Written by Hidy Fu, Global Internships Officer at UCL Careers
At UCL, we are really keen to help enhance the global nature of our student experience. One of the most practical ways we thought we could help is by supporting you financially with your great effort in having secured your own internship! Interested to find out more? Read on!
We have two types of funding: The Global Internships Bursary and the Erasmus + Traineeship Grant.
Have a quick glance at some of the key elements of the funding on offer, which are two separate schemes, both under the Global Internships Programme:
Global Internships Bursary
Erasmus + Traineeship Grant
Up to £500
Up to €520* monthly
Internship outside of UK
Internship must last for at least 4 weeks
Internship outside of UK, within EU
Internship must last for at least 60 days
For both:
Open to non-finalist undergraduates and non-Tier 4 postgraduates
Priority given to those who have not received global internship funding before
* An additional grant of €20 a month is awarded to students who meet widening participation criteria (added automatically for eligible students).
Want to apply for both to increase your chance of securing funding? Well you can! You will need to submit two separate applications and will only be able to receive one (if your application is successful) and it will be at the discretion of UCL Careers to determine which type of funding you will receive.
Follow the links below to read all the terms and conditions and start thinking about applying! Application will open next week!
If you are still looking for an internship, overseas or within the UK, why not get some ideas from our website or log in to MyUCLCareers and look at the managed opportunities we have sourced for you, under the Global Internships Programme. You will have to hurry as the deadline to apply for those is Sunday 29th March 2020.
Written by Rhiannon Williams, Global Internships Manager at UCL Careers.
Would you like to spend your summer undertaking an internship overseas? Applications for the Global Internships Programme are now open!
What is the Global Internships Programme?
The programme aims to encourage students to undertake a summer internship outside of the UK. UCL Careers does this by working with employers to secure exciting exclusive and semi-exclusive opportunities for our students!
What kind of internships will there be?
We are currently finalising the opportunities for 2020 but aim to have a range of roles available. Last year we advertised internships in business development, research, marketing, teaching and translation across countries including Spain, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Vietnam and Singapore.
Exciting! How do I apply?
You can browse the internships via the Global Internships Programme scheme on your myUCLCareers account. If you would like to apply for any of the roles, you will need to answer a few questions and upload your CV. After the deadline has passed, UCL Careers will review all applications before deciding which ones will be shortlisted and sent to the organisation.
Ok, what’s the deadline?
The first batch of internships will go live on 12th February and close on 8th March. We will then release a second batch of opportunities on 13th March which will close on 29th March.
Sounds great, how can I increase my chances of being shortlisted?
Tailor your application! This is really important and will significantly increase the strength of your application. You can book an Applications Advice appointment at UCL Careers to have it checked before submitting it.
I’m nervous about applying for an international internship…
Undertaking an internship in a new country can be really daunting, but also really exciting! You can learn new skills and languages, expand your international network, develop your cultural awareness and hopefully have fun exploring your new environment. UCL Careers will provide you with tips and advice to help prepare you for the experience overseas.
Here’s what some previous participants said about the programme:
“My global internship was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Although it was nerve-wracking at first… if you want to learn more about the world and yourself, I highly recommend taking on an opportunity like this. Breaking out of your comfort zone is key for growing as a person, so pack your bags and off you go.”
“My advice if you’re thinking of undertaking a global internship? Don’t be afraid to face new challenges – these experiences will help you grow the most professionally and personally (and they usually make the best stories).”
“Be bold, brave and confident in yourself and never lose sight of the fact that you deserve to be in your position as much as anyone else!”
What’s next?
Make a note to check your myUCLCareers account on 12th February (and again on 13th March) to see what opportunities are available to you. We look forward to receiving your application!
Written by Rhiannon Williams, Global Internships Manager at UCL Careers.
Applying for roles overseas means you are inevitably going to experience a video interview, particularly for smaller firms who have no budget to fly all of their applicants over to their offices! There are two types of video interview – pre-recorded ones where you will be given a question and you record your answers and live ones where someone will be on the other end asking questions and engaging in a conversation with you. This blog is going to focus on the latter but advice about pre-recorded video interviews can be found in one of our CareersLab videos, ‘How to ace video interviews’
With the right amount of preparation, you can ace your video interview just as well as if it were in-person. What’s more, the way that you conduct yourself is a real life example of how well you can work in a global and remote working context. So how can you prepare?
Before the interview
Think about the time
Communicate clearly and remember that you may need to take time difference into account. Compare these responses:
Could we arrange the interview for 3 next Monday?
Could we arrange the interview for 15:00 (GMT) on Monday 11 September?
