International internships: Milan or Madrid – going abroad is what matters most

Crossing the Plaza del Sol in Madrid on your way to the underground station, enjoying your café au lait during lunch break looking at the Eiffel tower, looking for a shady spot to avoid the midday sun in Rome, or to get stuck during New York's rush hour: Internships abroad promise romantic and new perspectives.

"Working in the company, I am developing technical understanding while at the same time applying my theoretical knowledge from the lectures", Nina Höffkes says excitedly. She is a logistics student at THWS and is doing her internship in Canada with the intralogistics company SSI Schaefer. Bachelor's students at THWS must complete a mandatory internship of 20 weeks. It can also be completed abroad – which allows combining practical and international experiences. But of course, students are free to complete an internship whenever they like.

Opting for a internship abroad might be the right choice given the internationality on the job market. In today's world, the experience of having worked abroad is more important than ever. Because an internship can often open various doors: According to a study by McKinsey, 56 percent of HR managers preferred former interns as employees.

What support measures are there?

The internship position must generally be organised by the students themselves. Every faculty employs internship coordinators who counsel students and evaluate whether the planned stay abroad meets the formal criteria in order to be accredited. Prior to the practice semester, events are offered for students to prepare them interculturally and inform them on what to consider abroad. Following the internship, there is a follow-up seminar in which experiences are reflected.

The staff of the International Office supports the students with administrative processes, work permits, confirmations and scholarships. The financial counselling in particular was one of the most important functions of the International Office, says Thomas Schmitt, Deputy Head of the International Office. Because during an internship abroad high costs often arise. These include commissions, fees for medical check-ups, travel and accommodation expenses. For internships outside the EU, costs of several hundred euro can occur for visa, residence and work permits. Students can thus apply for funding with the International Office. Meanwhile, however, according to the German Academic Exchange Service, two thirds of ERASMUS interns are getting paid for their intern work. Also Höffkes makes enough money each month to not be dependent on financial support. The company also provides her with an apartment and a rental car.

The ERASMUS+ programme is one of the most popular funding programmes. It is limited to the EU and amounts to about 600 euro per month. It can only be given to students who do not earn more than 800 euro per month. There is also the PROMOS programme for increasing student mobility, which offers students going abroad scholarships for up to six months. The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts also provides financial support.