AIFS Abroad Internships in London, England

This summer I had the ability to travel for the first time outside of the United States and do an internship through Global Experiences. I chose to do my internship in London because as an individual who uses a wheelchair, London was the most modern city and was more likely to have improved accommodations compared to older countries.

Before arriving, I was worried that I was going to have a lot of issues maneuvering around London. While I did have issues as London isn't as accessible as the States are, Global Experiences was willing to help me whenever I needed it. Sarah, my location coordinator, was always on call if I had a problem with the bus system or needed to figure out a better way to get to my destination. In addition, getting a flat through Global Experiences made it so much easier as I could focus my time on the trip itself. Unfortunately, my flat room was not as accessible as I had hoped, but I don't put that on Global Experiences.

Through this trip, I not only gained professional experience that will benefit me in my future career, but I also gained a lot of strength and reminded myself that I can do anything despite being in a wheelchair. Had I not went through with Global Experiences, I would not have seen Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, watched Wimbledon and met the winners of the Mens Wheelchair Doubles, or taken a day trip to see Stonehenge and Bath.

For anyone thinking of going through with Global Experiences, do it. You will have an experience of a lifetime. Something you should really take advantage of are the events that GE puts on - these events were very well thought out and can help you get to know your fellow interns better.

I took a leap of faith and decided to intern abroad in London, a place I'd always wanted to go back to after visiting for the first time in 2011! I would say overall that I'm quite happy with everyone involved in the Global Experiences process! It was all exciting, and I appreciated the coaching calls and resume assistance. They made everything very clear to me and made sure I understood everything I needed to get done before coming to London. It was very easy to reach out to my program advisor for any questions and she would always be very helpful.

Our living accommodations were also excellent; the flats are equipped with everything you would ever need and it was extremely fun getting to know the other interns in such a close location to everything. The biggest plus was how close our flat was to a lot of the main attractions. There was a tube station less than a 3-minute walk and also many bus stops around the area. Our location coordinator was extremely friendly, nice and always available to chat.

I got placed at an awesome advertising agency on a marketing role involved in a lot of brand, client, and product research. My internship placement worked out perfectly and Global experiences know what they're doing when they are matching you up to a company. They always make sure you are receiving everything you are looking for so that it turns into a memorable and growing experience.

Another plus was the events that they put on for the interns. We received a welcome party to meet all the interns, multiple day trips, and an exit orientation at the Shard. I chose Global Experiences to help me along; I definitely think London is amazing and my experience could not have gone any better!

Getting the opportunity to live and work in a city like London is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Learning to navigate a foreign city, gaining work experience, making valuable connections in your chosen industry, and living outside your comfort zone - the benefits of this program go on.
The staff at Global Experience did an excellent job from the initial stages of finding placement to the stay in London. I would recommend the program for anyone looking to advance their career and travel abroad. I feel lucky to have the chance to live and work in such a fascinating city like London and absolutely recommend this program to anyone looking to grow personally and professionally!

I took the plunge and decided to intern abroad in London, a place I'd always wanted go to! I decided almost a year in advance because I wanted to be sure on the program administration and all of the small details involved. I would say overall that I'm quite happy with everyone involved in the Global Experiences process! It was all exciting, and I appreciated the coaching calls and resume assistance.

Our living accommodations were also excellent; this was the first time I have ever lived on my own and it was extremely fun getting to know the other interns in such a close location to everything. Our location coordinator was extremely friendly, nice and always available to chat.

I got placed at a cool fashion forecasting agency where I took on a marketing role involved in a lot of brand and client research. I also got to participate in the creative writing for trend descriptions which was fun! Attending a press event and photographing designer clothes was also a highlight. I had lovely team members who I will greatly miss.

Stonehenge was a blast, along with Windsor Castle, seeing Wicked and other awesome adventures. Winter Wonderland is also gorgeous near Christmas! I'm glad I chose Global Experiences to help me along; I definitely think London is amazing but also an easy place to feel isolated as there are so many people! Starting out with a small community of friends and mentors really made London feel like a place I could call home.

I joined the GE Summer programme this year as a psychology intern at a drug and alcohol service that is based in South London. As some background information, I am an Indonesian national who completed my undergraduate university degree in Australia. What initially attracted me to apply for the programme is the fact that GE is the only international internship provider that arranges internships in the career field of psychology (in London too, no less, as well as in Dublin and NYC). However, as I went through each stage of the (fairly straightforward) application procedure and eventually arrived in the UK myself, I learnt that there were so many more advantages to joining the GE Summer programme than just that.

Firstly, the extremely high level of care and attention that GE provides is noticeable right from the get-go. Despite being quite a seasoned traveller and expat in a few countries myself, I wouldn't have survived in London without their professional, efficient, and friendly guidance along the way, which included a personalised CV and cover letter writing workshop, a very comprehensive pre-departure seminar, as well as continuous on-site support during my stay in the UK. In addition, to me, the immensely enjoyable time that I had at my workplace also speaks volumes about the effort that goes into finding the right companies to place their interns at.

Secondly, the accommodation in which they house their interns, including myself, is located in a safe and well-connected area in London's Zone 1 (Farringdon/Clerkenwell, to be exact). Although the rooms, including bathrooms, are on the small side (a given in Central London, it seems!), all the facilities in the apartment make for a pleasant stay, such as a spacious kitchen and dining area, access to the gym, on-site laundry service, and 24-hour security.

Thirdly, GE organises many exciting social outings, which, in the time that I did the programme, included day trips to Brighton and Bath, a culinary tour of East London, a cooking class, and post-exit orientation drinks at The Shard.

To sum up, I would definitely recommend GE to anyone who would love a massively rewarding and unforgettable opportunity to grow professionally (as well as personally!). Thank you so much everyone at GE for everything!

Having this experience has helped me grow as a person both professionally and personally! I've learned so much about what I love and the career I am getting into. Global experiences made everything so easy and gave me opportunities to try new things that I may not have done otherwise! I made churros for the first time at our cooking class and it was an odd experience I'll never forget! Of course, a trip to the Shard was an amazing experience too!

My summer in London with Global Experiences was the summer of a lifetime. As a computer science major, I had the opportunity to work for a really cool tech start-up app in London that focused on the promotion of different cultural and lifestyle events, venues, restaurants, nightlife, etc. I got to work closely with their tech, business, and marketing teams throughout the internship, which helped my understanding of how these teams work together to be a successful company.

In addition to internship placements, Global Experiences also provided a very social and global Summer. I happily reflect back on my time abroad recalling the wonderful friendships I made with intelligent students from around the world, the buzz that comes with living in central London (and just a two minute walk from the Farringdon tube station!), and the sense of adventure that the program ignited in me. I very much enjoyed the program's excursions such as day trips to Stonehenge, Bath, and Brighton Beach, and a trip to The Shard, in addition to cooking classes and East End food tours. With friends from the program, I also had the opportunity to travel to Cambridge, the Olympic Park, and other famous British towns and sightseeinng locations. I even met one of my best friends through the program, and after the program was completed, we embarked on a 9-day backpacking trip through Europe!

This summer truly was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and I absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in gaining work experience abroad!

Summer internship in London with Global Experiences absolutely exceeded my expectation. I have gained both professional and personal development.
I was placed in the IT department of an real estate company and was given the opportunity to write my own application under the help of my supervisor and coworkers. It was a such a valuable learning experience. Housing is AMAZING and it is totally worth the cost.
London is such a diverse city, unlike anywhere I have ever been, even though I have a diverse background myself. I would absolutely recommend anyone to give it a try. It will change your life.