Architecture Intern at Sustainable Building Firm

The placement I received was great. ABROADER Vietnam has helped me the whole way! I would recommend this program if they are looking to go somewhere completely different and cool!

The industry visits provided real-world experience and foresight into our future careers. The field trips gave us a new insight into a rich, deep culture, and ABROADER organised parties were heaps of fun... They usually ended up turning into a very late night as well. During the trip I always felt safe thanks to the local buddies and our program coordinator. Before I left for this trip, I could not help but feel nervous. It was my first time travelling overseas and I was about to leave my home country for ~one month. I did not know what to expect from Vietnam/Singapore, the people I was travelling with, or the countless people I would meet overseas. Since the very first moment that I arrived the local buddies welcomed me with open arms. The entirety of the group that I came over with also bonded so much quicker than I thought possible. From the start we were exploring Ho Chi Minh City, while introducing ourselves to the locals and the nightlife. All the activities on the trip were great and we were all kept busy. This was a really big positive in my opinion as, had a tentative schedule have not been organised, it may have become easy to 'waste' a day or more relaxing. That being said, there were some free days designated throughout the trip should you wish to catch up on some sleep ;). Provided you use a little bit of travelling smarts I cannot see any problems that should arise on your trip. Each and every one of the local buddies, (our coordinator included), were so kind and caring. You should really give it your best effort to open up and engage with each of them. They are all such great and unique people and provide the best way to truly immerse yourself in the adventure. Furthermore, they are so selfless and are always able to provide advice or help you out with literally anything. You have a golden opportunity to make some truly long-lasting friendships. Both Vietnam and Singapore themselves were amazing countries to visit. There is an aura about both that gives you the feeling that something is always happening. Particularly in Vietnam, most local places are open at almost all hours of the day and deep into the night. However, this never left me feeling as though the cities we visited were too busy. Being in a largish group of good friends and exploring was completely fun and relaxing too. The visits to more discrete locations were also beautiful and completely peaceful. Finally, the local civilians were so kind, welcoming and genuinely happy that we were experiencing their culture and lifestyle. Now that the trip is over all I can think about is how I wish it had gone for longer. How I wish I had extended my trip even further, and how I am already planning to meet with the friends I have made on this journey for further travel. So, if you are worried or nervous about any parts of this trip, all I can say is that it truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity. There are so many friends and stories to be made. Get out there, take every opportunity you can, don't overthink it and just do it!

I was very impressed with how organized ABROADER Vietnam was in preparing my internship in Vietnam. The Skype meetings before coming to Vietnam made me feel confident about my safety and expectations during my internship. The Program Coordinator met me at the airport, even though my flight arrived at 1 a.m. The orientation was very thorough and outlined expectations from both myself and the University of Economics HCMC – where I would be working as an intern. During the summer ABROADER checked in with me often to see how I was doing. They even came down to Ho Chi Minh City a few times to visit the other interns and me. Whenever I had a problem, they were always available on Facebook and did their best to resolve it. It is clear that ABROADER Vietnam is a reliable organization that cares about its participants.

Words cannot describe how much I gain from this internship. The time here have been productive, meaningful and of course an unforgettable one! When I first came to Ho Chi Minh City for the internship, I was overwhelmed by the culture difference. To the roads packed with motorcycles to the food, everything was different for me. Honestly, I thought it would be very hard for me to adapt to the culture in Vietnam, however, ABROADER Vietnam provide us with a lot of support! They have local buddies that bought us around Ho Chi Minh City, teach us their culture and are very open and happy going! They even bought us to grocery shopping which we needed desperately! :) What’s more they gave me an internship in one of Vietnam’s top IT outsourcing company! The team was professional, always looking for ways to improve and welcoming! They always try their best that i am doing great! Thank You ABROADER Vietnam!

There were definitely times during my internship that the cultural difference between Vietnam and Japan made my internship here challenging. However, I was able to be in a team of amazing people and I learnt to accept the difference of opinions within my team and be patient to avoid any conflict. For me, being in a harmonious team motivated me to be positive, work harder and be a more productive person in general.

Having an Internship program away from home is not an easy decision because you have to think of so many aspects like entering a new culture, encountering language differences, living in a new environment and so many other things. At first, I was very nervous because it was my first time in Vietnam, but ABROADER made me feel that I made a right decision to come for an internship here. They will not let you feel away from your home as they will treat you not just like a student intern but as a part of the ABROADER family. I never felt alone as they are always there to guide and support me during my internship despite of the culture differences. The very good news is I am starting to learn and immerse myself into the Vietnamese life with the help of not only my on-site program coordinator but also my lovely Vietnamese co-workers in Ha Long Bay. My program started with an orientation on my internship in Vietnam at ABROADER’s office, during which they also taught me some basic Vietnamese language that is very helpful while I am here. Afterwards, we had a welcome dinner where I tried different Vietnamese dishes which I immediately fell in love with. They were all very “ngon” which means delicious in Vietnamese :) . The next day we had a day of city tour with my local buddy – Ngan where she showed me around tourists spots in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and French Quarter. During the tour, Ngan also brought me to local restaurants to enjoy traditional Vietnamese foods and drinks like Egg coffee which I like best. To make it even better, she took me to a place near Hoan Kiem Lake where I got to discover the most delicious ice cream I have ever tasted in my life.

I am so incredibly lucky that I have people and things that make saying goodbye to Hanoi incredibly difficult. For if I did not have them, that would have meant I wasted nearly three months internship in Vietnam. I was able to make friends, experience the culture, learn a little Vietnamese in the process; all those things became part of me and make it that much more difficult to say farewell to them.