England Internship Program (London & Manchester) with CRCC Asia

Advice that I would give someone going on the program is:

1. Take everything as it comes. In the beginning, before leaving, things are going to be stressful. Keep in the back of your mind that everything is going to work out and that the people at CRCC Asia or really any provider are there to help and support you. Even when you are settled in your flat with your roommates, your provider is there to make you as comfortable as they can. Knowing that I was their priority really set me at ease and allowed me to enjoy my time.

2. Take time for yourself! This can be a huge transition for most people and getting adjusted can take a while. One thing that helped me was walking around the city and the area where my flat was. Finding a local pub, restaurant, or a coffee shop that felt comfortable and like a safe place really helped me ease my mind. Feeling comfortable and confident in your surroundings helps dramatically.

Your average day can look different than others and that is okay. For me, my day consisted of:

1. Walking to the train station and going to work.

2. Work and my lunch break of wandering the city of Stockport.

3. Returning from work and going to a local pub to unwind.

4. Returning to my flat and making dinner or going out with friends.

Each week was different. As CRCC Asia was able to set up some fun things for us to do, each weekend looked different. While the workdays where relatively the same, the weekends were the best time to wander around the city you are living in or surrounding cities.

My biggest fear is that I either wouldn't like working at a nonprofit or that I would hate the city. I overcame these fears by really diving in headfirst. I wanted to learn everything that I could. While educating myself, I realized that at the end of the day, the only that that could stop me from having the best time that I can is myself. Having a good attitude about the experience changes everything.

There were so many amazing moments. One of my favorite shows is called "Love Island." It is a reality show where singles go into a villa to find love. One of my goals was to meet some past cast members; fortunately for me, I was able to complete that goal!

Another favorite memory was getting my tattoo. I fell in love with Manchester way more than I thought I would. That city is apart of me and a place that I hope to move to someday. A major symbol of Manchester is the worker bee. After the bombings at the Ariana Grande concert, this symbol took over the city and showcased work ethic and community. I loved it so much that I got a tattoo of it and I will cherish it forever.

One of my favorite parts of working with CRCC Asia is staying connected to alumni and learning how they’ve succeeded. Doing an international internship not only boosts your future career prospects, but also contributes to your success and preparedness in your any future role you take on.

One of our alumni, Symone Sanders, has gone on to leverage her experience interning with us in Beijing into an inspiring and successful career in politics. The youngest ever press secretary for a presidential candidate, shortly after graduating from university Symone joined Bernie Sanders on the road as press secretary during the 2016 presidential election.

Post election, Symone remains in politics, working on a variety of projects encouraging people to get involved in politics and on key issues, and is a political correspondent on CNN. We’re proud of Symone, and have loved watching her succeed!

I would go on our Manchester internship program, without a doubt! Many people know the appeal of working in England - it's one of the world’s most dynamic, interesting, welcoming, and important economies and cultures. But not many people know the importance of Manchester, or realize that contrary to what some Londoners may say, it’s without a doubt the coolest city in The UK.

It’s young, it’s hip, it’s affordable, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, it’s the cultural center of football, and the people that live here are unbelievably welcoming and kind. It’s a fantastic place to live, and a unique and truly British experience.

CRCC Asia is unique because we are not just a business, we are a community of passionate travelers that have all traveled extensively, lived abroad, worked abroad, and have dedicated our professional careers to helping others do what we are most proud of having done ourselves.

We believe in what we do, we love what we do, and we are all able to draw on personal experience when creating programs, when speaking with interns, and when guiding participants through the experience of living and working in another country.

I think our organization is successful because we do so much more than just connect our participants to an internship.

Our programs are all-encompassing, and include pre-program advising and support; an interactive digital toolkit full of short 2-3 minute videos, educating future interns on myriad topics including host countries and internships; extensive on the ground support and advising; exciting program events that include touring The BBC, learning how Manchester United’s business works while touring Old Trafford stadium, attending a comedy show at Manchester’s best comedy venue, and more.

Our post-program support includes a robust 7000+ strong alumni network, where we work diligently to help our alumni leverage their experience into a future career. We work diligently to ensure all participants leave our programs with improved career prospects, in depth understanding of their host country, an enhanced skill set relevant to the sector they interned in, and have strengthened their connections with professionals all over the world.