Alumni Spotlight

22 Oct

We were delighted to meet with Tobias Band, an Absolute Internship alumnus, in the glaring heat of the Barcelona sun. It was a joy to relive Toby's experiences, to laugh about memories of Shanghai, and generally catch up. So please enjoy this window into life before, during and after an Absolute Internship. A huge thanks to Toby for giving his time to us!
15:13 / Alumni Spotlight / Success Stories
07 Aug

From O’ahu Hawaii all the way to Shanghai, China, I could say that the idea of flying half way around the world (alone) truly frightened me. I had studied abroad in London prior to this internship, but there is no similar comparison that I could think of between China and the UK, other than how they're capitals are both huge cities. Although I had lived across the world before, an intimidating new city awaited my arrival.
08:44 / Alumni Spotlight / Fashion Internships / Scholarships / Shanghai Internships
25 Jun

The skyline gleamed of amber, striking each of the many steeples. We stood in a trance gazing across the horizon, the rich glow fulfilling the sky and land. It had been several days since we arrived in the city and we had all grown accustomed to the incredible antiquity of Stockholm, its beauteous greenery and waterways seemingly lining every sidewalk and roadway. Yet, this scene placed us in a state of awe unlike any before. The Sun’s crystallizing light glided across the rooftops with not just beauty, but the grace of sentimentality.

09:09 / Alumni Spotlight
26 Oct

We interviewed Chloë, who completed a London Finance Internship on the Absolute Summer 2017 program. After her successful internship, she was offered a remote part-time position as she continues pursuing her studies in Business and French at Western University, Canada.
Why did you decide to do an internship abroad? How did you choose London? I decided to do an internship after my first year because I was looking for relevant experience in my field and I knew I needed to work over the summer but I also wanted to travel. The Absolute Internship program was an awesome hybrid. I had thought about Madrid but decided on London because I had been there before and loved it. It is easy to travel and you can speak English so there is less of a culture shock. I love the culture of the city and the fact that it has one of the largest finance industries.
12:33 / Alumni Spotlight / Finance Internships / London Internships
04 Jul

Shyam Thakker from the University of Michigan shares his current experience on his Singapore summer internship in Engineering as one of Absolute’s Summer 2017 Intern Heroes. 
My engineering internship has been everything I expected it to be. Full of computer programming, lots of circuitry, and plenty of tinkering. Basically, much more hands on that anything I’ve learned at my university. While I’ve been a part of multiple engineering projects, this is my first internship. Even so, many aspects of the internship remind me of my experience working on a solar car at my university: very hands on, lots of getting my hands dirty, and plenty of figuring stuff out on my own.
07:33 / Alumni Spotlight / Engineering Internships / Singapore Internships
26 Jun

Shyam Thakker from the University of Michigan shares his current experience as an Engineering intern in Singapore as one of Absolute's Summer 2017 Intern Heroes. 
I’ve been in Singapore for about a week and a half now, and without a doubt it’s been the most exposure I’ve ever had to another culture. I have spent a solid number of hours simply walking around areas of the city, observing everything from the way people walk to the signs in the MRT stations that I see everyday. After my short time here, I’ve learned that Singaporean culture, in comparison to American culture, emphasizes kindness and courtesy towards others.  At the same time the culture is richly diverse in terms religion, language, and most of all, food.
16:50 / Alumni Spotlight / Engineering Internships / Singapore Internships
04 May

Absolute Internship turns the spotlight on program alumni, following them on their journey from summer interns to young professionals.
Aneela Aziz from the United Kingdom was an Absolute Intern in summer 2015, working in the cut-throat fashion industry of Shanghai.

1. What have you been up to since your summer as an Absolute Intern?

I started a new job internationally as an Executive Creative Marketer within the fashion industry for a manufacturer in Dhaka, Bangladesh, supplying different retail brands across the globe.
 

2. How did the program help you along your career path?

Having international experience in China working within fashion definitely gave me the opportunity to land a job abroad, as the skills and experience I gained during my internship showed that I am able to adapt to different cultures, environments, and people in a new country.
 

3. What aspect of the program was most useful to your career?

The networking events and meeting people who work in different industries such as the H&M company visit. I feel that this really benefited me as it was based in the fashion industry. It was really interesting to meet professionals who work in the fashion sector, as it helped me partly make a decision as to what I wanted to do after I finished the internship.
 

4. What was the biggest challenge you faced while interning in Shanghai and how did you overcome it?

It was the language barrier. As I did not know Chinese, it was harder to communicate effectively both at and outside of work. Also the overall culture, work environment and lifestyle. I just went with an open mind, did not take anything to heart, and was patient as I believe that especially when you adapt to a new country, you have to give it time and it will all come together in the end. From your first impressions to going through the experience living and working in Shanghai, you learn a lot and you learn to adapt to different situations.
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5. What do you miss most about your Absolute Summer?

I miss all the interns. We became one family whilst living in Shanghai and it was nice to meet different people from around the world. We created such a tight bond; I really missed the whole experience when I left Shanghai, from going on different trips to going out for dinner, even visiting MacDonald’s! It was like heaven for me as I missed my food back in the UK. The total Absolute experience was amazing and I'll never forget what a great time I had.
 

6. What's next for you? 

15:18 / Alumni Spotlight / Shanghai Internships
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