I had always set a goal to obtain international experience before I finished my undergraduate degree. I had one semester left and I wanted to utilise my summer holiday break. Having local experience in my field was not enough in this day and time especially with the world’s economic crisis. In order to stand out from the rest, I believed international experience was the key.
Why international experience? Well why not? Firstly I wanted to prove to myself that I could survive in another country. An internship in China was an excellent choice for this kind of experience as it was totally different to what I was used to in Australia. Different culture, different lifestyle and most importantly a different experience. A three month experience would definitely test my adaptability and versatility. Skills and attributes that all future employers look for.
Having not spoken a word of mandarin, in the first month in China I undertook a one-month intensive mandarin course so I could get by in the country. My small class had only four people, which made learning quick and easy. Being able to get around on your own in a foreign country where limited English was spoken is a very rewarding feeling. I also used this opportunity to discover what China had to offer by visiting all the touristy spots. After my language training I was placed in the technical team at China Radio International in their English department for two months.
I was given a variety of technical tasks to complete through out my two-month stint at CRI. These included things such as implementing an email server, attending to IT issues around the office and to developing an online broadcast platform for the department. To complete these tasks, it required me to apply previous skills I had acquired at University but also I had to learn a lot of new things as well.
Apart from the technical tasks I was given, I also had the opportunity to be involved in some media tasks. As I came from an English speaking country I was sometimes asked if I could read English articles that some of the local editors had written. This was an extra precaution just to make sure their articles made sense. Another non-technical task was when they needed someone to do English voice-overs. I was put in a recording booth to do voice overs for an ad or story they were creating. And thirdly I was asked to be in an advertisement video, which I also assisted with the video editing, which was a lot of fun.
My time in China has been one of the greatest experiences so far in my life. I honestly would like to thank the entire Professional Pathways Australia team for their support during my stay. In the future I plan to revisit China and maybe if the opportunity rises, live there. I highly recommend this program because of its great flexibility and reward you take after completion.
Finally I would like to say “我 愛中國 ！” (I LOVE CHINA!).