I have always had an interest in Asia and the potential of China in particular, which has fuelled my desire for international work experience. Upon my search for such an experience, I stumbled upon CRCC Asia’s internship programs and proceeded to research the student testimonials. It was not until I took the plunge and experienced it myself did I realise how much the testimonials understated the potential for personal and professional growth through the program.

The opportunity for professional growth through my internship in Shanghai and networking events are endless and I have made invaluable contacts from around the world. My placement is great, the small workplace is a mix of cultures and everyone is working hard on the release of a new iPhone game (Panarchy Fling, download it, it’s free!).

The program also allows you the freedom to explore independently while also providing numerous social and charity events. Just last weekend I went on the ‘Dragon Trip’, which takes you west of Shanghai to see another magnificent side of China; Hangzhou and Moganshan. The weekend coming up is a charity event where I have elected to help out an orphanage where I can, which I am quite excited about.

Every night there is a drink or food special on, with so much to see and do there is never a dull moment in this vibrant city.

In addition the CRCC Asia staff made it easy to get acquainted with the most populous city in the world with a thorough induction and welcome pack. I would certainly recommend the program to any person wishing to step out of their comfort zone and be inspired by the magnitude of such a metropolis.

Having nearly completed my undergraduate degree in civil engineering, I wanted to make the most of my last university holiday break and try something different. I really wanted to get some practical work experience relevant to my degree, so I applied for an Internship in Shanghai through CRCC Asia, and one phone call later I was boarding a plane to China, not knowing what to expect.

For one month I worked in the heart of the CBD at a small electrical supply chain management company. The nerves and anticipation I had on my first day of work were quickly dissolved as I got to know my co-workers and learnt about the exciting opportunities that lay ahead. Initially I spent time researching electrical cables and specifications for various electrical products which was incredibly valuable work, having limited exposure to this technical field during my studies at university. Other tasks involved redeveloping a website used to facilitate the exchange of solar products, and to design a video that would be used to market the services offered by the company. What’s more, I got to meet the CEO of the firm and attend a business meeting with him at a large electrical manufacturing plant in Yangzhou. My experience gained during my internship was everything I had hoped for and more. I was even fortunate enough to have worked alongside two other interns during my placement, which was great when we needed to develop ideas and work in a team on a project. It was also a pleasure being able to explore the local restaurants and markets with my co-workers during our breaks.

During my weekends I often went to the local markets to find some hidden treasures and enjoyed bartering with the local salesman whilst practicing my Chinese language skills at the same time. Having experienced much of Shanghai already, a bunch of interns took a weekend trip with the Dragon Trip to visit some neighbouring cities and towns known for their majestic scenery and mountainous views. This was a relaxing couple of days spent getting to know your fellow interns a bit better and to escape the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, well worth the trip. Having not known a single person in China from when I got off the plane, I now have contacts from across the world. I hope to stay in contact with my network of business professionals in Shanghai in addition to the friends I have made amongst fellow interns.

The opportunities provided by CRCC Asia for the duration of my internship in Shanghai were exceptional. The Shanghai survival guide issued to each intern was definitely worth its weight in gold, having used it every day to locate restaurants, tourist attractions, markets and more. I hope to return to China in the near future, and experience the endless culture still waiting to be explored. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

CRCC Asia not only enhanced my business skills but also helped round me as a more adept and cultural individual. Spending my days in the office was a pleasure, as I was surrounded by professionals that welcomed me with open hands. The work was interesting and the environment as warm and friendly as could be.

I couldn’t have enjoyed my leisure time more, hanging with other interns from across the globe. We kicked back together at night and went sight seeing to the most magnificent places during the day.

Internship in Beijing through CRCC Asia will with out a doubt be an experience you will never forget.

I came across an e-mail circulating in my University offering a summer internship program in China. As I was always curious about the Chinese work environment and culture, I sent in my resume without much hesitation, hoping to gain some invaluable experiences.

