Shanghai Future Leader Internship Program

My experience in Shanghai would not have been the same without the support from Next Step Connections. They provided great housing, organised social events, provided a great internship and were friendly and approachable.

My experience was totally unforgettable and I never expected to fall in love with Shanghai as much as I did. It is an endless source of food, culture and entertainment and the diversity of people you meet is truly enriching. I felt inspired by China in general and I was truly sad to leave. I will definately return one day.

Coming from Copenhagen makes Shanghai a huge fairytale land where everything is possible. The life, culture and work routines are so different and for some it might be too overwhelming, but not for me. I seek the adventure and my Next Step Connection internship was just that!
They helped me find a spot in a big construction firm, where i worked as a project manager and design intern for 3 months. Was amazing experience for my future career and Next Step had many happenings where I met a lot of other interns who I explored the city of Shanghai together with, night and day. I lived with two other interns in a nice big apartment in central Shanghai, very convenient with metro and shopping nearby.
Not being able to speak chinese trapped me in some funny situations, for example when buying new minutes for my phone the lady behind the desk once thought i asked for her number so she wrote it down for me, then i called my internship coordinator at Next Step who then helped me get my phone charged with more minutes :)I loved living and working in Shanghai, going back to Denmark was a sad day, but ill be back ;)

When I arrived to Shanghai I did not know what to expect... Little did I know I would fall in love with this experience and could say it was the best summer I ever had.
Next Step Connections (NSC) were very helpful and the staffs were very very nice. The housing they provided was perfect nothing wrong and westernized with a great sense of safety and support. I had a room mate and we shared the kitchen and living room. This was a good room situation becauase you would have your own privacy but yet socialize with the room mate.
The food was great and the activities and arrangements that NSC provided was great. We would get a chance maybe once every other week with some sort of activity like going out somewhere or going out to eat together with everybody in the program and meeting new people who were in your same situation. This really helps you get out there and become more out going. Shanghai itself was filled with expats and student interns in the same situation as you, so you are not alone.
The internship that NSC provided me with was exceptional and gave me a lot of experience in my field of study which was internaional business. The NSC crew were very supportive and respectful with any problems I may have at work and in china in general.
I would say the program made me more outgoing and prepared for other worlds experience. Going to Shanghai and having the support of NSC was a great experience which I would never forget on doing.
The only thing I wish I would have brought from the USA was probably deodarant or some kind of detergent spray because the summer gets really hot and walking every where and taking the metro got a little hot and sweaty. In China they dont really sell these cosmetic needs or if they do it would be quite pricey.
Thanks NSC and all its staff for the great opportunity and support. I will definately be back to Shanghai when I have graduated.

It's important that someone feels comfortable with the organisation that provides an abroad experience, an organisation that you can fall back on. From my experience Next Step Connections was fulfilling this needs. There is always someone to call for help with great understanding and the ability to (help) solve problems.
They also offer a rather large social community of people in the same position along with a great network of interesting companies.

It's a short and interesting internship experience. Working with local people, traveling to different cities, and meeting with new friends provided me a special overseas working opportunity. The best thing of the internship is to gain more working knowledge and grow your social networks from your colleagues and friends.

It was the best experience I have ever had. I met different people from China but also from others countries. Furthermore, during my internship, I have developped new skills.

Essentially, it's as good as you make it. If your in the position I was in (summer before college) if your looking for meaningful job experience it's very hard to find - especially in a local company.
It worked for me because I was interested in a language experience which I definitely managed to get at the local company but i didn't get too much useful job experience from my job.
The social scene is fun, I mean, your in one of the biggest international cities in the world - but don't go looking for an authentic Chinese experience. It's different than what you might be used to but shanghai is not representative of china as a whole.

If your looking for a meaningful experience that might set you apart from other people this is definitely a good place to start. Perhaps on one recomendation would be to consider looking for your own housing. The provided for housing is great and convenient but it's outrageously expensive (it's an extended stay hotel after all). There are options that are essentially as good for 1/4 of the cost.

The organisation of next step and the service they provided enabled me to experience the most interesting and exciting several months of my life.
From day one i felt straight at home in a foreign atmosphere. most people would find it a very nervous first few days in China, but they flew by fantastically. I was taken to my accommodation, which was very spacious and comfortable along with two room mates, whom are close friends of mine and stay in contact with after my time in China. We all enjoyed the nightlife, which in my opinion is the greatest in the world, whilst being the most fun and crazy lifestyle, it feels very safe in Shanghai. I have many stories from my times there and my friends are all very keen to go to Shanghai as a result.
The next few months flew by. the lifestyle suited me perfectly, always a place to eat and things to do whilst in Shanghai.
Living amongst the locals was also a great experience for me and next step have done a great job in setting up internships for me and accommodation but most importantly helping me to settle in. My work was in the financial sector, and being only eighteen i may have felt slightly intimidated working in such a country in such a workplace, but it was honestly the most comfortable workplace i have worked in my whole life.
As for the local commuting you get used to the occasional rudeness, however i began to really enjoy commuting with the locals, i love to feel like a foreigner and to experience there lifestyle and i really enjoyed living in China.
I thoroughly recommend this experience and next step connections. I intend to apply again in the summer, I have also visited every holiday i have had as my girlfriend lives in shanghai and will spend a lot of time in the future in Shanghai all as a result of my choice to go with next step connections :)