The 6 Advantages Of An International Internship For US J-1 Visa Participants By A.H.Lostocco

www.internship4america.com

This article has three benefits one at the outset of your search for an internship to collate the reasons why you are planning to participate in a US training program. Second as a way to explain to your family and friends the advantages of embarking on this adventure in a foreign land. And the third reason is for you to use this as a reminder when you lose focus during the training period as to why you made this decision (most interns go through this at some point during their training). So I recommend that you keep this article handy so that when that day comes and you are frustrated and disheartened you can pull it out and remind yourself of what you will be gaining by this experience.

So here are six (6) advantages for participating in a J-1 visa Exchange Visitor Program

1.Total submersion into US culture is the best approach to boosting your American English language proficiency and competency. Remember we use many idioms in the US, which can make our language hard to interpret even if you have excellent skills. Being here can help you to understand this better.

2.An internship can provide a vehicle for you to learn how to deal with and adapt to new situations. It is true that culture shock can be traumatic and unsettling for some individuals. An international internship will present you with a host of challenges to help you sharpen your adaptability and individual flexibility to different socio-economic environments. Through this experience, you can expect to gain self-confidence, self-reliance and independence.

3.An internship gives you a first-rate cultural exposure. We have heard people say, I like visiting a certain place, but I wouldn´t like to live there." As we said previously, living and working in another country is very different from a visit or short stay. Living and working is a grass-roots experience (here one of those idioms I spoke of, do you know what it means), and is the only way to really decide if you are attracted to the country in a real-life setting. After a year or year and half, you will develop strong feelings one-way or the other.

4.An internship can provide a good method to develop associates for the future. An internship can be viewed as a tool for building a wide network of future friends and business associates that will be a valuable asset to you in the future. It is a good method to show others your seriousness, initiative and dependability as a future professional.

5.An internship will provide you with invaluable knowledge into how business is conducted in the US. US business is conducted very differently from around the world. Here is one small example; In many meetings held in US corporations it is hard to tell who the boss is because the emphasis is placed on the person who can solve the problem at hand. The boss may be the individual who is sitting quietly while the person who is heading the meeting is the person most familiar with the situation.

6.And of course, there is the work experience that you will gain in your area of study. This experience will help you to refine and develop new professional skills. It will improve your oral and written communications, and your teamwork and leadership skills. What can be more impressive on a resume than to say that you gained work experience in your field of study in the US?

It is a proven fact we retain 15-25% of what we hear and see and 80% of what we experience. In addition, a student´s grades were found to improve after the individual did an internship. Through an internship you can expect to gain insight that you could never receive through the academic experience alone. At our company, it is standard practice to review the forgoing six points with every intern who enters our program.

Let me conclude with some reactions from trainees who enter our program when we review this list with them;

"I never thought of an internship in such a broad view…" D.J.L Manila Philippines

"You know, I was thinking of this only as a way to learn about hotel management. I now see this as an opportunity to learn about American culture and to meet new people…" H.E.G Mumbai, India

"You really opened my eyes. Yes, I will about business, but also build my network for when I finish…" A.B.K. London, England.

To learn more about the advantages of an internship I suggest you read "US Internships for International Students and Young Professionals" by Alexander H. Lostocco you can find it at www.amazon.com

If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me directly at lostocco1@internship4america.com. If you would like to review some of my other articles on instituting an internship program you´ll find them listed at www.internship4america.com. If you have had a similar experience I would like to hear about it.

Alexander H. Lostocco