I was born in Fujian, China, grew up there until age 17, and then I moved to New York City, US. I think the unique part of New York, for me, is the diversity and open-minded mentality. Since there is a large population of people from all over the world that are living in the city, I can feel a cultural mixing everywhere, and people easily accept other cultures. I was always involved in many city events, such as marathons, volunteering, various festivals, and no matter where I went, I could always find out something new about other cultures. I’m currently 24. I enjoy volunteering very much. I learn, care and share through volunteering. This year from February to May, I participated in an environmental sustainability program, and I gained knowledge about recycling, organic farming and forest protection. I hope I could have more time to continuously volunteer during my...

I am from Huddersfield Town in the Yorkshire & Humberside region of the United Kingdom. What makes Huddersfield so unique is that it is the largest town in the UK; it is a small town where everyone is united and kind to one another. Even though it is a small town, you can find something that fascinates you every day. I am 20 years old and so far there have been many exciting things that I have done in my life but the top of the list would have to be fighting cancer and winning. Currently, I have completed my second year of Architecture/Architecture International. In school, I was always passionate about art and architecture and I have always excelled in the field of art. I was the first in West Yorkshire and possibly the UK to be awarded the Young Creative Entrepreneur title with my own art business. Studying...

I am from Gold Coast, the tourism capital of Australia.  It is quite different growing up in a place where people are always coming and going.  It is also different living in a city that is neither a business district, nor a surf town, but somewhere in between.  I am 35 years old and something interesting I’ve done so far in my life is that I have lived within a tribal village in Thailand for a number of weeks and also visited a number of similar villages during my 6 trips to Thailand.  Tribal food can be quite different.  Consequently, I have eaten monkey, locusts, bees, ants, goat, and nearly every part of the chicken. I am interning at a property investment company.  I studied International Business with a major in International Management so this internship is in line with my business background.  I chose international management because I am...

I am from Shenzhen in the south of China.  It is a young coastal city full of people coming from different places. I guess growing up in a culturally diversified place teaches you how to understand differences. People are more open in this type of environment and I am glad that I grew up with that kind of influence around me. I am 23 years old and the most interesting thing I’ve done so far in my life is travelling and studying in different places around the world. I’ve been able to see different cultures and to complete my academics. This international experience has always been very exciting to me. I was most recently studying in Australia and majoring in economics and finance. The reason why I chose this area was because, these days, they are hot topics and I did not know much about them.  I am interested in...

Aishah started her interior design  internship in Beijing this month and ironically comes to a country infamous for tea from a county infamous for the same. I am from a town called Harrogate; it is situated near Leeds and York in England. An interesting story about my town involves a nearby bridge, which has collapsed twice. It has been predicted that the third time it collapses, it will be the end of the world. Harrogate is located inside a county called Yorkshire, which is famous for its Yorkshire tea. I am 26 years old and I have flown an aeroplane a few times during my time at Air Cadets. I studied Interior Architectural Design and Applied Creative Design last year. I chose this area because I have always been slightly artistic and have always liked decorating and designing interior spaces. I am interning at an interior design company based in...

Twenty-two year old Shauni is from a small town in the southern part of the Netherlands, which she told us was “a great place to grow up!” However, she has had the travel bug since college when she studied Science of Tourism, which she chose because traveling is such a big passion of hers. Shauni said “It would be great if I could make this hobby [of traveling] part of my profession! One of the most exciting things I’ve done in my life was an international field project in Thailand. I did research about sustainability in the dive industry for my study.” Shauni also volunteered in Swaziland. With already having such exciting experiences under her belt, no wonder Shauni was looking forward to her next new opportunity abroad! Shauni chose to do her Gi2C internship  with a Beijing travel company, which markets US destinations to Chinese travelers. A job that...

I am 25 years old from San Francisco, California. Something unique about the growing up in San Francisco is that I was constantly surrounded by people from many different cultures. This helped me get used to cultures different from my own. Being a youth leader at my church since the age of 17 helped me learn other useful business skills such as patience and how to manage groups of people. I studied at San Francisco State University and graduated from there with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. I chose this area because learning about different cultures and how to work in different countries was an idea that excited me. I will be interning at an international finance company located in Beijing. I will be working in sales, developing and communicating with people in the US. We will also assist customers through phone, email or...

