Shanghai Internship Program with CRCC Asia

The people at CRCC were great! From the first meeting in Australia, to getting of the plane and being greeted by water and cookies, everyone went the extra mile to make us feel supported. Besides organising accommodation and visas, it's being paired up with a business that is really priceless! Organised activities and plenty of opportunities to meet other interns and network. Can't recommend CRCC enough!

-loved being able to meet fellow international students but did that out of my own volition not due to program staff
-needed more networking advice for participation in international culture not just China
-more advice on getting acculturated to Shanghai
-Poor post-program support (they say they'll do resume reviews etc. but do not follow through)
-Poor post-program networking opportunities (LinkedIn group, Facebook group, etc.)

Working with the locals with a language barrier and adjusting to a different work ethics was the most challenging part of the whole trip. Highlights were def. the nightlife and meeting new people across the world. I wish I could say the highlight was my actual internship but I learn more interacting with the people who ended being my friends.

I have visited China before as a tourist, and going over as an intern is very different , about the only similarities is the ability to see the sights, and experience the foods they have to offer. From an intern perspective, living, commuting and working in a different culture is much different then going over as a tourist, and I felt it was an eye opening experience. China is a fast paced growing economy, everywhere you go you can see and experience the growth. One of the most interesting things I had experienced is commuting on the subway system, it is very easy to use, but also certain times of the day it can be very crowded and overwhelming, and keeping this in mind people do this everyday, and at least twice a day. With todays businesses expanding to the global economy doing an internship is well worth the time, effort and expense involved in it.

CRCC gives you a tremendous opportunity to intern at an established company while exploring all that Shanghai has to offer. During my internship at a consulting firm I was challenged with numerous projects that enhanced my analytical and communication skills. I was in charge of researching management consulting firms in the North American regions and compile data on financial performance, ownership, and their ability to establish a successful business in China. Also I developed the company's international investors database with over 120 new clients. Lastly, I maintained the company's public presence through Chinese and American media mediums.

Not only did I gain valuable skills from my internship, I also met some of my best friends during the program. Each night we ate at different Shanghai eateries and on the weekends we explored Shanghai and other neighboring cities. Future CRCC interns should know that while interning in your respective city, you will also learn about Shanghai's culture, language and have the ability to observe China's growth as an emerging market economy.

My internship was for a month in Shanghai with CRCC Asia. As this was my first time traveling on a plane, and going outside of Canada, I was quite nervous. However, the thing that I was dreading the most was when the plane landed in China. At that moment I would be alone in a foreign country, in which I did not know anyone or the language. This is what I dreaded for the weeks leading up to my trip, and when I got to China, after a not stop flight, this is what I found. I was lost, confused, and sick from my flight, and just when I was feeling sad from the fact that there was no family or friends waiting for me at the arrival gate. I saw a CRCC representative waiting for me with her flag and smiling face. She offered me assurance and water, and then took me to me to the other lost interns who just got off their flights too. As we were being driven to our place of residence, we bonded over our mutual concerns, relief and amazement of the city we were being driven past. This set the course for the rest of the weekend, CRCC getting everyone together so we can get to know each other and the beautiful city we were living in.
CRCC afforded me the confidence to go forward with getting to know the other interns and the city. All the interns lived in the same hotel/apartment blocks, we were roommates and neighbours. While the accommodations were not the highest of quality, they were large and conveniently located. These close living situations brought the twenty interns that month tightly together. We did everything together, explored the city, ate at restaurants, enjoyed the vigorous night life, even just buying groceries at TESCOS was a group activity. It was such a great time, with everyday being a new adventure, one made better by the people who I was sharing it with.
Shanghai was such a great city to explore! It is a big city that has such a cheap and convenient public transportation network, in which everything is written, and announced, in both Mandarin and English. This made it easy for me to get around for work and recreation. CRCC made it even easier by giving us a guide book with key phrases, and they also included weekly mandarin lessons to help with the integration into Chinese society.
My work placement was an excellent introduction into my chosen career path, and has led me to further interest in that work. Everyone in my office was friendly, and the work was interesting. I learned a lot and gained valuable experience. Along with my work life, my social life was vastly improved by the other wonderful interns visiting that month.
This internship was one of the best experiences I could imagine for a first time traveler, like myself. Everything is planned and taken care of, and while it is a little pricey, if you are able to afford the fee, it is worth it. This was such a fantastic time, and has made quite an improvement in my ability to stand out amongst the crowd of other graduates. It was the best of times, and I would do it all the same again, but maybe for a little bit longer next time (a month was difficult to get everything in!).

When thinking about my future I felt it's important to have exposure to the real world. In contemporary times, experience in the real world is gaining international exposure and creating great networks. This is something that the CRCC Asia program offers in abundance. A typical day at work involved me contacting CEO's of publicly listed companies to arrange buyout capital. A typical day on the weekend involved partying in Xintiandi in the same clubs as Will.I.Am and with my fellow interns. The social scene in Shanghai is brilliant and there are also plenty of networking opportunities to mix pleasure with business. I would never of had such a good quality experience without CRCC Asia.

It was a really nice experience! I was very lucky to work in a big agency were I've learned a lot a could make new contacts.

Very sad it was a short period of time.

Life in Shanghai was really easy CRCC helped us with everything i can't complain of anything. Sometimes I forgot that i was living in China cause the city is full of expats and is very modern.

Choosing SH to live was the right decision! I saw some interns living in Beijing and it wasn't my style at all very messy and complicated.

Made good friends and had time to think were i wanted to focus my career.