I completed a one-month finance internship in Beijing in a major Chinese magazine – the Chinese version of The Economist. I was warmly received by the company and they did their best to help me settle in straight away by taking me out to lunch for a Chinese banquet! I quickly realised that the working environment in China is friendly and cheerful – I saw smiling faces all around me!

The work I was set was mainly independent research into current issues concerning finance; for example, I had to do research on hedge funds and how they were affected by the financial crisis, how they may be affected by the new regulations being introduced, and how practices have changed since the crisis. My supervisors gave me the right amount of space to complete my work in good time. I would recommend to anyone on the internship scheme to really get stuck in and ask for as much work as possible, and not to let things drift. There were times when I had completed all my work, and I wasn’t sure when the next piece of work would be set, and in those times I approached as many people as possible within my department, and within other departments, to get more work, and before you know it, you’re extremely busy again Beijing and you’ve expanded your network!

The CRCC Asia team really settles you in quickly as soon as you arrive in Beijing, taking you straight to your accommodation so that you can have a long nap after the long journey. The accommodation really is first class, making you feel at home. I was initially apprehensive about being in a brand new environment all on my own, but I soon realised that all the other interns were in exactly the same position as me, so you get through your problems together, and it makes for a really enjoyable time! I would definitely recommend this programme for anyone who wants work experience that stands out, and although it may seem a little pricey, once you are in Beijing you realise every penny was worth it!

Outstanding academic achievement is not sufficient anymore to secure a job within the financial industry. This industry is highly competitive and the caliber of candidates applying for jobs is also exceptionally high. Standing out in a crowd of extremely qualified graduates is essential to ensure you can make it through to the interview stage, and an internship in China certainly offers this so-called ‘edge’ to your CV, which most institutions are looking for. China is not only the fastest growing economy in the world, its currently sustaining worldwide economic activity by largely contributing to solve European/American governmental debt issues. Furthermore, business activity between Western nations and China is exponentially increasing, and having a thorough understanding of Chinese lifestyle; culture and economic environment will be a tremendously valuable asset to your short-term future.

Moving on to my personal professional experience, I interned in a Bank in Beijing; they are a micro-lending financial institution with HQ in Baotou in the Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia. My fellow employees were very social, nice, hard working, with outstanding academic curriculums, and highly interested in European lifestyle. They were always open and available for conversation and showed continuous interest in the European banking system, and how culture affected business activity in this continent. Working for them has been extremely valuable for me as an individual. Not only did I learn about banking systems in China, I learnt about this particular Bank as an institution and what their short and long-term goals are. Internationalization is their foremost objective, and being capable of demonstrating an understanding of European Banks and their business models, as well as portfolio management strategies employed in these institutions was essential to produce worthwhile reports for people with a very tight work schedule. Initiative and the ability to research were amongst the set of skills I developed during my internship. Furthermore, I attended a number of social events and managed to meet the Executive Board of this particular institution, which was a rewarding and mutually fulfilling experience. They were excited to see me, as a European, working for their bank, and very kindly offered to help me in attaining a job in China if required.

In short, an internship in China can be a life changing experience, but it’s only up to you to decide how good an experience you want it to be. Are you open-minded and willing to deal with the many cultural differences you will encounter? Are you capable of being a month away from home without missing your family? If your answer is yes, then you should submerge yourself into this very exciting new world.

First off I would like to say that I am really enjoying my experience here in Shanghai. Upon arrival, I was a little skeptical about the cultural differences but now, after being here for 3 weeks, I am able to appreciate and embrace it. The Chinese culture is definitely different from my culture in the Middle East, however I have found that there are a few similarities in which I can relate to.

The apartments we are currently staying in a rather large and spacious, especially in comparison to London. Since we are staying on the 33rd floor, we have a spectacular view of Shanghai’s skyline. Furthermore, being in a city as big as Shanghai, I was concerned about security, however the hotel provides us with a porter and security 24 hours a day, which is hugely comforting.

My finance internship in Shanghai is very interesting; we usually start work at 8 am and finish at 4. The work I have been given mostly revolves around researching potential investment opportunities in the Middle East.

Overall, I am really enjoying my experience in Shanghai and I would recommend this to anyone.

Witnessing the economic recession in the United States I knew that I needed something to set me apart from all of the other soon to be college graduates looking for a job. Learning about China from the news and from my dad’s business experiences there I knew that it would be the perfect location. I heard about CRCC Asia through my university’s careerlink, I did some research, and decided to apply on the spot. Within days I was called for a phone interview, and my parents were able to get in contact with the US CRCC Asia representative to discuss safety concerns.

The excitement began as soon as I was met in Beijing airport by a CRCC Asia representative and taken to the bus to meet the other interns! We were taken to our accomodations which were far nicer than anything I had expected, and all of the interns were quick to start getting to know each other and our new home.

Work was amazing. I had an accounting internship in Beijing with a Taxation Agents organisation and they were quick to welcome me with open arms. I met with several different department heads and even got to have a long and very informative meeting with the Chief Partner, who welcomed me back to China in the future with a job opportunity. They were very interested in giving me the full Chinese experience when it came to business and sightseeing, with my mentor taking me and some of my CRCC Asia intern friends to the Great Wall.

