During my environmental engineering internship at my host company, I have learned a great deal of practical knowledge and skills that I hadn’t been taught in schools before, in particular my design skills have been improved a lot. My supervisor and coworkers gave me very helpful support and guidance which is what I expected to have in an internship, although I wish I was more freedom to explore and do independent work. Adding to the experience, I got to go on a field trip to Hai Duong in 2 weeks while I was an intern. It was a valuable experience for me because I was able to travel and see the different practices in a smaller city of Hai Duong compared to Hanoi, I of course made new friends and had a little peak into the local life of people outside the busy capital.
Geogre Wilson
Environmental Engineering Internship ,Durham University, England
An Internship that Brought a lot of Happiness During a Tough Time My internship through ABROADER was truly a worthwhile experience. Not only did I genuinely enjoy the work I did for my host organization, but having ABROADER's support and community really enhanced my remote internship. Having weekly culture sessions and buddy chats, and getting to talk regularly to the ABROADER staff and local buddies, made me feel like I was actually in Vietnam. I think this aspect of their program is really unique, because it makes doing an internship in a brand new place much less intimidating; everyone is so friendly and welcoming, I never felt alone when navigating this new adventure. I genuinely feel that I was able to connect with people and make new friends despite being thousands of miles away. What was your funniest moment? With the culture sessions and buddy chats, there were a lot of fun, happy moments. I think I laughed the hardest when making a video with a fellow intern and two local buddies for ABROADER's farewell group session. We tried creating a parody to Grease's Summer Nights, but being that none of us are musically talented, and we had to deal with the lag from Zoom when singing all together, our finished product was quite chaotic. Regardless, it was a lot of fun to work on all together, and seeing our video at the session gave me a really great laugh.
Joanna Georgiou
Program Assistant Remote Internship ,Princeton University
The host school was very welcoming and friendly, provided me with plenty of opportunities to interact with different year levels and observe classes, very keen on showing me Vietnam and making me comfortable. The teachers that we got to work with were very supportive – very kind and supportive! They welcomed us into their community and provided us with numerous opportunities to be in the classroom and teach. We get to receive feedbacks from teachers after the classes and it really helps a lot for us to make progress and improvement. I am also very grateful for the local buddies that support us throughout the program, they are all very kind and helpful.
Rachel Odam
Education Internship ,Monash University, Australia
I had a great experience interning in Vietnam, I made new friends, experienced new things and learned a lot through the program. ABROADER's staff were really helpful and friendly, making me and the other interns here get used to life in Vietnam. Being an engineering student, I was placed in an engineering company. There, I learned a lot about working life and knowledge that would help me in my future. I also got to experience Vietnam's culture, their way of life and explored the country. Overall, I had a good time over the 5 months I was in Vietnam, experiences good or bad, will likely stick with me for the rest of my life.
Harris Bin Hazri
Technical Sales in Engineering Internship ,Republic Polytechnic, Singapore
Great internship in Vietnam! I recommend Westerners to go there at least one time to see things differently. ABROADER is very helpful (even if there is only women here haha) and found me a very decent internship. Time flies very fast, so you know what to do if you like the heat and cheep beers. À bientôt Vietnam!
Hugo Boitel
Environment Internship ,Polytech Montpellier, France
Being in Vietnam is the best experience in my life so far!!!
I cannot believe 6 weeks have actually gone by. I love my internship at Siten. People in the company are really helpful and understanding. They are like a family. Like when I was sick and asked for a morning off, they told me to stay at home for the afternoon so that I can truly feel better. My Thuan – my supervisor has taught me so much. He actually encouraged me to go explore Vietnam – so different from other leaders I know. He let me do what I want to do. The largest problem was the language barrier but we managed to communicate with each other quite well. They said I inspire them to learn English. So yeah, everything is pretty perfect. The best experience in my life so far!
At Siten I worked on a project for learning English in which I helped develop the website and prototyped games. The staff also me HTML which I really enjoyed learning.