The second is much clearer. If you want to offer the suggestion in the interviewer’s time zone, you could write 15:00 (GMT+1) or 15:00 UK / 16:00 France. Time and Date is a good website for checking time differences.
Go the extra mile
Employers are busy, and recruitment of an overseas candidate can already be extra work. Anticipating what information, they may require from you could not only save you both time, but also demonstrates proactive thinking. For example:
Share a list of your contact details. Use your judgement as to what methods to suggest. Whatever you end up using, be aware of your public visibility and make sure what an employer can see is appropriate, from profile pictures to past status updates.
Do let me know how you would like to conduct the interview. I have attached my details here should you need:
Phone/WhatsApp: +441234567890 (include international dialling code!)
Skype: xx@xx.com
Zoom: 12345678
Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams etc
Enable international calls on your phone. If video communication breaks down, then phone can be a backup option. Ensure you have international calls enabled just in case – ask your service provider.
Show some flexibility. You’re unlikely to be asked to wake up at 3am, but there’s a chance you may have to get up a couple of hours early, use a lunch break, or speak after hours. The more flexible you can be the better (within reason), and shows that you are interested in the role.
Research from afar
It’s essential when preparing to apply for any interview that you research the company – and it’s no different for a video interview. You may be less familiar with aspects of an overseas organisation such as their perception in the local market or the location they are based. The internet is a powerful tool in this situation, and you could use resources such as:
Glassdoor – this is useful for any candidate to learn about an organisation from it’s own employees. There is a useful feature allowing you to filter by location. However, be mindful that there are countries where Glassdoor is not commonly used, or small organisations that return limited or no information, which doesn’t necessarily mean the experience won’t be a good one.
LinkedIn – you might wish to research the current talent they have hired. You can use LinkedIn to search the organisation’s current and past employees and get an understanding of their background, work experience, interests etc. You might also find a mutual connection somewhere! Take your findings with a pinch of salt – you don’t necessarily have to ‘fit the same mould’.
Alumni – use the UCL Alumni Online Community to connect with alumni overseas to get tips about interviewing in their home country.
Your prospective organisation’s website – naturally, many organisations have some form of online presence, from LinkedIn to their own domain. Explore this thoroughly to get an understanding of their business, culture, and values.
During the interview
Take challenges in your stride
Any job interview can be stressful, let alone one that is both via video and with an overseas employer. Be aware of potential challenges such as:
Language miscommunications. The language of the interview will likely be the same as that of the job description (although do check if you’re unsure!) and this could potentially be the interviewer’s second (or third) language. This may not be a challenge and you might not even realise. However, if you are faced with a situation where miscommunication occurs, don’t worry! Just be honest and ask for clarification where needed – you could ask the interviewer to repeat the question, or repeat the question back to them first to check your understanding.
Technical issues. Despite advances in tech, issues can still occur. It’s up to you to make a judgement about what you can live with and what is going to have an impact on your performance. Sometimes the best option is to acknowledge an issue when it occurs, and say you’ll let the interview know if it affects your ability to perform. Do not wait until the end to raise a significant technical issue – it may look like you are making excuses.
Tips from students on the ground
Prepare an introduction to your university or qualifications. Overseas employers may be less familiar with UK universities and the degree classification system. Scholera has a free conversion tool you can use.
Prepare answers to common questions for overseas candidates. For example, previous international experience, adapting to working in a new country etc. For candidates returning to their home country, you could instead be asked about what your international experience has taught you, why you’re looking to return home etc. Interview Stream has a whole section dedicated to common questions asked in international job interviews – access them by selecting ‘conduct an interview’ > ‘custom interview’ > ‘international/global job search’.
If you have told the employer you speak a foreign language, be prepared to use it to answer a few questions. Don’t say you’re a fluent speaker if you’re not comfortable doing this!
So start preparing for your video interviews and put yourself in the best possible position to ace it. Got your own tips to share? Comment below!
Whether you’re applying for an internship in a company that’s around the corner, or on the other side of the world, general advice around how to construct a great CV, cover letter, and application is universal. You’ll want to prepare an application that highlights your skills, experience, and interests in order to convince an employer that you’re the best person for the role. Saying that, there is some additional preparation you can do if you are preparing an application for a global internship.
Research, research, research
Use a site like GoinGlobal (a service that UCL Careers subscribes to) to check the conventions in the country you’re applying to. You don’t need to follow every rule – not only do CVs and cover letters differ from country to country, but also job to job and industry to industry. However, you might discover some useful guidelines, such as countries where it is standard practice to include things like a photo or pre-written references.
If you are planning to undertake an internship in Europe, you could also check out Europass, an online tool that helps you prepare the necessary documents to highlight your skills and qualifications, including template CVs, cover letters and a language self-assessment tool.
