in school, but I wanted a bigger and better internship experience before I set out on my college education.
It was this desire that led me to doing an international internship in Thailand in the field of marketing.
I can honestly say that this international Thailand internship has been the best internship experience of my life so far.
It turned out to be just the experience I was looking for and even more. Here are 10 reasons why my internship in Asia was amazing:
1. Learned How To Live Independently
Going to a foreign country all on your own is scary, at least it seemed so to me when I was first signed up for my internship in Asia.
But in the later stages of the internship, I started inculcating these feelings of immense empowerment and independence.
From commuting, working, shopping, to living, there I was doing everything on my own.
Being way out of my comfort zone, away from the pampering of my family and friends, I learned what it meant to be surviving in the real world.
2. Developed Key Skills for Life
Independent living and working can hone you in ways that you would have never imagined before.
Professional skills are certainly something that you would gain out of an international internship, but moving beyond, the internship develops you tremendously on a personal level too.
For instance, my internship in Asia helped me improve my interpersonal skills, communication and networking skills, adaptability, time management, team-working skills, and so on.
Now these are some skills that I know will remain with me throughout my life, and that's why I value my internship in Asia so much.
3. Taught Me to Value Myself
I was somewhat of a shy person before I undertook the international internship in Thailand.
I lacked the confidence in my own abilities which kind of held me back in living up to my full potential that I knew I had.
International Thailand internship changed things drastically around for me.
The kind teaching and stimulating working environment that I received during my internship in Asia was instrumental in breaking down the limitations that I had set for my own self.
My contributions were valued and this in turn made me feel valued.
4. Helped Me Define My Future Career Path
Since I was just out of high school when I did my internship Asia, I wasn't exactly clear about the career path I wanted to choose at the time.
Marketing seemed like an interesting prospect, but I still wasn't too sure about it.
International internship in Thailand did a great job in dispelling all the doubts and uncertainties I was struggling with for my career.
By giving me a good exposure and understanding of the marketing field, the internship helped me conclude that this is where I want to be in the future.
5. Expanded My Cross-Cultural Awareness
Throughout my internship Asia, I consciously made efforts to immerse myself in the local culture as much as possible.
From how the locals greeted each other to how they behaved at the workplace, I tried to pick up on the nuances of everything they did in their daily lives.
My intent was to completely immerse myself in Thai culture because living and breathing another culture isn't something that you get to do very often in life.
On a side note, my efforts in assimilating into the culture allowed me to feel relaxed and at home.
6. Introduced to a Spiritual Way of Living
Buddhism is the predominant religion in Thailand.
Living in Thailand for the internship afforded me the opportunity to observe and learn about the world's 4th largest religion very closely.
From my excursions to Thai temples and monasteries, I discovered the liberating teachings of Buddhism.
It was the experience of a lifetime. Though I'm not a religious person, I certainly do call myself a spiritual person now after my internship Asia.
7. Gave Memorable Travel Chronicles
There were some holidays during my internship Asia, which prompted me to pack my bags and explore the wonders of the beautiful country I was in.
The way international internships also serve as travel opportunities gives them a significant advantage over the internships done in the home country that we are already familiar with.
The mysteries of the unknown destination are great fun to uncover, which I had a lot of during my international Thailand internship.
8. Helped Me Develop New Language Skills
I am in no way saying that I am proficient in Thai language!
But living in the country for a pretty long time because of the internship did teach me a good amount of Thai.
Although language isn't exactly a barrier in Thailand, most people do speak some English.
This actually depends a lot on what part of Thailand you're living in.
It's a good idea to keep learning a bit of Thai language here and there during an international internship in Thailand.
9. Showed the Entire World in One Place
My internship in Asia was in Thailand's capital Bangkok, which is like a melting pot of different cultures from around the world.
It sometimes gave me an illusion of seeing the entire world come together in a single city!
Because Thailand has long served as a popular expat destination, I saw an eclectic mix of people from different nationalities.
Apart from the highly popular China Town, Arab Street and Little India, the fascinating enclaves of Japanese, Western Europeans, and Koreans can also be found around in the Bangkok city.
10. Served As More Than an Internship
If I had to describe my internship Asia in one word, I'd probably call it larger-than-life.
The internship did much more than what a typical internship is expected to do.
It showed me a new way of living, brought out the best in me, and opened up doors to new professional and personal opportunities for me.
You also want to do an internship in Thailand? Apply Now!
Enjoyed the article? Give us a like!