My month long experience in China was definitely too short. The people I met, the memories I made, and the knowledge I gained will never be forgotten. I am still in contact with several other CRCC Asia interns now that we have been home for a little while, and I fully intend on coming back to China hopefully within the near future.

My university, the University of Arkansas, has a recent partnership with CRCC Asia and I am excited to be able to work with them to help expand the campus’ awareness about this amazing opportunity. In return for funding the trip I am going to be recording some podcasts for the Walton College of Business website. Being able to share this experience with as many people as possible is something that I’ve wanted to do since the second I boarded the plane home.

I would recommend CRCC Asia to anyone looking for a complete cultural experience. It will be a decision you will not regret and an experience with memories to last a lifetime.

What can I say; words can’t describe my experience in Beijing. The experience of going to a different country where the culture, the environment and the people are so different to the lifestyle within the UK. This was only a small portion of what Beijing had to offer.

Arriving in Beijing by myself and getting prepared to meet the other interns was exciting and very nervy at first. However, the fellow Interns I met over the duration I was there were a fantastic group. I enjoyed every moment I was with any of them as well as the experience. I made a whole bunch of new friends from around the world and most importantly I plan to visit them in the near future. The experience I have gained both working and travelling in China (Beijing, Shanghai & Xi’an) was incredible. You get to explore what China truly is renowned for. I am surely going to come back in the near future and explore more places in China.

I have got to say the entire CRCC Asia team are a great bunch of people, very helpful and approachable, supportive and straight forward, especially Andrew, Kathy, Kris and Neil. They always ensured that we got the most out of our placements and experiences in China.

During my Shanghai internship, I worked for a leading investment bank and fund manager with a global outlook while providing financial advisory services. The company intends to build, strengthen and maintain relationships between leading China based enterprises and global investors, thereby identifying and promoting cross-border M&A opportunities. The company has established very strong business links with the Chinese government and top-tier investment firms in order to expand their business reach and success.

They are a relatively large investment advisory firm combining a multi-level management team and many of whom possess over twenty years multinational investment banking and fund management experience.

The work which I was asked to undertake was highly interesting and I have benefited from the experience which I have gained. The people within the company were very approachable, warm and friendly to work with, as well as to get to know outside of work.

I would recommend CRCC Asia, not just for their placements, but for the networks you build throughout the duration of your stay in China!

I have been hosting CRCC Asia’s internship in Shanghai for over 3 years to date. My cooperation with CRCC Asia started while I was working at Shanghai Expat, an online advertising platform now owned by Ringier AG. I recently moved to City Weekend, China’s leading English-language lifestyle and entertainment magazine and website (also owned by Ringier AG).

As most of the CRCC Asia interns are from the top tier of students in top universities from all over the world; I was keen to continue my cooperation with them. The service CRCC Asia provides is very helpful to our organization and we look forward to working with them for the foreseeable future.

I was given the opportunity to undergo the two week CRCC Asia Business and Finance Course and a six week internship in Shanghai with deVere Group which is a financial consultancy firm specialising in offshore accounts for expatriates in China. Arriving by myself in Shanghai was very daunting however once I got my luggage and came through customs the CRCC Asia banner was the first thing I saw which immediately comforted me.

We were then taken to the Rayfont apartments which were so modern with massive bedrooms and a living room and most importantly a fairly decent gym. The first two weeks consisted of the Business and Finance Course; the first week being in Shanghai and the second Beijing. Most of our lectures were very informative and overwhelming for me personally as I had never studied finance before in the UK let alone China. However coming back to start a Masters degree in International Finance it was very eye-opening and beneficial.

My advise for anyone travelling to Shanghai is definitely do it, don’t even doubt it, the experiences were so amazing and there are so many sightseeing points in Shanghai you will never be bored. The bars are so much nicer than what I am used to especially bar Zeal or Bar Rouge have a terrace overlooking the Bund and being a female and going on ladies nights you will gain free entry and free drink, what more could you ask for. Be careful of the street food although I would definitely recommend at least trying it, avoid stinky tofu. Sherpas.com is an absolute must and remember you can pre-order for the next morning, absolute life saver. The best advice I can give to you if your missing homemade food is to visit the pancake house, it’s on Sherpas and it does pancakes with syrup, bacon and scrambled eggs. You may need to wait as it is a small cafe however it is so worth it. Also take the subway to the Bund and go to the bottle opener building and you are allowed to go to the 87th floor for free as there is a bar – this is a must as you practically overlook Shanghai. Word of warning, the sooner you get used to the overcrowding in the subways the easier your life will be, it is the Chinese way of life it’s not worth your while getting angry about it. Also avoid red taxis as they are renowned for ripping tourists off. Avoid the ‘tourist tunnel’ at the Bund, it’s a narrow tunnel with a few different coloured lights, very overpriced and underwhelming.

Enjoy your time as when you come back home, you will wish you were still there.