Are Internships in China Worth It?

Are Internships in China Worth It?
Mar 08, 2013 By Paul Bacon , eChinacities.com

In my last article, I asked the rather inflammatory question, "Are Americans China’s new migrant workers?" In all honesty, I did this more to grab the readers' attention than to suggest that this is actually the case. However, there is no arguing that the way westerners view China is changing – this is a process that has accelerated in the last year thanks to the global financial crisis, China’s growing economic prominence and the country’s rapid modernization. Gone are the days of hardship bonuses for those posted here. Instead, a new generation of laowai now sees China offering a chance to grow and develop professionally.

The whole situation has taken something close to a 180 degree spin. Ten years ago, expats heading out here could expect extra cash and benefits just to come to somewhere so 'inhospitable'. Now, we are starting to see younger expats heading out on their own dime in search of experience to kick-start their career. A growing trend we are witnessing is the rise of internships in China, where young foreigners actually pay to spend time in China!

The logic behind this trend is pretty simple. With universities in the UK and US producing more and more graduates and the financial crisis taking away jobs at home, the chances of them finding jobs is greatly reduced. A report in the UK newspaper The Guardian estimates that an extra 22,000 young people will be unable to find a graduate level position after university this year. That is almost 10%, a rise of 4% in just over two years. In America too, the number continues to inch towards double digits. With the market becoming increasingly competitive, many graduates have begun to realize that a degree in itself no longer offers the value it once did – it must be supported by intangible factors – they now need something on their resume that jumps out and screams, "I am different!"

An internship in China would certainly do that. Not only will it allow these graduates to gain valuable workplace experience, but it will also show potential employers that they are out-going, dynamic and adaptable. On top of this, they also get the chance to learn Mandarin - although how much they would have the opportunity to learn in a six month spell working 9 to 5 is open to debate. Looking at an internship in this light, it seems they are a fantastic idea. Six months or a year away from home building such impressive experiences, what is there to lose? However, when we factor in some of the financial implications, the situation may not look quite so rosy.

A recent study by American Student Assistance found that, on average, students graduate with over $47,000 of debt – more with some post-graduate degrees. In the UK, those graduating this year can expect to have debts of over £15,000 (about $24,450) – this is rising dramatically year on year. With figures like this floating around, many graduates can scarcely afford to delay finding gainful employment once they have passed through the gates of academia for the final time. Coupled with all this, an internship is unlikely to be a cheap experience.

Some graduates will be lucky enough to secure their internships through contacts in their home country dealing directly with the company with which they hope to intern. However, others will have no such luck, and will be forced to arrange their working experience through an intermediary such as internabroad.com, Asiainterns or Match Dragon. Unfortunately, using such companies does not come cheap. The average scheme would see the intern shell out plenty of cash up-front. This will be for flights to China, visas and the agent's fee, which can be upwards of $2,000 or 3,000.

After the initial outlay and the interns actually arrive here in China, they then have the issue of the cost of living. The extent of this can often depend on the company. For many, internships are unpaid - these are often short term, for a few weeks or months. For longer placements, such as 6 months or a year, the intern is likely to receive a stipend or assistance in housing. Usually, here, the compensation might be similar to that received by a Chinese employee of similar age and experience – probably around 1500-3000 RMB per month – not that much for a young graduate already boasting severe debt. The biggest problem with this scenario is that the majority of internships are likely to be located in the major cities on the east coast, where the cost of living is high.

The equation for many young expats is simple. An internship can be a good idea – the growing influx of westerners shows that many believe this to be true – but they are by no way cheap. Estimating their actual value though, in the short-term at least, prove difficult as this new wave of migration to the Middle Kingdom is a relatively embryonic phenomenon. The test comes in the next year to 18 months as more and more interns head home after their China experience and begin to look for jobs.

