Did you know that we are working with internship providers in China, USA, Colombia and South Africa, and that opportunities are open for applications right now? Read on to find out more about the Global Internships provider programme and the locations you could be travelling to this summer…
Why do we work with internship providers?
We know that finding the internship you want to apply for can be quite challenging. There are so many opportunities out there and narrowing down these opportunities can be hard. Here at King’s, the King’s Internships team has developed a range of programmes to support you in finding the type of internship that is right for you.
In 2016 we launched the King’s Global Internships Programme and since then we have supported more and more of you to use your summer break to learn and develop your skills, work and travel overseas. For some of you this has meant returning home to your own country, but for many of you it has meant travelling well beyond your comfort zone and moving thousands of miles away to get to grips with a new location, culture and language.
In order to support you with undertaking a successful global internship, we have partnered with world leading internship providers to deliver tailored summer programmes and first-class internship experiences for students at King’s. Internship provider programmes run by the King’s Internships team have been tailored by providers like Connect-123, CRCC Asia, Global Experiences and the Intern Group.
How do we chose providers?
The King’s Internships team have developed our own international internship provider approval process to ensure that students are receiving the best support and opportunities, but also to ensure that you are not being ripped off.
There are many organisations out there that offer summer opportunities for volunteering through to internships – and we’ve met many of them. They range from “very impressive” to “who are these people?”, and everything in between.
King’s does not allow internship providers to advertise or promote opportunities which you have to pay for (on campus or online), unless they have gone through a rigorous review process to be an approved provider on the King’s Global Internships Programme. When reviewing partners who wish to collaborate with King’s we look at a number of key aspects, including the host organisations they partner with in our programme destinations, the quality and depth of both pre-departure and on-site support that they offer, how they manage your wealth, safety and well-being overseas. We also take up references with other top global universities they have partnered with. If you would like to know more about this process, please email internships@kcl.ac.uk.
Ultimately, we are confident that we partner with the best internship provider in each destination, who will offer you not only the best internship for you, but also the best end to end support including events, training and workshops tailored to your own experience. All of this will support your personal and professional development and allow you to progress your career opportunities, whether you’re in the Discover, Focus, or Action stage of your career journey.
Why do I have to pay a programme fee?
The programme fee for any of the provider options is the cost of supporting you:
- tailoring the matching service and placing you with a host organisation
- the cost of your accommodation
- visa application support
- airport pick up
- on-site orientation
- weekly events (tourism and professional)
- having a team locally for any emergencies
Some of these provider programmes are expensive, yes – and to counter this we also work with employers around the world to advertise summer internships that do not offer the same ‘wrap around service’. These internships have no fee, but you’ll need to sort your own accommodation, visas, orientation and support networks should you need it.
Why am I not being paid?
King’s and the King’s Internships team is fully supportive of paid internships and that is why we encourage every employer we work with in the UK to pay the Living Wage (with the National Minimum Wage as the minimum). However, when it comes to internships abroad, there are many other factors to consider.
None of the host organisations receive any money for hosting you, yet in many countries the visa that enables you to undertake an internship will not allow you to earn money from the local economy. There are also countries where it is not in their culture to pay interns. See for example:
- To be paid in China you need to have residency status, something you won’t get as a summer intern.
- Legally you can be paid in the US for an internship. However, you should remember that this is a preferred destination by students from across the world.
- Some organisations say that they will pay you a salary or allowance if the internship is part of your course. King’s cant inform a host organisation that this is the case, unless you are gaining credit from King’s through the Accredited Internships Programme.
- Some organisations are reluctant to pay international interns for short term internships.
So where can I go?
USA – New York (Deadline: 11 February)
USA – Washington DC (Deadline: 11 February)
Colombia – Medellin (Deadline: 10 February)
South Africa – Cape Town (Deadline: 7 February)
China – Shanghai (Deadline: 11 February)
China – Beijing (Deadline: 11 February)
SPOTLIGHT: Danny studies International Relations at King’s. Last year he completed a summer internship in Washington DC at EnCompass in the Communications and Marketing team. Read more about Danny’s experience on the King’s Internships Hub.
Interested in the Global Internships Programme and would like to read more? Check out:
King’s Global Internships: what happened in 2018, and what lies ahead in 2019…
Global Internships Programme – now open!