Get your numbers right
Including a telephone number? Remember to include the right international dialing code. Writing a date? Get the order of day, month and year right for the standard practice of the country you’re applying to a job in. These seemingly small differences show that you’ve done your homework and back up any claim you’ve made of showing attention to detail!
Highlight your language skills
It’s not always a prerequisite of a role to have any additional language skills, although if it is, you should certainly mention how you meet that criteria. Be honest with your skills and include your level of fluency. If you claim to be fluent in a second language, a native speaker can easily check this at interview stage. Write your application in the same language as the job advert (unless it is explicitly stated to submit it in another language).
“Translating” your experience
Be aware that your qualifications, or even institution, may not be as well recognised in the country you are applying for an internship in. You can include the international equivalent to your degree (Scholera has a free conversion tool) and consider changing UCL to the local language (e.g. UCL is 伦敦大学学院in Chinese). You could mention that UCL is a world-leading university (top 10 according to the latest QS rankings) or include something specific about your department or course that makes it stand out internationally.
Highlight your international experience
By applying for an internship outside of the UK and/or your home country, you should highlight your ability to work in a global context, adapt to a new environment and work with colleagues from different cultures. Highlight past experiences living abroad, language skills, working with peers from different nationalities and any examples of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and overcoming challenges. Remember to also address the other skills that are required for the role – you might be able to adapt to life in the country as easy as pie, but you’ve also got to show that you’re the right candidate for the role! UCL Careers has plenty of general advice and guidance to help you write excellent CVs and cover letters on the UCL Careers website as well as the following CareersLab videos.
Declare your visa status
Whilst not a requirement, it can be useful when applying for an internship in a foreign country to make clear your visa status at application stage. There may be cases where it’s simply not possible for an employer to accept an international candidate, so you could either find out beforehand or outline the situation in your application. Note that your visa status is different to your nationality, which you don’t have to disclose on your CV.
Get a helping hand
All job applications should be proofread and spell-checked but this is particularly critical if you’ve written it in another language. Even if it is in English, it might be worth getting someone who doesn’t know UCL or your degree subject to read it to see if they can easily follow what you have written in your application. You could even contact recruitment agencies in the country where you intend to work and ask their advice.
Applying speculatively
Not all internships are advertised and many students approach companies directly with the aim of securing an internship with that organisation. They may have found the company online or used their personal network to get contact details of an appropriate person. This is a really positive, proactive of finding opportunities and shows your eagerness to work for that company. If you go down this route, it is really important that you understand the culture before you send any emails. In some cultures, addressing the email or letter to ‘Dear Sir/Madam rather than a named contact can be seen as rude so try and find exactly who you want to approach.
Next steps
So it’s time to start making those applications! Remember you can have your application checked by a UCL Careers Consultant (in English!) before you send it off to an organisation. Next time we’ll be exploring video interviews, which are very common in the recruitment process when applying for internships overseas.
Written by Rhiannon Williams, Global Internships Manager at UCL Careers.
Welcome to the second blog in our ‘My Global Internship’ series. Last week we learnt about global mindsetand now we’re going to talk about how you can find an international internship, what you should think about when searching and places you can look to get you started.
Did you know students who go abroad during their studies are more likely to gain a 1st degree and be in graduate-level jobs six months after graduation? They’re also likely to have a fantastic time and build their confidence, so it’s a win-win all round! If you haven’t thought about going overseas before, perhaps because you don’t even know where to start, then we’re here to help you.
Before you start
Before you start actually finding specific roles to look at, you should think about the following things:
What sort of work do you want to do and what are you aiming to get out of the whole experience?Are you looking to travel and explore a new culture (and thus open to all opportunities) or do you want to do a particular role related to your degree or career objectives? Perhaps you want to work in a large corporate environment or you want to try a smaller company or start-up where you may get more responsibility?
Where do you want to go?Have you got a particular city, country or continent in mind? This may depend on your answer to question 1 as there might be particular countries or regions that are better suited to the work you’d like to do. Write down all the places you’re keen to consider – it’s worth drilling down to city-level as the experience can differ within country.
How feasible is it to work in a particular area or country?You will need to think about travel and accommodation, and find out if you need a visa. Also, do you need to be able to speak the local language? Some countries are more accessible for English speakers than others, so if you don’t have a second language then perhaps start with these (but remember that the business language in some countries not on this map might still be English).
What is the environment / culture like and how will you adapt to this?Whilst this is something you will prepare for once you’ve already secured an internship, it is a good idea to also research this early on because it may help when making applications.
All of the above will take both some thinking on your part, but also some research. A great place to start is the GoinGlobal website. Access this site via the Working Outside of the UK page on the UCL Careers website. You can also use the working abroad pages on TargetJobs and Prospects to help you. Make a note of your answers to the above – they might change over time as you explore new places, and that’s absolutely fine!
