Carlotta Sava, Internship company: Amoysen Design Co. Ltd.

I went to Xiamen, in the South-East of China, where I interned at Xiamen Amoysen Design Communication Co., Ltd. At Amoysen I had a great internship experience, which sadly only lasted one month. I learnt more about design, boosted my employability by gaining valuable work experience and improved my skills. I was happy to take on some responsibilities and being involved in various projects. It was also very interesting to take part in some of the company’s events and learning how they have been structured and organised. Before going to Xiamen I didn't know what to expect from this internship and what kind of tasks I would have had to do.

On my first day I was very excited, yet very nervous. I think the biggest challenge of this internship was indeed the fact that the main language spoken was Chinese, and I was afraid my level of Chinese wasn't going to be enough to complete my tasks or understand the colleagues, but in the end I managed to get along with it, and all the staff were always very patient in translating for me when necessary. I definitely extended my vocabulary and learnt some specific words about design, which I am sure will turn out to be useful in my future. This has definitely been an extra advantage I gained from this opportunity which I didn't expect.

During the internship I worked closely with the International Affairs Department, translating various documents and emails from Chinese to English and vice versa, conducting marketing research and getting in touch with European Chambers of Commerce in China, among other things. My supervisor always welcomed and supported my ideas, and she was always keen on giving me useful feedback on my work even if she was busy. In particular I enjoyed writing two proposals, one about how using LinkedIn could help Amoysen to reach a wider international crowd including potential customers and the second on how to improve the company’s newsletter to reach out (again) to international customers and partners. I improved my online research methods using Chinese websites and I also improved my communication skills by writing some email and calling some of the chambers of commerce.

Participating at their events was very insightful and fascinating. I learned more about what the company does and what kind of projects it is involved with. I very much appreciate the fact that Amoysen is helping and supporting the ‘Made in China’ design to stand out and become an icon in the world.

Courtney Black, Internship company: Kodak 

The internship itself was based in the ALMA Operations Centre of Kodak China, and 3 weeks of the 4 were spent here. The first week however, we were given the opportunity to visit and work in several divisions of the company in the region- from processing plants to the logistics centre. During my 3 weeks at the operations centre, I was fully trained in the SAP System used to process and deliver customer orders and then was placed in a department in which I assisted a colleague in all areas of the order process- from the initial order input, to logistical issues, or special delivery requirements.

The internship not only helped me to gain key knowledge in the area of logistics- one which I have greatly considered after graduation, but also helped me to grasp the idea of a global work environment. The department that I worked within deals with customers all over the world- from the Middle East to South America. Through assisting many people during my time in the Xiamen branch, I was able to grasp key skills that many people within the company used in order to work in such a multi-national company. The internship also allowed me to further improve my communication skills- not only on a professional level, but on a cultural level, as most of my colleagues at Kodak were Chinese.

The Global Experience Opportunity Internship, has helped me to become a much more employable candidate on multiple levels. The chance I took in going over to China will show employers that I am not afraid to take risks and can easily adapt to situations in which I am not familiar. The aspect of the internship in which I communicated and worked with colleagues who spoke a completely different language to myself will also show employers my ability to work in a global work environment, something which is becoming increasingly valued in this day and age.

Nick Crampsie, Internship Company: Linde

The Global Experience Opportunity (GEO) internship I took part in was the team of 4 students going to Xiamen, China. Once there we each spent 4 weeks working for different companies accompanied by a Chinese student of the local university. For my time in Xiamen I was working as a marketing assistant for Linde Material Handling Ltd. (one of the leading logistics and forklift producers) which is part of the KION group.

Whilst in China there were many obstacles I had to overcome such as a language barrier and many cultural differences but I quickly acclimatised to the new working environment. My working responsibilities varied day to day including identifying and adjusting irregularities in the cost sheet excels of various forklift components, becoming acquainted with the SAP resource planning system they used and also using my German language skills to translate any emails which were received (as Linde is a German company this happened quite regularly). I also spent a large majority of my time writing a report and PowerPoint presentation on a new line of forklifts, in which I also came up with a new mission statement for the project.

Orkhan Huseynbayli, Internship Company: Maritime Silk Road

In the summer of 2016, I was taking the “Maritime Silk Road” project in “Xiamen Cultural Media Group Ltd.”. My role was “business assistant” and during the internship I was completing tasks assigned to me by my senior colleges in order to assist them in implementing their plans.

My internship took place in China and it really helped me to apply my theoretical knowledge into practise as well as improve my skills such as communication, team working, consistency, punctuality, global awareness and business acumen. All of these perspectives have increased my employability and also help me to cheer-up while thinking about my future career plans.