Professional internship abroad – take your career to the next level

Professional internship is an important part of your studies. It gives you a taste of the career, provides you with a professional networking opportunity and increases confidence in the field of your future work. However, most importantly, a professional internship provides you with soft skills, which, according to business professionals is the hard currency of the workforce.

“Besides professional abilities, I have improved my English-speaking and just communication skills overall, because I was sort of forced into speaking and solving problems with other people that I didn’t know. These are really useful skills, especially when you need to work in a team,” says Skirmantas Musteikis.

Skirmantas, the fourth-year KTU Applied Chemistry student did his professional internship at a chemistry lab in UZK (Univerzita Hradec Králové) in Chechia. The research-focused student says that he chose the internship place based on their reputation, sophisticated labs and great communication with interns.

Two in one – travelling and advancing professionally

All KTU students must do a professional internship to complete their degree. Why not take this to the next level and choose a professional internship in a company outside Lithuania? Think about the diversity and amount of possibilities that are waiting for you in the world!

The minimum duration of the professional internship outside your study country is 60 days, and you can go anywhere in the world. Erasmus+ internship funding amounts to EUR 650–750 per month (depending on the country), but you may get an additional salary from the organisation.

For the majority of students, getting professional experience in their chosen career and travelling to see the world are among the top priorities. By choosing a professional internship outside your study country, with Erasmus+ funding, you can kill two birds with one stone – gain valuable experience both professionally and personally.

During his internship at AB InBev’s Prague Digital Hub in the Czech Republic, Wren Francis worked on data automation and migration, which added to his academic knowledge of the data analysis field. However, he says that teamwork and problem-solving skills are as important as professional experience.

For his internship Skirmantas, who is aiming at a career in academic research, has chosen a university instead of a company. According to him, the choice presented the student with a golden opportunity to test himself in a very different and modern laboratory.

“During my internship, I was working as a full-fledged researcher: I have been creating anti-ageing and cancer-inhibiting drugs, and doing their analysis. Thus, I had an opportunity to dip my toes into the field of medicine, which is a really popular field of work among chemists. Also, the internship place introduced me to modern machinery and methods of work,” says Skirmantas.

As his internship lasted for two months, it also counted as a mandatory internship.

“I think it is one of the best ways to have an adventure and complete your mandatory activities at the same time,” says Musteikis.

Embark on your next adventure

Where to start if you are interested in doing an internship in another country? It is always good to talk with people who have done this before. For example, chat with any of KTU Exchange counsellors.

Skirmantas, who is already thinking about his master’s, is also convinced that he will go on another small adventure with the Erasmus+ programme in the future.

s applying for an internship involves filling out a lot of documents and writing numerous emails, both Skirmantas and Wren Francis emphasise the importance of asking for assistance from the university. The career services can help you to prepare your CV, and the Erasmus+ team at KTU International Relations Department can help you in every step of the process.

Asked for one piece of advice for those, planning to go on an Erasmus+ internship, Wren Francis says: “Stay open-minded and immerse yourself in the experience; it’s a growth opportunity.”

Professional internships are a great way to fast forward your career. During an internship, you will learn how a professional workplace operates, experience organisational culture, and employee relationships and expand your professional network.
Now, multiply all these by an international dimension and picture yourself a career boost that such an experience can provide.

15 Nov 2023