I arrived in July for a one month summer internship in Beijing organised by CRCC. I still remember the thoughts running through mind during my flight: ‘Is anyone picking me up from the airport?’; ‘How am I going to overcome the cultural differences?’; ‘Will I be able to make friends there?’ etc. Overwhelmed with curiosity, the warm welcome of CRCC’s staff at the arrival gate begins my delightful journey of experience.

Arriving 3 days before my internship, I was given ample time to settle down. CRCC’s staff swiftly settled me in by introducing me to the other interns and providing all of us with a welcome package which includes a detailed map of Beijing, a sim card with value, a Chinese translated pronunciation booklet, a detailed address of our service apartment and office, contacts of their staff and many more! Having settled in so quickly, the other interns and I decided to explore Tian’an Men and the Forbidden City. Our first attempt to take the subway was made easy and smooth with the help of the friendly Chinese people there.

On my first day of work, a CRCC staff took me to my office and introduced me to my supervising solicitor and buddy. My buddy spent an hour of her precious time to share with me their firm’s core values, needs and goals. Afterwhich she took me for a tour around the office and introduced me to the other lawyers. In no time, I felt like I was part of the firm and not merely just an intern. I was kept busy on most days; I assisted my buddy with research, translation and drafting. One of the main deal that I had assisted in was in relation to a mining investment in Zimbabwe. As most of the new rules and regulations set out by the governmental bodies in Zimbabwe were in English, I realised how incomprehensive those translated information were made available for the Chinese lawyers and investors.

Despite working full-time on weekdays, I still manage to make time to do some sightseeing. I managed to step foot on the Great Wall of China, explored the New Summer Palace, walked into the excavation site of Emperor Wanli’s tomb (Dingling) within the Ming Dynasty Tomb, visited The Temple of Heaven and even took a flight down to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors. Apart from sightseeing, I did not miss out on the opportunity to catch a Chinese Opera and visit some of the local markets where I got to do serious bargaining with the shop owners. Due to time constraint, I only managed to go to the ‘must-go’ places, tasted the ‘must-try’ dish.

All in all, it was a well spent internship in China. I would definitely recommend people to visit China and/or apply for a summer internship. What I took back from this internship experience was amazing. Thank you CRCC for giving me this opportunity!

I decided to invest into my future career by applying for the internship in Shanghai in order to expand on my knowledge and learn from the booming economy. I was very happy with the employer selection and its business scope.

I worked for a top leading executive search firm which offered me a position in Hong Kong. However, I decided to return to Europe and gain more working experience. Before my departure I teamed up with one of the Interns and helped one Shanghai based company to expand to Europe.

The events organised by the CRCC Asia team allowed me to meet many positive and ambitious people with who I stay in touch until today. Although staying in Shanghai 2 months I did not have time to travel around. For me it was not holiday but a working experience that would help me to understand the Chinese culture, meet new people, gain experience and develop my future career.

Since completing my university degree, majoring in Asia Pacific Community Development I have wanted to gain experience working in this region with a wide range of professionals. I was able to achieve this through my valuable internship in Beijing, China with CRCC Asia. My internship allowed me to develop essential experience and skills needed for my future goals and career path.

Not only was I able to develop experience professionally I also grew in self-confidence. I realised I was able to work internationally in a challenging environment where I was able to learn a lot about myself and my personal potential as an international employee.

My internship also enabled me to meet many people from all around the world where I was able to gain networks and create lasting friendships that made my time in Beijing very rewarding and special.

Through my internship I was able to learn new skills and work alongside inspirational people, which in my case was a new and upcoming social enterprise unique to China called We-Impact. I was grateful for such an opportunity as it is something that I would not have experienced in Australia.

Living as an everyday Beijinger also allowed me to experience Chinese culture and society. Exploring Beijing was eye opening, however a great opportunity to live in the exciting hustle and bustle of one of the world’s biggest cities.

Although working in China is a challenging experience the rewards from such a challenge are invaluable; a CRCC Asia internship is a unique stepping stone to any professional’s future career path.

To describe CRCC Asia in one word, I would use committed.

CRCC Asia is committed to their partners, to their interns, to their work and to their desire to see students from around the world experience China in a safe and effective way.