Looking for opportunities
After you’ve done a bit of thinking, next up is to starting looking for opportunities. Finding an international internship in a country you have limited experience with requires you to be proactive, but the rewards will be worth it. Here’s some places to start:
myUCLCareers jobs board – click on the Search tab > Vacancies and use the locations or country filter on the left to narrow down the options.
LinkedIn can be a valuable tool to help you find companies or contacts in countries that are of interest to you. Use the locations filter on the search function to target a particular country, or search via industry if you know what sector you want to work in.
General job boards such as Indeed, Reed and Google all have options to search by country and industry. org is a great platform for finding opportunities in specifically in Europe.
Local job boards can also be a great way to find opportunities, particularly from smaller organisations focusing on targeting local students. Search ‘job boards in x country’ to see what is recommended. For example, Welcome to the Jungle is a popular job platform in France for students to find opportunities in French SMEs.
Directories are a great way to help you find companies that you might be interested in working in, particularly ones you haven’t heard of yet! Sites like co allow you to search for companies by sector or location and provide general company information as well as links to jobs. If the company doesn’t have any jobs listed, there’s no harm in applying speculatively – we’ll cover this in the next blog!
Direct application to an organisation – this is the DIY route to finding an internship abroad. Take a look at the Careers Essentials module on guides on job huntingto help you with various stages of the job hunting process, whether at home or overseas.
Written by Rhiannon Williams, Global Internships Manager at UCL Careers.
Welcome to the first in a series of blogs aimed at helping students to find, apply for, prepare for and undertake a global internship (usually meaning outside the UK and probably your home country). We will be publishing blogs under the #myglobalinternship tag across the autumn and spring terms, so keep an eye out!
So maybe you’ve been applying for international internships already, or perhaps it’s something you’d like to start doing. Wherever you’re at, you may have come across the term ‘global mindset’ and you might wonder what this actually means.
One of the simpler definitions we like is ‘the ability to operate comfortably across borders, cultures, and languages’ and for a student to be a ‘global graduate’ they need to be able to possess a range of competencies such as team-working, adaptability, resilience and self-awareness.
Why is it important?
In an increasingly globalised workplace, employers require their staff to have intercultural competence to enable them to collaborate effectively with their colleagues and in different cultural settings (such as in a country you may not have experience before). They also need employees from diverse backgrounds to represent their client base, who can also grasp the interconnectedness of international business.
A report from McKinsey’s Global Institute shows that ‘cross-border data flows are increasing at rates approaching 50 times those of last decade. Almost a billion social-networking users have at least one foreign connection, while 2.5 billion people have email accounts, and 200 billion emails are exchanged every day. About 250 million people are currently living outside of their home country, and more than 350 million people are cross-border e-commerce shoppers’.
In addition, ‘increased global interconnectivity puts diversity and adaptability at the centre of organisational operations’ according to the Future Work Skills 2020 report. This means employers are looking for candidates who can keep up with this rate of change and collaborate virtually by working productively and effectively as part of a virtual team (e.g. one across different global sites).
What kind of experiences can you draw upon?
By studying at UCL, you are already in a great position to talk about your experiences of interacting with individuals from different cultures, given that there are over 150+ nationalities represented on campus. You can also demonstrate your global mindset by talking about the following experiences on your applications and in interviews:
Living abroad (during upbringing or as part of course)
Picking up language skills
Transitioning from home to London
Coming to London from outside of the UK
Representing one organisation at its interface with another in a different region/country/culture
Presenting papers at international conferences or in committees
Having an interest in current affairs, listening to/reading global business news (be prepared to back this up)
Independent travel
Sensitivity to different regional/class/cultural attitudes, e.g. travel, voluntary work, vacation jobs
Plus, if you decide to undertake a global internship in summer 2020 then that will enhance your global mindset even further! For further reading about global skills, you may enjoy the QS 2019 Global Skills Gap Report which aims to provide a greater understanding of the gaps between graduate skills and employer expectations around the world. You can also book a careers appointment to talk about these skills and explore how you can highlight yours to future employers!
The UCL Careers team use this Blog to share their ‘news and views’ about careers with you. You will find snippets about a whole range of career related issues, news from recruiters and links to interesting articles in the media.
If you are a researcher, we a specific blog for you.
We hope you enjoy reading the Blog and will be inspired to tell us your views.
If you want to suggest things that students and graduates might find helpful, please let us know – we want to hear from you.
Karen Barnard – Director, UCL Careers
UCL Careers is part of The Careers Group, University of London
Accurate at the time of publication
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