Gavin R. was born in a small town in Northern Ireland called Holywood. He just so happen to go to primary and secondary school with the world’s number one golfer, Rory McIlroy, so his claim to fame is playing golf on the same course as Rory! Tell us a little about yourself, Gavin. “I am 21 years old and recently I took part in a charity hitchhike with my university from Durham in the North of England to Amsterdam in Holland. I was in a team of three and we managed to hitch hike in people’s cars the whole way there for free in less than 30 hours. We were the quickest team and one of the only teams to spend no money on travel so it was a huge success and a lot of fun. I am currently studying Economics in the UK. I am entering my third and...

Yessenia’s family hails from Carazo, Nicaragua. She told us that the thing she enjoys most about her hometown is nature and the beautiful environment. One of the most interesting things she has done in her twenty-two years on this earth is riding a bull when she was little because her father used to own a farm. Yessenia moved to California to study Business and recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing. She chose to study in San Francisco because it is where she was born, and she loves the city! She decided to go do an internship in China  because the culture is very different from the culture in Nicaragua and the United States, so she wanted to learn more and this is what attracted her to intern in China . She will be interning with an international finance...

Alena Kozina has finished her 3-month internship in Beijing  and recently gave us some insight into her experience. Due to the fact that she was the only foreigner in her company, she didn't have very many responsibilities in the first two months of her Beijing internship. There will always a learning curve from both sides as it takes time to truly understand different cultures and working styles. How much time it will take to work out a good communication style is different for each company and intern. Alena was surprised that almost no one in the company spoke English. Many Chinese companies hire foreigners with the hope of changing their business language over to English but this is a slow and sometimes painful process. One big difference Alena noticed about Chinese culture was the fact that her colleagues did not directly communicate with her. They wouldn’t get right to the...

John has recently arrived in Beijing  to begin his one-month internship . Let's learn more about him and his new adventure. "I was born in the Netherlands. In Leeuwarden to be specific, a small city in the north of the country. People there still have their own language. It is really tiny and since I am a career oriented city person, I am very happy that I don't live there anymore. I've lived in Amsterdam for the last 4 years now. I am 22 years old and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Finance at the University of Amsterdam, during which I went on exchange to Hofstra University, NY for one semester. In July of this year I will have finished my MSc Business Economics. I will be interning at an investment bank in Beijing, where I will have the title of Financial Analyst Intern . I have taken...

Newly arrived Gi2C intern, Jamie, is 26 years old and hails from Hull, England. He studied Fine Arts at Chester University and will be starting his China internship at a gallery in Beijing. He selected the Art Industry in order to learn more about creating and advertising art exhibitions and also to put his education to good use. Jamie told us, “My hope is to further understand the field I will be working in, with an aim to full time employment. This Beijing internship will enhance my chances of further employment.”   Of all the places in the world to do an internship, Jamie chose China because the art scene is on the rise and expected to keep growing in the future. He thought it would be beneficial to have his foot in the door early on. He doesn’t have any preconceived notions of China but lives by the mantra...

I live in the beautiful and tropical city of Gold Coast in Australia. I am 34 years if age. I studied Interior Design from Academy of Design School in Gold Coast. I am interning at a decoration design firm for interior design in Beijing. I am hoping to get international experience in learning about global interior design and gain solid experience by working in the real world as well as have some professional references and networking contacts. China is one of the biggest economic powers in the world and it offers a variety of opportunity... for one's career especially. China will help me in gaining the best experience in the Interior Design Industry. I found Getin2China  on Carreerone.com.au . I think learning Mandarin will be a big help for me while doing my   internship in Beijing . I know it's gonna be a bit challenging but it's going to be essential to learn especially since...

How do you feel about being in China?  Very excited! I have experienced that people here are very open and friendly, and there is a huge willingness to help one another. Also, the culture is amazing, in some places it is like you have stepped back in time, while in other places it feels like you are suddenly in the future. All and all, a great diversity. What one cultural difference stands out to you in particular about China? The superstitions. People really think about what how they act and how certain things might affect the future. I can see that it has a large influence on the daily life of Chinese locals. What are your initial impressions of Beijing? Great city, great willingness to help one another and a city of opportunities. How does Beijing compare to your hometown?  Well, my hometown is a small village in the Netherlands with 12,000 inhabitants. So for...

