I had a really great time working at my internship, and I know that without the help of CRCC I would have had a very hard time getting an internship in a similar position on my own. Living and working at my internship in Tokyo gave me a great understanding of working abroad, and the work/leisure dynamic helped keep me creative and productive at my job. The various events CRCC put on such as dinners and community service events gave my local experience a lot of texture, and helped me better connect with my host country’s culture.

“I did a one month internship in Beijing within the Media & Creative Industries sector. I work for a music company, helping with their online marketing and advertising campaign. One of the tasks I did was compiling a competitor analysis report on other companies in the same industry.”

“My colleagues were great, they took me out, showed me about the Chinese culture and lifestyle.”

“Companies these days want to see cultural experience on your resume from foreign countries. Coming back the Beijing is definitely on the books… I’m going to miss the food, the people, and the city.”

If I could tell anyone one thing it would be: study abroad. I decided to travel and have my internship in Beijing, China because I wanted to go somewhere unique and put myself in an environment I was unfamiliar with.

I got all of that and more. After spending my entire summer in China I am leaving with networking skills, new knowledge of the foreign sector of marketing, having attended embassy events, and with an overall appreciation and infatuation with China.

CRCC Asia focussed on making me feel at home so I could focus on learning, working, and growing as a person. They encouraged me to travel and thus allowed me to love this experience as much as I did.

Federica studia all’Università degli Studi “L’Orientale di Napoli” ed è stata la fortunata vincitrice della borsa di studio che CRCC Asia mette a disposizione una volta l’anno. Federica ha svolto un mese di tirocinio a Pechino, in Cina, con il China Internship Program di CRCC Asia nel settore del Media and Creative Industries. Come tanti altri, anche Federica è stata ben accolta dai suoi colleghi e dal suo supervisor, che immediatamente l’hanno fatta sentire importante e parte di una squadra.

Federica ha inoltre apprezzato molto l’aiuto di CRCC Asia sia prima che durante il periodo di stage in Cina, un aiuto fondamentale che le ha permesso di lasciare in Italia ansie e preoccupazioni per un viaggio in una meta così lontana e diversa. Diversa sì, ma non incompatibile; Federica è infatti riuscita a superare le barriere culturali e a stringere rapporti duraturi.

I arrived in Shanghai in June 2012 right after I had completed my study abroad program in Nanjing. After spending four months in China, I had assumed that Shanghai would be no surprise to me. In a nutshell, I could not have been more wrong.

The city itself fascinated me, from its bustling streets that never ceased to excite me, the night life consisting of Ladies Nights, Happy Hours, sports bars, and clubs, and of course, the “fog” that enveloped the city for the majority of my two months living there. One of the most impressive characteristics about Shanghai is how people are always coming and going, thus giving you opportunities to meet new people from all over the world almost on a daily basis. The weekly networking events and business seminars promoted by CRCC Asia were excellent for exchanging business cards with people who come from diverse backgrounds for various purposes. The culture of Shanghai itself is an innovative phenomenon that I had never experienced before, and it was my upmost pleasure to engage myself in what the city had to offer.

I was assigned to work as an editorial intern at That’s Shanghai magazine after expressing my interest in the media sector. Quite honestly, the position did not exactly entail what I had anticipated; it was actually better. Being a university student graduating the following year, gaining work experience in China was a very crucial step in my career path, and my internship in Shanghai provided me exactly what I needed to decide what I would like to do post-graduation. That’s Shanghai magazine always kept me busy by sending me to numerous events to write articles on, conducting interviews with interesting people, and reading online news sources to write blogs for the company website. Although it was only two months, I feel that I have built much more skill assets than I had expected.

The greatest thing about my internship  experience was the friendships I made within the program. Because everyone lives in the same apartment complex, it definitely helped to bring people closer and to cultivate strong bonds among the interns. Nothing is better than getting to know someone in a foreign country. I honestly did not expect to make such great friends in a short amount of time, and it is truly amazing to have strong connections with friends from all over the world.

Overall, CRCC Asia was more than just an internship program, and I definitely won’t trade my summer for anything else.

Mi nombre es Ainhoa y he participado en el programa de CRCC Asia durante un mes en Pekín, en la modalidad de medios de comunicación e industrias creativas. La experiencia ha sido increíble tanto a nivel formativo como personal. He podido descubrir una cultura y un país nuevos para mí y trabajar en una empresa china. En concreto he estado en una revista en la que me encargaba de escribir artículos, entrevistas, ir a eventos y hacer algunas tareas de edición.

Además, desde la organización, tanto en Madrid como en Pekín han estado muy pendientes de nosotros y dispuestos a ayudarnos en lo que fuera. Vamos, no tengo ningún pero salvo que tengo fotos para llenar tres álbumes y que ya lo echo mucho de menos aunque no ha pasado ni un mes desde que me fui. Eso sí, al menos me consuelo viendo fotos.