5 Important Things I Gained From My Internship in Asia
Just two years back when I was in the last semester of my MBA degree, I did a business development internship in Thailand that lasted for over 4 months.
I chose to do a business development international internship in Thailand because my aim was to become a business development manager, which is a pretty competitive and high-profile position.
My MBA degree was a good start towards this career field, but I knew that it won't be enough without a complementing work experience.
And since I was already pursuing MBA in the US, my home country, I thought I should at least go abroad for interning.
So when I stumbled upon Asia Internship Program and learned about their business development internship programs in Asia I was immediately drawn to what the internships were offering.
A chance to live abroad independently for a couple of months and gain work experience in my field of interest!
Without wasting any more time, I browsed through their internship offerings, which were spread across many locations in Asia.
Thailand seemed the best to me, given its unparalleled business environment. I quickly got in touch with Asia Internship Program to learn more about their business development international internship in Thailand.
After a few weeks of back and forth communication and processing, my internship in Asia was ready for me and I was ready for it!
And that's how I ended up spending the summer of my last MBA semester doing a fantastic international Thailand internship.
Following my internship in Asia and completion of MBA, I secured a job as Junior Business Development Manager in a renowned firm back home in the United States.
I'm currently thriving in my job and company, and I think the reason for this has a lot to do with all that I learned and gained from my internship in Asia.
Among the many invaluable professional and life experiences, here are the most important ones that I gained from my internship in Asia:
1. Confidence to Be Myself and Succeed
Interning abroad is challenging, in the way that it pushes you to challenge your own limits.
Since it was the first time I was away from home for so long, I was a bundle of nerves in the start of my international Thailand internship.
But since the internship was for over 4 months, I had plenty of time to get over the nervousness and discover a new confidence within myself.
During my internship Asia, I found myself becoming more confident in my own abilities than I was ever before.
I started feeling like if I can handle something as testing as international Thailand internship, there's no job in the world that I can't do.
2. Comprehensive Field Exposure
The number one thing that I hoped to get the most out of my internship Asia was a broader outlook, extensive experience, and in-depth knowledge into the field of business development.
I was more than satisfied with what the internship delivered in this regard.
The daily assignments coupled with various training sessions offered me great opportunities to explore the business development field from closer quarters.
The internship gave me enough time to figure out what interests me the most in this field, what areas I'm good at, what areas I need to improve in, what kind of career growth curve I should plan for myself, what would my life as a business development manager look like, etc.
Doing international internship in Thailand was
like taking a test drive in the career field of business development.
It enabled me to ascertain that this is indeed the profession I want to pursue.
3. Cross-cultural Awareness
Before my internship Asia, I had little awareness about any other cultures other than the ones I was used to seeing in America, let alone the Asian culture.
I was living in a bubble until then, a realization that dawned upon me when I arrived for my international internship in Thailand.
Living and working in Thailand taught me a lot about the country's business as well as traditional cultural practices. It was all so fascinating to learn.
My curiosity in cultures across the world has increased so much after my internship Asia.
And when you're working in a field like business development, it's so important to have global exposure and perspective.
Something I never would have gotten if I hadn't signed up for the international Thailand internship.
4. Lovely Thai Friends for Life
A place is as good as its people are, something I learned during my internship in Thailand.
Thailand is a great country, and one of the most contributing factors in its greatness are its exceptionally warm and friendly people.
Before coming to Thailand, I had heard that itâs the Land of Smiles, but I never imagined that the country would live up to this reputation so truly!
Everyone I met during my Thailand internship, from colleagues at work to people in public transport, was helpful, kind, patient, and smiling.
Thais are easy to befriend and so I did make many friends out of them. Someday I do hope to go back to Thailand and catch up with all of them in person!
5. Wonderful Travel Memories
This was somewhat of an unexpected surprise that I got from my internship in Asia.
I came to the internship with the singular focus of work, but little did I expect that I'd also get to do a lot of traveling and experience fun and adventure during this time.
During the 4 months of my international internship in Thailand, I managed time here and there to visit the iconic temples, frolic at the pristine beaches, dive into enchanting island waters, shop at the local markets, eat the tasty Thai street food, and so much more.
I expected my internship Asia to help me grow professionally, but the internship also showed me the pleasures of travel and adventure.
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