How to Pack for Interning Abroad
By Kate Rau
You’ve made the decision to build your resume, advance your education and real world experience, and focus on language learning and intercultural experiences. You’ve searched for, applied to, and selected an internship. Your housing is arranged and you bought your plane tickets. You are prepared. Except, a few days before you leave, you start packing and realize, you have no idea what to bring with you! We know packing can be stressful, so let us guide you through this process with this guide to packing for interning abroad.
First Things First
The obvious items like your passport (with at least six months before the expiration date – longer if you will be traveling more than six months), plane tickets, and any visa or documentation you may need for customs and passport control.
The Essentials
Be sure to pack according to the seasons and average temperatures for your destination.
Intern Wear
Your internship or volunteer experience abroad is not the time to try out brand new heels or funky clothing that you would not normally wear. Check your Project Description forms for more information on your workplace or organization’s culture and dress code. With the exception of internships in Shanghai, generally, the dress code is slightly less formal than workplaces in the US.
Travel Goodies
You will need electrical adapters/voltage converters for any chargers, laptop, or electronics you bring with you. Remember to check the voltage of anything you bring as all six C-123 destinations run on 220V, while most American electronics/appliances are 110V. Another important must-do is to inform your bank/credit card companies that you will be abroad. Most countries accept chip and pin cards, so if possible make sure you have access to that.
Less Is More
Of course you do want to make sure you have enough clothing, jackets, shoes, and the essentials. But there’s no need to arrive to your internship destination with four checked bags! You will accumulate items during your time abroad, and you will want space to bring those things back with you.
Be sure to check the Packing List below (or click here to download the PDF version) to see more specifics on what to bring and what not to bring with you to your Connect-123 internship!
Kate Rau
Kate is no stranger to international internships and studying abroad. After submitting her Honours thesis in French socio-linguistics and literature in 2003, she completed a program abroad in Reunion, where she learnt a lot about litchis, island-style living and French. She returned home with two degrees – one in journalism and one in French – and decided on a career in media. Fast-forward some 15 years later and Kate has enjoyed a few career highlights: She’s edited a number of consumer and trade magazine titles, she’s worked with some of the most influential international brands looking to save the planet, and she’s managed a full-house digital marketing agency in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Today Kate works as Marketing Manager for Connect-123 in Cape Town, which means she gets to share great stories about the excellent work we do every day.
