5 reasons for an internship in the EU

Are you wondering what an internship in the EU will do for you? Here are five good reasons in favour – and the video introduces you to Bharat from India, who can help you with some clever tips:

1. Learn foreign languages

Nowhere do you learn a new language as quickly as in the country where it is spoken. By the way, not only English, but also French, Spanish and Portuguese are spoken in many countries of the world – and German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the EU.

2. Improve opportunities

An internship abroad makes you more independent and self-confident. Anyone who has joined an international team and gained practical experience in everyday working life will also be able to overcome other hurdles. Thanks to new, international friends you become more tolerant and abandon sweeping judgements about other nationalities. In addition, an internship abroad will later set you apart from your competitors. You will have better chances when you apply for a study place, a scholarship or a job, for example.

Bharat from India found a permanent job through an internship in Germany. He tells us in this video how he managed it, and how his internship benefits him both professionally and privately:

3. Discover an exciting continent

Europe is a diverse continent where there is much to discover by rail instead of on long-haul flights. Even if you only have a few days off, you can travel from one country to another and get to know different cultures, exciting cities or beautiful landscapes – wherever you fancy going.

4. It's easier to work in the EU later on

If you want to work in a European Union country, it helps to have already done an internship in Europe. The EU is the largest contiguous economic area in the world with its own legislation. This means that some standards and regulations apply in Spain as well as in Germany or Sweden. All large companies are represented in the EU, and an internship certificate from a European location is often highly regarded.

5. Bridge non-productive times

An internship abroad is a good way to use the waiting time between school, university and working life. Perhaps an internship will also result in a permanent job. One thing's for sure: anyone who has already worked abroad as an intern will have their boss's confidence to do so again later on.

Convinced? Here you can plan the next steps:

• The Erasmus+ programme offers a wide range of opportunities, and the Erasmus+ advisor at your university arranges internships for students. In the Studying Worldwide  campaign of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), German students blog as 'correspondents' about their experience abroad.
• For students of technical and scientific subjects, IASTE arranges paid internships free of charge. The organization has its own office at many universities.
• Non-EU foreigners wishing to do an internship in Germany should apply to the IAESTE National Committee in their home country.

• The AIESEC exchange organisation is represented in more than 120 countries and arranges internships and social projects for young people.

If you are interested in an internship in Germany, we have compiled lots of tips for you.

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