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Keywords: in china

14 Comments

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Swirl

You guys need to check the new visa laws because most China internships are now ILLEGAL unless you first obtain a special certification letter from the Chinese PSB BEFORE you apply for your visa. read these links below and you will see that there is a silver lining to this dark cloud... You can get a China Fortune 500 Company internship for FREE - IF and only IF you apply directly to the "Intern Coordinator" in the HR Department of the company where you want to intern! But first read these links or you will surely get confused by the hype of all the agents, brokers, and internship companies that are hustling internships to make a buck, and they will only tell you what THEY want you to know... http://totallyexpat.com/global-immigration-news/china-china-eliminates-internship-training-visas-foreign-students/ http://antifraudintl.org/threads/beware-of-china-internship-visa-scams.96692/#post-265311 http://chinainternshipreviews.wordpress.com http://freechinainternships.blogspot.co.uk

Jun 08, 2015 08:45 Report Abuse

Guest14212450

Here are two pertinent updates for you that indicate the best and only internships you can get with Fortune 500 companies are absolutely free of charge - other than air fare and meal costs: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/100-free-china-inernships-no-scams-no-really The other internships that many people have mentioned above fall into these other two groups: http://www.worldlawdirect.com/forum/doing-business-china/90007-sophisticated-china-internship-scams-lure-victimize-thousands.html http://chinafraudcenter.wordpress.com

Nov 07, 2015 19:55 Report Abuse

lisa119

Internships might be a good idea. This depends on the quality of the internship company. We take once in the while some foreign interns with the help of the agency Lindenbaum. These interns pay a fee of around 600 USD for the whole internship but get also a basic salary from us.

Nov 29, 2014 21:11 Report Abuse

happywanderer

Year-out doing cool stuff: Yes awesome location. Internship: Yes if nothing local available why not? Career-building in China: Disaster. Experienced: Manager or English teacher only. Still possibly a disaster.

Jul 10, 2013 00:15 Report Abuse

Guest911302

My company is getting plenty of interns every month through hutongschool - getin2china and CRCC... all of them paying like 2000 dollars for a month. The internship itself is unpaid. 'Paying to work for free'

Jun 04, 2013 14:14 Report Abuse

british_graduate

This seems to be my issue. I don't know if I'm applying well too early, but I graduate in Accounting and Finance in June 2014. I trying to find an internship within that field in China for when I do graduate. Most 'internship agency firms' are quoting $2000 + !! That's madness. I'm spending 2 hours a day trying to find information on the best way to find an internship but keep getting the same cowboys. IF ONLY I COULD FIND SOMEONE WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY INTERNED!!

Jun 23, 2013 02:47 Report Abuse

Guest737434

This is paid advertising, right? I doubt many people pay $2,000 to pay their way to China and make $400 per month. There are always a few crazy Sinophiles out there but not many. Please.

Mar 08, 2013 20:30 Report Abuse

SCS

From the internship provider perspective we have taken a bit of a different approach than other companies, first of all we are focusing only in sustainable development practices as our main goal is to help university students and young professionals achieve their career objectives by providing them with high impact training on specific aspects of sustainable development in an international setting. In other words, we place our student only in places where they can gain actual working experience that they can utilize in the future, we tend to think its a real career kick-starter. Secondly, we focus on the receiving end of our program, not only do we make sure they will be a great resource for the student, but also, we ensure the student will be a great fit for the company. First of all, we run the student through our summer program in order to provide specialized training and tools that they can use in their internship following the course, the second way we make sure to find the highest quality student is through our direct relationship with universities who trust us and our partners. So yes in my perspective an internship is definitely worth it but as a student you must ensure the quality of your program providers. Cheers, Center for Sustainability Shanghai

Mar 08, 2013 12:21 Report Abuse

gracesha2010

In my opinion, life is not easy. You should figure out what you really want to be. And also do not forget that hope is a good thing. So think before you do.

Mar 08, 2013 11:49 Report Abuse

carlstar

Interns. Loved by cheap bosses, wherever people can be exploited.

Mar 08, 2013 00:11 Report Abuse

lightend

The intelligent man remembers, the smart man googles.

Mar 11, 2013 00:47 Report Abuse

bill8899

janne, congratulations. You found the only internship in China paying $1,000 per month plus all expenses paid. And you interned for three years. I believe you.

Mar 08, 2013 20:20 Report Abuse

bill8899

Steve stop drinking the green tea Kool Aid! There is something to living just about anywhere, including the bottom of a well.

Mar 08, 2013 20:16 Report Abuse

lightend

" I have met some graduates that I would not trust to sit the right way on a lavatory." BAHAHAHAHA

Mar 11, 2013 00:43 Report Abuse