Every college student needs to start somewhere in their career and have something impressive to enhance their resume. In my case, I interned abroad in Tokyo, Japan for the summer of 2016. I was born in Japan and lived there for three years before moving to the US where I was raised. My aunt and uncle are currently working/living there and are in the HR industry, specifically recruiting. Being a Human Resources Management major, I decided that asking them for assistance in my field and my uncle offered the idea to intern at his recruitment company in Japan. I immediately accepted the offer, knowing that having international work experience would not only look good on my resume, but it would also be a great opportunity to spend time with my extended family and to live in my birth country again.
My first day in the office I felt intimidated, because, not only was I placed in an international office I was not familiar with, but I was surrounded by skilled recruiters who had a great amount of experience, while I did not. For someone who is used to being around Americans like myself all the time, I was the first/only American they had ever had in their Tokyo office, and some of them compared my accent to notable celebrities, ranging from Kourtney Kardashian to Tony Soprano. I eventually realized that I need to be more adaptable to my environment and I can’t little obstacles get in the way, such as being in an international office, being intimidated around skilled professionals, or feeling a little lonely because there wasn’t an American in the office. Over time, I got used to working in my new environment, being comfortable my co-workers, and feeling more at home without there being another American.
I ended up doing a great job and received a recommendation letter, which I know will be a great asset when applying to future internships/jobs. Not only did I gain international work experience in my field, I also got to spend time with my extended family, managed to go around Tokyo all by myself where they don’t speak English, got the opportunity to intern abroad internationally which not many students have the chance to, and grow as a person by becoming more independent/learning about different cultures. It was of the greatest experiences I’ve had in my life and I encourage other students to do the same. My advice to anyone who aspires to intern/work abroad is find connections through family members/friends who work abroad, and do not feel intimidated by working in an international office, being abroad, or by co-workers who have plenty of experience. It will all come together in the end and be a worthwhile experience.