Shanghai Internships

Overcoming Culture Shock

I live in a tropical area with an excessive amount of palm trees. As my plane departed, that was the last thing I saw; The palm trees swooshing by. I knew 'that was it' and there was no going back. Despite the endless research I did on Shanghai, I couldn’t help feeling clueless about the upcoming 6 weeks. I convinced myself that the feeling was just part of the adventure and experience.

Reporting Across the World

I dream of becoming a foreign affairs reporter. I came to China to get my first glimpse at what it is like to report in a country with a different language and different press regulations. My journalism internship at an online media publication, has given me the opportunity to do so.

Go For It!

If I could tell someone who was pondering upon the idea of interning in a different country and has the opportunity to do so, I’d say, go for it. It changes the way you think and view the world. It’s a place out of your comfort zone that will only lead to growth and endless stories to tell when you get back home.

Work AND Travel

A full time internship does not mean having to work all summer long. In fact, traveling can be done and should be done.
Traveling in China was full of fun and some of my favorite experiences abroad. What surprised me was how easy it was to get around in China given the affordable prices and various transportation methods.
While working in Shanghai, I had the opportunity to make weekend trips to Hangzhou, Suzhou and Beijing.

I Couldn’t Skip Culture Shock

Everybody says great things about travelling. After all, it’s the chance to explore new settings, people, cultures, and well, a different part of the world. So why not?

China Changed Me for the Better

Weekend Trip to Nanjing

I believe my favorite cultural activity that Absolute organized for us was the trip to Nanjing. Since we stayed in Nanjing for the weekend we were able to take advantage of the city.
After a quick train ride from Shanghai to Nanjing we hit the ground running and made our way to Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum. As soon as we arrived I noticed that the skies were blue and the trees were lush with varying hues of green. It was meant to rain, but instead we were left with this reward after climbing 397 steps.

An Enlightening and Intriguing Experience

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I arrived in Shanghai — I hadn’t been anywhere like it before. China itself seemed like such a big entity to me at the time that to conceive what I would expect seemed like an impossible task. So after the first few days of living in Shanghai I was able to build a relationship with it and understand it a bit more with each passing day. I have found that there are many cultural similarities between Shanghai and my country and even state.

No Such Day as Normal Day

Honestly, it’s hard to describe a normal day at work here at my adverting internship because it doesn’t seem to exist! Last week we had an art exhibition called Now&Them: “Chinese Whispers” where the profits go to our charity, and this week we had a photo-shoot for a Chinese baby company.

Exciting First Days

Do you know how it feels to go to a country where no one in your family has gone? Well I do. China is the last place I thought I would be spending the summer before my final year in college, let alone intern there. Well, it’s only been 2 weeks and I can say it was one of the best decisions I have made.

Summer I Will Never Forget

My experience in Shanghai during my freshmen summer is one unbelievable, ridiculous, sometimes frustrating, but overall rewarding opportunity that I am so grateful to have had. It was a summer that challenged me and taught me things that I will not forget.

Priceless Opportunities

The activities that were offered through the program by Absolute Internship were abundant but varied in form. From after-work happy hours to company field trips, from day trips to different...

Anything But Boring

Coming from a sleepy, suburban town in the middle of Texas where roughly 70,000 residents go to sleep by 10 PM each night, I was pretty amazed when I was thrown into...

Small Fish, Big Pond

Startled from my sleep, I groggily paw at my phone, trying to shut off the alarm I set every morning for 7:30 am. Having to leave for work by 8:00 am every...

First Thoughts of Shanghai

Shanghai welcomed me with a blast of hot air, a wave of tired travelers, and a fight that broke out due to a K-Pop group.

After a grueling 14-hour flight, my friend and I arrived at Pudong International Airport where we were greeted by our program coordinators and a few of the other interns in the program. We were taken to our apartment where we would be living for the next six weeks; Initially, I was worried about the size and utilities of our living space, but I was pleasantly surprised by a large, apartment-style hotel with modern televisions, a functional kitchen, and my own separate bedroom.

Always Have an Open Mind

Traveling to China was a fantastic experience with countless opportunities to learn and develop as a person. My biggest piece of advice to a future intern is to not have any expectations coming into your trip and internship. Come with an open mind to learn as much as possible and let the experience change you and develop you, as it will. If you come with a certain mindset of how the time is going to be or how you think it should be, you will be disappointed in the end.

Stay Busy and Pack Light

My time throughout Shanghai was filled with ups and downs.  There were many moments of being uncomfortable.  From my internship to interacting with the locals, I was always coming across something new. That is what this trip is all about.  Putting yourself outside your comfort zone to create meaningful experiences.  It was a fun journey.  From eating scorpions to working at an investment bank, the days were exhausting because of how much there was to do!  Now that I am back home, I can already tell that I’m going to miss my time in China.
 
Pack light! While preparing for your excursion to the Far East, remember that you will have access to so many cheap products. These products are inexpensive and your times at the fake market will be some of the most fun experiences.  You are able to purchase designer merchandise to authentic (or close to) sport clothing. You will quickly build up your wardrobe. I did not take advantage of this enough, but while shopping in the United States I regret not purchasing more clothing.  It seems “sketchy” at first, but looking back, I could have saved a lot of money on wardrobe.