Since first sending students to China with CRCC Asia in July 2012, our team at the University of Technology, Sydney has been nothing but impressed by the professionalism, dedication and passion that CRCC Asia demonstrates in their internship program and with their interns.

As a university program that sends hundreds of students around the world every year, our priorities are always the safety and value of the experiences. CRCC Asia can be trusted 100% with your students. From beginning to end, CRCC Asia took complete control of the intern experience for our students, allowing us the freedom to know our students were in safe hands before, during and after their experience in China.

We believe CRCC Asia is passionate about allowing students to experience China in all its diversity and opportunity. By providing language lessons, a fantastic social and cultural program and well as internships that are seamlessly matched to our students’ wishes and personal goals, it is obvious that CRCC Asia understands China and is successful in providing an all-round Chinese experience.

From their arrival in China, our students have raved about their experiences, even asking to extend their internship in Beijing because their participation had been so valuable to not only their studies but their future career!

We look forward to a continued partnership with CRCC Asia and a future knowing our students’ eyes will be opened to the endless possibilities in China!

For me, the China experience was more than merely gaining some unique work experience to embellish my CV. It was more about being exposed to a different, broader and less routinised way of thinking. In my two months in Shanghai, I had the chance to meet with interns from countries like England, Brazil, Argentina, Greece, Uganda, Mexico, Australia and the USA. This internationalisation was definitely one of the highlights during my two month internship in Shanghai.

The company in which I was placed for my internship was Costa Coffee. Now, for someone who holds an economics degree, to be in placed in a division that is responsible for managing this iconic brand, did not align with my skillset at all. I was more accustomed to a structured, factual-based and analytical way of thinking. So in addition to arriving in a foreign country, I also entered an industry which I knew zero to none about, and this added a bit of spice to my internship experience. Before I knew it, I was part of a conference call discussing issues like website configuration costing and ‘Google Analytics’. I think that treading on these uncharted waters did a great deal for my confidence in terms of increasing my inclination to learn new things on a regular basis.

After hearing about China being the universal ‘growth miracle’, it was great to actually experience it and to see how things work there. Be ready for a huge culture shock and try make the most from your time in China.

And one other piece of advice: try not to overindulge in Pizza Hut, McDonalds and KFC.

Working at Morgan was a great insight into how a new brand is created in a country unfamiliar to it and one in which it has little competition. Despite its 100-year history, Morgan is new to China and it was fascinating to be a part of expanding the business, learning of both the advantages of operating in China.

I fulfilled a variety of roles during my month-long internship in Beijing, from assisting with PR to competitor analysis and researching areas for the expansion of the company across China. This lead to a highlight of the internship: the opportunity to travel to Chengdu on a business trip meeting with a partner who will open a Morgan dealership in the city. My primary task on this trip was to ascertain the manner in which Morgan should be presented to the customer in Chengdu and indeed the type of person who may be interested in such a high-end car. This lead me to learn of the difference in the spending habits of the Chinese when compared to Europeans, and that luxury sports cars are bought for differing reasons in China. This was something that I had not considered before my trip.

Back in Beijing, I assisted at photo shoots for the cars and learned of the power of advertising through social networks such as Twitter and Weibo.

I could not have asked for a better internship. The small team at Morgan made me incredibly welcome and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunities that they gave me. Although only there for a month, I learned an invaluable amount about business and logistics in China and of how it differs from European commerce. Beijing was a great city to spend a month in and it was great to be able to get to know a foreign city as a commuter and temporary resident rather than as a tourist, though after a subway commute in high Summer, never again will I complain about the London tube!

I had a fantastic experience with my internship in Beijing. I was given a small non-profit group called the China Carbon Forum which creates forums for stakeholders in the Carbon Sector international network of over 1200 people in government, business and NGOs. The group was a great match with my masters degree in international relations and I developed an array of skills and increased my knowledge greatly of Climate change and insight into governmental processes and relations.

I had a great adventure with a buzzing social life and was able to travel and see and experience so much. I was able to experience the fun of an expat lifestyle whilst becoming fully immersed in the freewheeling craziness of Beijing and deeply fascinating Chinese culture.