Natalia has now arrived to start her Beijing internship and wanted to let us know that she's doing well but the weather is very cold and windy! However, it's not as cold Russia (her hometown) so she's not too bothered by it. She's having trouble understanding Chinese people but is enjoying the food and trying new delicacies every day. One thing she was surprised to learn was that very few Chinese people are able to speak English, a lot less than she imagined anyhow. She said the people in the shops, in telephone companies, in banks... they don't understand any English at all and she doesn't speak Chinese or can read street signs or bus information so it's been a little difficult!  "The  Chinese language is very difficult to learn so I was hoping that most Chinese people could speak a little English just like we can speak some English in...

Bradley Coushman hails from “fantastic” San Francisco, CA, USA. “It’s home to Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, IBM, Intel, Chevron, Visa, and Virgin America”, he told us making it a fantastic place to be from indeed! Bradley is 29 and studied Fashion Design/Business for his bachelors and is studying Luxury Brand Management for his masters. For his internship program in China , he will be working with a marketing and events team to organize PR and trade shows. Bradley hopes to get a lot out of his time in China and is “looking forward to getting an international business perspective, and diversify my work experience. I hope to create good professional contacts around the world to help facilitate growth for myself, my career, and my peers.” We were curious, why did Bradley choose China? “I decided to take an internship in China for a few reasons. China is one of the fastest growing economies...

We recently interviewed Joost a few days before his arrival in China and look forward to hearing an update from him now that he's arrived! Joost, please tell us a bit about yourself. I am from Breda, Netherlands .  I am 27 years old.  I majored in International Tourism Management. Which company will you be interning at?  I'll be interning at a five star hotel in Beijing . What do you know so far about the kind of work you’ll be doing? I'll most likely be working in different departments within Rooms Division like Front Office and Guest Services, ensuring guests have a care free and memorable stay! What are you hoping to get out of your internship ? I'm actually taking a step back by conducting this internship. I worked as a Guest Service Manager in the Netherlands, but due to the crisis in Europe there are few spaces...

Andrea has arrived in the Middle Kingdom for his  internship in Beijing !   “I feel fantastic being in  China ,  and I have been experiencing very good feelings about the first experiences I am facing and about the new places I am exploring.     “ Also being surrounded by people belonging to different countries and with different background is another positive aspect of this city .”   Amid the concrete and cultural jungle that is  Beijing , the one thing that stands out for Andrea is commercial. If there’s one thing about Beijingers, they work – and they work a lot.   “The cultural difference that caught my attention the most is the number of hours that most of the shops and supermarket are open. In fact, being available to enter in many different shops at night or during non working days is not an exceptional fact for...

Internships in China are suitable for people from all countries and of all ages. Natalia Rastorgueva, age 31, decided to leave her job at a bank in Moscow, Russia to begin a new adventure in China. Her family was very surprised that she had chosen China for her internship. The common question she was asked was “Why do you want go to China of all places?” Natalia hopes her internship experience will be so successful that it will be clear to her friends and family that going to China was a good decision. Natalia has two degrees in Law and Management and chose Getin2China because her friend recommended it to her. We're glad to hear that people are having a good experience in China and telling their friends about us! Natalia told Gi2C that "I hope my internship will give me good experience working in a multinational team. I'd like...

Eloise Grimes has arrived in Beijing and she’s both “excited” and “nervous.” “I have a mixture of feelings at the moment: I'm excited about being in a new city and starting my internship , yet at the same time I'm nervous for the exact same reasons.” Eloise will do her China internship program at Beijing Europe-China Trade Centre International Advisory Co. (ECTC) in public relations. Although she’s got a mixed bag of feelings, she isn’t alone. “ I felt happy and relieved though when I met my flat mates and other interns at the Gi2C orientation, as there is a group of us who are experiencing this new adventure together.” Having previously visited Beijing during a semester abroad in Hong Kong , Eloise knows what to expect – somewhat – but there were still some surprises. “It's busy than I remember, and when it comes to travel on public transport and food,...