How To: find an internship in the US – made easy

This edition's How To section is dealing with the issue of internships in the US. We would like to thank our partner praktika.de, this How To would not have been possible without them.

QUESTION: I am interested in an internship in the US. What do I have to do in order to realize my dream?

ANSWER: First off - evaluate your individual qualifications and circumstances realistically. This includes, among other things, the subjects you are studying, your job training, language skills, financial means etc. Then you should decide what exactly you want to learn during your internship and in what sector you want to work, and in what region of the US you want to live. As soon as you have planned all of this, you can start looking for places. Set aside 3 to 6 months for this. And once you have secured yourself a place, you can apply for your J-1 visa and start making your travel plans.

QUESTION: I have looked everywhere but still not found a place. What should I do now?

ANSWER: First of all, you should analyze the reasons for your lack of success. The most important question you have to answer for yourself is "why should a US employer hire me for 3 to 18 months?" Okay, this is not a very comfortable question, but it is the key to success. You have to keep in mind that you are certainly not the only applicant. Do you have a good strategy against other applicants from Great Britain, France, Eastern Europe, Asia, or maybe American applicants? You are applying for an international position. Any experience that you may have obtained in Germany or with your local applications will not be of much use to you. So you see that in most cases is just a question of the necessary know-how.

QUESTION: So how can I successfully apply at a US company?

ANSWER: There are just two options. The first is to invest in your personal know-how in order to make your self-placement a success. The second is to hire a service provider who has the necessary knowledge and partnerships to help you get a foot in the door. If you choose the first option, you can get books or read internet forums, talk with friends who have tried something similar or ask parents and friends who know people in the US. As a rule, everyone tries to find a job him or herself first. For this, too, many exchange organizations may be of assistance. Praktika.de, for example, offers a "Self Placement Program." There, you can acquire everything from the application forms to the internship contract according to your individual wishes. The highlight is an English video-application training online.

Find all information about the "Self Placement Program" here: http://praktika.de/me.595.html. Find all information about the video-application training here: http://praktika.de/me.596.html

QUESTION: It is very expensive to have an exchange organization arrange all this for me. I can't afford that!

ANSWER: The first question is, what does "expensive" mean? Could it also cost me later if I don't have any work experience abroad? For many specialist and executive positions, work experience abroad is a requirement nowadays. So, the question is, what kind of career will be closed to me if I don't acquire work experience abroad now? On second glance, you will see that the organization fees are only 15% of the total costs of a stay abroad. However, those 15% are the decisive factor that will make your stay a success. And who knows what kinds of chances you will have once you are in the US!

QUESTION: Will I be paid for an internship?

ANSWER: This question is the most difficult one, because usually you will only find out once you are in contact with a company and have your personal phone interview.
Experience has shown that payment depends on a number of different factors, such as the subjects you are studying, profile, region, sector, size of the company etc. Approximately 50% of positions include payment, usually between $200 and $2,500 per month. As a rule, however, you should save money before planning an internship abroad in order to realize your dream. It is a personal investment that will pay off for many years to come.

QUESTION: What do I have to keep in mind when I try to find the right organization?

ANSWER: Internship placement is a rather new area in the job placement sector. There are some very different models available. Always look at the following:

- How big and international is the organizations network?
- What kinds of contract obligations will I have?
- Will I only receive one offer or can I choose?
- Will the internship qualify for a visa?
- What consumer protection rights do I have?
- What kind of contract will I get (tourism law or agency law)?
- Will I also have to pay in case I won't find an internship?
- How much will I be involved in the application process?
- Can I express my own wishes?
- Can we agree on an employment start date and what happens in case I won't have a job by that point?
- What references does the organization have?

QUESTION: In what kinds of positions can I be placed?

ANSWER: praktika.de's US internship program allows for a very individual placement. Placement is not limited to specific sectors or professions. Make sure that your organization is authorized to place you in your chosen profession. Quite frequently, organizations only have limited authorities.

QUESTION: Do I need a visa or an I do an internship without a visa?

ANSWER: After you have taken the first obstacle of finding a place in a company, you will still have to apply for a visa. In order to do an internship in the US you will always need a visa (J-1). There are two steps to the visa process. At first, you will need form DS-2019, then you will have to attend a visa interview for the J-1 at the US consulate.
The visa process will cost between €550 and €1,200. It might take between 4 and 10 weeks before you actually have your J-1 visa.

If you have any questions about an internship in the US, you may call the hotline in Germany under 0341-2252029 Monday to Friday between 10am and 6pm, or send an email to programme@praktika.de