AIFS Abroad: Study, Intern, or Study & Intern in Ireland

My internship in Dublin was one of the best experiences of my life. I came in a month later than everyone, but Global Experience was great with moving things along quickly so that I could get to Dublin. My internship placement was great! I loved everyone I worked with, and the environment I was working in. The commute was only a twenty minute walk from Griffith College where I was living. The accommodation at Griffith College was not the best, but it was bearable. I loved that I was able to travel around and outside of Ireland. I went to a few different countries and several parts of Ireland, and I would recommend future interns take this opportunity to travel. The biggest takeaway from this experience is that it solidified that I want to work in this field of software development. This was my first real job as a front-end developer for a company, and I loved what I was doing. I found it challenging and interesting everyday. I am so grateful that I was able to work abroad through Global Experiences,

As an international business major, the final requirement for my degree program was completing an internship abroad. I found myself rushing to find one (to graduate on time!) and I wasn't having much luck. After searching through several internship placement programs, I found Global Experiences and I'm so glad that I did. They were very quick to follow up with my initial inquiry (within 24 hours) and were willing to take me on shortly before the Dublin program started.

The Global Experiences team really made an effort to understand what I was looking for in my internship. The process of identifying and understanding your strengths and SMART goals is very useful and helps you to actively think about how you can maximize your internship experience.

My internship was at Fumbally Exchange and Institute of Designers in Ireland (same location and overlapping responsibilities), and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I was fortunate enough to work with such a passionate and talented group of professionals and was able to learn so much from everyone.

Our housing was at Griffith College, which was located close to Dublin's city center, so I was able to walk to work everyday. The campus always felt safe and the same can be said for the surrounding area.

The site coordinators (Peter and Hayley) were always available to help out with any issues. The major trips (Giant's Causeway, Cliffs of Moher) were well-organized.

I would definitely recommend Global Experiences if you're seeking an opportunity to intern abroad.

I went to the University of Limerick in the spring of 2016. I chose this program because it was in an English speaking country and was a in a quieter part of the country. I loved living in Limerick. The college is actually in Castletroy and you have to take a bus to get into the actual city but it's not that bad. There is a convenience store located within 5 minutes of all of the dorms including one on campus so if you need something and don't have time to go into the city you can just pop over there. The professors were all really understanding of the fact that I was an international student and not used to their school system and worked with me on getting the coursework right. There are several places to live on campus. I lived in Plessey which is about a 10 minute walk to the actual campus. I ended up living with 7 other American girls. Just because I lived with Americans didn't mean I didn't meet international students. I would recommend joining international society. That is where I met a lot of my friends from other places in the world. They also sponsor trips every weekend which I loved going on. They are about 10 euro each but you are gone for the entire day in a different part of the country. Totally worth it. From where I lived it was about an hour to the Shannon airport. This airport is nice because it's small and there's not much going on. They fly pretty much anywhere you would want to go. Flights are so cheap over there that it's so easy to just fly to London or Barcelona for the weekend. The on site staff were amazing. It was 2 Irish women. They gave us their phone numbers and told us to contact them if we were ever having any problems. I took advantage of that many times. They were so nice and helpful. They would come with us on the AIFS sponsored trips. One of them even brought along her family for one of the trips, which was really fun. I loved my time in Ireland. The people there are nice and helpful. It's a really fun place to be.

My internship in Dublin was fantastic. I was at a great internship and got to meet open minded people who are passionate about travel and learning. From start to finish anything I asked for was accommodated by GE and I was able to relax and have fun because of it. I feel like I grew both personally and professionally as a result of my internship. I would recommend GE to anyone who is looking to study or intern abroad.

I could not be happier with my experience in Dublin Ireland with the Global Experiences Program. Upon arriving I was greeted by my program coordinators who made sure my peers and I were settled in. After exploring the city of Dublin and the country-side for a few days to get comfortable in new surroundings, it was time to start work. I had somewhat of a rocky start, working for a production company in center city. The work environment was foreign to me and I had some trouble adjusting, but my program coordinators helped me through the challenges day-by-day and reassured me that a change in position would be doable if need be. After a few weeks, I began taking charge, and by the end of my internship I was designing, filming, and editing content for a web series. This experience really taught me to trust my intuition. My confidence grew immensely and I've learned not to give up too soon. You never know what you're capable of until you try. Thank you again Global Experiences, you have changed my life forever.

Overall, my experience with Global Experiences was great. From the beginning, the advisors and program coordinators were there every step of the way and very interactive. While in Dublin, the site coordinators were great with organizing group activities and were able to help with any issues that arised. Dublin is a great city for an internship. Griffith College is centrally located, allowing for easy access to city centre and Temple Bar, with most internships being within walking distance.

I met some of the most amazing people while I was in Ireland. However, I was not impressed when an emergency happened with my friends overseas on campus and the way it was handled by staff. I also have a hard time accepting how much money I spent on the program, because I have no idea what I even paid for. My internship cost more than a year of tuition. I now understand what for-profit organizations are about.

At first I was self-conscious at the notion of a program finding an internship for me, as opposed to finding it myself. But after a few Skype consultations with the Global Experiences team and then arriving in Dublin, I realized just how dedicated they are to representing you abroad. They didn't merely hand you an internship; they worked as a middle man for the job that best suits you after equipping you with the tools to get it. I have a very specific set of professional interests and Global Experiences satisfied them to a T. Not to mention they recognize the importance of balancing work life with cultural life as they were responsible for some one of a kind Irish experiences. If you're thinking about interning abroad, I highly recommend Global Experiences.