Life as an International Business Intern
Being an intern is a great opportunity!Aisha's Entry into Global Technology Marketing at Qualcomm
"I sent my resume to a marketing director, discussing my international travels and studies at SDSU, and just like that I was working for one of the best companies in the world. My internship was intended to last for just that summer, but my work proved invaluable to my department and they decided hire me when I graduate. I have had many valuable insights into effective management, company politics, people's different communication styles, the importance of interpersonal skills, and how to use many computer applications for research and presentations. I gather data daily through searches over fifty countries, and populate a database in order to extract information whenever it is requested. I expect to work in many parts of the world, and thrive on the diverse environment Qualcomm provides."
Bonsoir, from Megan!
When the opportunity to take the internship abroad arose, Megan jumped at the chance. She had lived in the south of France for her junior year and it was a rich and wonderful experience. She really wanted to go back, so when she saw IB 495, she saw it as the perfect opportunity. "It ended up being the best thing for me. It was extremely diversified, in an incredible location, in addition to providing the intellectual challenges I needed. "Most internships offer a multitude of experiences that help many students in their professional growth in cross-cultural settings.
Learning Outcomes for IB 495 Students
Cognitive Skills
- Solve problems within the scope of the intern's placement at an organization/entity.
- Develop ability to self-manage own learning.
Social Skills
- Work effectively as part of a team.
- Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Personal Traits
- Show appreciation of other points of view by being flexible, adaptable, and open to new ideas.
- Commit to high quality work.
Cross-Cultural Experience
On-the-Job Training
- Obtain a networking opportunity and/or employment.
Transition Experience
- Bridge gap between classroom knowledge and post-graduate career opportunities.
- Apply theory into practical situation at place of internship.
- Utilize computer skills to meet personal and supervisor's goals as part of the internship.
- Conduct a research project in a business office.
Embarking on the Journey
The common thread student interns start out with is formulating a career dream, then discovering ways to make it happen. After writing a clear and succinct career goal, they confirm their intern placements, and embark on a cross-cultural learning experience. The final project for the course involves writing a success story in the form of a five part paper.
What Makes a Good Candidate
"There is no single blueprint for a perfect intern, although certain skills are a necessity for one to excel." The main ones are:
- Computer/internet/email skills
- Microsoft Office to write documents, memos
- Finance and math skills
- Professional communication skills with clients, coworkers and superiors
"On a more personal level, one must be tenacious, especially in pursuing the internship. A mixture of charm and tenacity will greatly improve one's odds of landing a position." Completing tasks efficiently and in a self-assured manner helps gain more responsibility and trust within the organization. A successful intern uses her unique traits to her advantage and meshes them with classroom knowledge.
Class deliverables consist of seven items listed on the course Web site and are also included in the back of the course textbook shown below.
See Appendix for deliverables to submit to professor.Another Intern at Deutche Bank in Poland
"Personally I dealt with directs sales in my internship. This involved actively pursuing clients for home loans. This was a cutting-edge technique in Europe where, as most of us are used to, the customer searches for loans, not the other way around."
"It turned out to be quite a lucrative division for the bank and its expansion was unsurpassed. In such a position negotiations, sales and customer service were the main focus. I also worked in accounting and marketing and even dabbled in risk management." There were a myriad of responsibilities!
To this day the rapid expansion is stunning as new positions open monthly. "After researching Deutsche Bank I found out that this was only the tip of the iceberg. Its corporate client side is a behemoth. The major opportunities are in human resources, asset management and investment banking. Just under the investment banking umbrella one can find global market, global equities, global relationship management, credit risk management, and global transaction banking. Many large banks offer comprehensive training programs. The applicants are expected to be business administration, industrial engineering, business mathematics, or physics (with a background in mathematics)."
"Some sort of international background and the ability to work under stress and make quick, intelligent decisions are praised. After an extensive, year-long training program one is accepted into the corporate strata and your career begins."
"Start with a strong GPA all while padding your resume as much as possible. International experience is a great way to set oneself apart. Above all, be self-confident! Then search for the best training program in the most reputable firms you can find, all the while being as tenacious as humanly possible. An intern's future begins the moment he or she steps foot upon a college campus. Do everything possible to use every ounce of potential available, and snatch every opportunity that presents itself. That is the best advice I can possible give anyone!"
Evaluating IB 495 student achievement
- The main evidence used to assess student outcomes are the students' Capstone Reports. Additionally, the students are responsible for many forms of self-evaluation throughout the semester, see the Checklist on Learning Outcomes for Students. "I was very impressed with how many categories I was able to check off from the items listed to measure my success. It made me realize how many success factors there are to learn in an international internship. It is difficult to explain the amount of ways an internship of this sort equips a person to deal with international business."
- IB 495 also assesses student achievement by evaluation forms that are completed by the intern's supervisor.
Evaluating IB 495
- There is a direct form of assessment by instructors in the form of an Attribute Analysis. Learning outcomes (the attributes or skills) are defined in a RAND Institute study of the 18 attributes that multinational companies look for when hiring entry level employees with Bachelor's degrees.
- The Success Index provides an estimate of how well students have achieved learning outcomes in the internship course.
Making IB 495 better
- Instructor: "The nature of this class, with students in 45 countries, is that communication between students and my office are more limited than when a class meets twice each week. We are working to create more weekly communication by using Blackboard to stimulate discussions about successes and issues that students experience. They can then have greater access to my advice, but also the experiences of one another. Blackboard will even allow our company supervisors to post information useful for interns working on the course around the world."
- Example: We are posting on-line pieces of student work to illustrate the 18 desired learning outcomes, and recommending through bulletins and on-line discussions that students check progress and achievements of outcomes.
Click here for more information about IB 495.