Internships and student exchanges in the US

Stays abroad are an important factor when you are applying at international companies. They make you stand out from the general mass of applicants. Even on a top level it is increasingly important to have international experience.

Internships in the US are very valuable for your later career planning - and they increase your chances for an international career. In addition, they are an excellent opportunity for establishing relationships with American companies, this may be valuable for your later career as well.

Support for finding an internship If you read headlines such as "Where working is fun - summer jobs abroad," or "Ranger for half a year," you cannot yet know that the way there isn't quite as easy as it sounds. A great obstacle are the admission regulations. It is NOT permitted to enter the country without a visa or on a tourist visa and search for a job or an internship inside the country. If you don't observe these rules and are caught, the immigration authorities know no mercy. Penalties include immediate deportation and entry bans up to several years.

In the following, we will give you an overview over several organizations and programs that help young people realize their dream of an internship in the land of opportunity. These organizations will not only help you to get a visa, they often also offer jobs as well. It is understandable that you have to pay processing and program fees for this kind of service. Unfortunately, the costs can be quite high sometimes.

At all organizations, you should request the current program brochures in good time. Usually, the demand is much higher than the places available, and some programs are full quite soon. Good English skills are obligatory. You will rarely get rich with an internship - at least where money is concerned, if you are talking of experience this is a quite different matter.

Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft (CDG) (Gesellschaft = German for association) The CDG offers different programs for students and people just entering the job market. If you are willing to look for an internship or an employer yourself, the CDG will not only welcome this, but it will even increase your chances of being admitted into the program. Scholarships may be awarded to participants, some even by the German Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs. Find more information about regulations, programs and requirements on www.cdg.de.

Council on International Education Exchange (Council) The non-profit Council is working in international educational exchange and organizes study and work programs. The Council work programs for the US are Work & Travel USA and Praktikum (Internship) USA. Council takes care of the necessary forms and helps you find a suitable internship. More on www.council.org

Zentralstelle für Arbeitsvermittlung (ZAV) The ZAV is a department of the German Federal Employment Office (Bundesanstalt für Arbeit) that sends young people to the US via different placement and exchange programs with partner organizations. The job programs will mostly take place during the summer of during semester break. Every year, the ZAV publishes ‘Jobben im Ausland' (‘Jobbing Abroad') in November, a program overview that you may be sent upon written request (ZAV Auslandsabteilung, Feuerbachstrasse 42-46, 60325 Frankfurt/Main).

Social Services and Work Camps The program offer in the field of social services and work camps for the US includes everything from working on projects for children and homeless people to working with disabled people to renovation works and peace services for one year as well as working for the summer in national parks or soup kitchens. If you are interested in this, you can get more information from Service Civil International, Blücherstrasse 14 in 53115 Bonn.