Internships abroad are a fantastic way to prepare for a professional career—and garner valuable contacts and experience. Plus, adding global skills and work history to your CV through an international student internship is a marvelous way to set yourself apart in pursuit of the career of your dreams.
If you are looking into a finance internship abroad in London, the following Q&A with AIFS student intern Ellen Hoang about her summer internship in this sector should provide great insight as you prepare for your own academic and professional future:
Where do you go to school back in the U.S. and why did you choose to come to London?
I attend Rice University in Houston, TX and chose to come to London because it is such a vibrant and intimate city. Also as a major in Economics, I was especially keen on an internship in London, which is a huge international finance center.
Where did you intern?
I interned at a financial-technology (fin-tech) company that is changing the way small businesses get financing and bringing professional advisors into the lending market for improved transparency of deals.
What skills did you learn while there?
My role consisted of market research and content marketing. I developed skills in writing blog posts and case studies, enhanced my detail-orientation with a comprehensive accountancy database, acquired graphic design skills and learned about search engine optimization (SEO) analysis.
How will these skills be used in your future career? Has the internship influenced your future career choices?
These skills are useful in the future as every business or company will have to deal with marketing. Especially as technology is changing how customers perceive businesses, staying up-to-date with digital marketing is essential. For instance, learning about SEO will allow me to keep track of market trends. And writing blog posts has taught me how to effectively communicate as well as learn all about the finance market. Originally I planned on going into some form of finance career. But because I have so thoroughly enjoyed my fin-tech internship experience, I hope to be pursuing a career in fin-tech after graduation.
What have you enjoyed most about your internship?
The innovation. I enjoyed observing the environment and challenges of a start-up company as well as marveling at the persistence of the people working here. This drive and unwavering belief in the company’s goals has brought on idea after idea, making the entire experience dynamic and multidimensional.
If you are a college student and would like to learn about opportunities to intern abroad for a fantastic experience like Ellen’s, visit our Internships Abroad page, call (800) 727-2437 or email studyabroad@aifs.com for more information.