Besides going to work, I spent all of my weekend travel to new places like Sapa, Hoian, Danang, Ha Long Bay. I met with so many nice people who are so friendly and they really want you to immerse into the culture. If there is one thing I feel that I have grown, it must be my ability to talk with people, to be more open towards anything. Before coming here I knew pretty much nothing about Vietnam. Still I managed to live here and was actually never lonely my whole time being in Vietnam. I am glad that I came here. I cannot believe I am gonna leave this place so soon. Thank you all so much!
Zareen Fazleabas
IT Internship ,Pennsylvania State University, USA
The study tour was a fantastic program full of cultural and fun experiences in both Vietnam and Singapore. Before the trip both of these places had been on my travel list, so when the opportunity for this trip came up I couldn't say no and I'm so glad that I did it. The buddies, the people I travelled with and the organisers made the trip even better. Industries in both countries were super helpful and our visits to these factories was one of the highlights. Networking with these companies, the food, cultural exposure, the people and the organisers made it a beautiful way to study our university course!! The most unfamiliar food that I tried was definitely chicken feet! Sugar cane drinks were also unusual but they tasted awesome! Thank you!!!!
Jared Haysman
Electrical Engineering and Computing Study Tour ,University of Newcastle, Australia
ABROADER helped me come to Vietnam, they found an internship for me, found work so I can learn about agriculture, organized my arrival, accommodation, first days guidance, sight-seeing, excursions, gave recommendations how to live and react in certain situations, gave me lessons about their language, welcomed me as I never could imagine and more. Simply said, their service was excellent. Like others have said, after coming to Vietnam they were available all the time and offered help with anything. Right now I can’t imagine how I could manage this alone. I was so amazed how fast they did things at ABROADER and how organized they were. I must confess at first I didn’t expect this. I have experience with similar organizations in Europe and I must write how great ABROADER was compared to them.
But,
this is not everything. After I came to Hanoi I also heard about this organization’s background. For them it is not just about making money. Because many students from Vietnam can’t afford traveling to other countries, ABROADER actually helps them learn about other cultures and languages. They directly cooperate with students. So, with coming here I didn’t just help myself, I also helped others to gain more knowledge. And getting a local buddy is also an excellent idea. You can never learn so much about the foreign country if you travel as a tourist. You have to become part of it, then you can learn about the real culture. Your local buddy helps you do this and in the end you might even find a new friend, like I did. I made many new good friends.
In general, you might think that internship with ABROADER will bring you more knowledge and experience in your profession. It will, because they really search for the best possible internship position. But you can’t imagine how much other experience you also gain just by crossing the street or ordering food, being independent here. And be part of them.
I won’t be writing how beautiful this country is, how friendly people are and how good the food is, you will just have to come here and find out by yourself. :)
Thank you ABROADER!
Gregor Kramberger
Agriculture Internship ,Master's Degree at University of Maribor, Slovenia
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!
Calen Blake
Electrical Engineering and Computing Study Tour ,University of Newcastle, Australia
I feel satisfied about the services provided by ABROADER Vietnam while I was here; almost everything was sorted out before arrival so there was definitely no messing around with organizing things. The accommodation they provided me was good but I personally prefer one that is closer to my place of work. Before starting my internship in Vietnam, I was informed of the work that I will be doing and the skills involved, therefore there was time allowed for me to learn certain CAD programs to help my work. As for the workplace environment, the company where I got an engineering internship in Vietnam was a company that is in the Aerospace Engineering field, all the employees here helped me settle in by talking to me at work and sitting with me at lunch times. I got on well with my co-workers and my supervisor and they were there to help during my internship. Regarding my responsibilities in the company, I felt like even though it was not the most critical work, it sure was of great use to the company. If there is one thing I would recommend them do for the new interns the next time was to have them go on a welcoming tour to show off the office facilities e.g toilet, kitchen appliances available etc which makes it easier for them to navigate around the office. Beside this, I think I am overall very satisfied with my internship placement and the services provided by ABROADER Vietnam and I would highly recommend it.
Jake Thompson
Electrical Engineering Internship ,University of Exeter, England