Student/Alumni Testimonials
Christine Madatian
Pennsylvania State University – Marketing
Internship Experiences
My name is Christine and I am currently a senior at Pennsylvania State University majoring in Marketing and International Business. I studied at American InterContinental University in the summer of 2004. I did the eight week program in London, UK and took classes that were an interest to me. I also had a part time internship. I want to share some of my internship experience to those of you that are interested in taking part in it. Working abroad opens up a bigger opportunity to fully understand the culture and the people. I worked at Earl Jean Europe in Notting Hill, which is a popular designer for apparel, as a public relations intern. I worked from 9am to 4pm about two or three days per week. I got to fully learn about the British culture through working with them.
Working in Europe is different than working in the US. I found it being wonderful they would let me go on two hour long lunch breaks which I thought were very unusual considering what I was used to in the US. The experience a person gets from not only going abroad but also from the internship is remarkable. Currently I am interviewing with companies and many interviewers are impressed that I have not only gone abroad but have taken the initiative to challenge myself by working in a different culture. I assure you that your internship experience abroad whether it be part-time or full-time, it will be very beneficial to you in your life.
Preparing for my internship was not difficult. My internship advisor was very informative and helpful. I communicated to her that I wanted to have experience in Fashion and retail. I wanted to get more experience with Marketing and Public Relations. I prepared a good resume and sent it to my advisor with all the necessary paperwork. A couple weeks before my term would begin, my advisor called me and told me she had set up an interview with Earl Jean Europe. I told her I was very excited for the interview and I would be well prepared for it.
When arriving in London and after getting settled, I met with my advisor and she gave me the exact date of my interview. She gave me directions on how to get there and how to dress. I went to my interview and got along great with the employer. I was then hired as the new intern for Earl Jean Europe for summer 2004.
There are some requirements for the internship. I had to keep a daily journal of all the activities and job functions I was doing. At the end of my internship I had to write a paper and present a presentation for my advisor about my experience and what I gained from it.
Overall, I think my decision to do an internship as well as take classes was a smart choice. I gained more knowledge about the culture, people, and the way of life by interacting with them and learning from them. I hope sharing my experience will help make the right decision that is suitable to your needs. Good luck and make the experience a great one.
Back to Student/Alumni Testimonials
We hope you will check back frequently to see newly posted testimonials or click below to share your own Study Abroad experiences!
Share Your Experiences!