Volunteer Business Projects, gain work-experience overseas on an internship placement

Gain Work Experience on a Volunteer Business Internship Placement

Our voluntary Business Internship programmes are designed to give you practical work experience and enhance your CV. The placements are for those who would like to make their break count through acquiring professional skills and hands-on experience of the business world whilst also being of use within an overseas company.

Each Business programme is designed to suit the individual volunteer. Qualifications, previous work experience, aspirations and personal preferences, are directly relevant. We therefore ask you to send us a copy of your CV with your application as well as a covering letter explaining the type of placement you'd like us to organise for you.

As with all of our programmes, our voluntary Business Internships give you the chance to discover a way of life in a different environment - Shanghai in China, Accra in Ghana, Mumbai in India, Chisinau in Moldova, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

In addition to this, their position in the global economy presents work experience opportunities within business sectors that are relevant for the 21st century. They also provide the challenging environment that makes a voluntary Business work placement an enriching voyage of discovery.

Working abroad on a voluntary business internship

Projects Abroad work with companies in a wide variety of business areas. Business placements in Shanghai, Mumbai, Chisinau, Ulaanbaatar or Accra range from working in high-rise buildings with all the latest technologies to smaller companies that operate without large resources.

Volunteers work normal office hours. In whichever volunteer business project you find yourself, you need to be ready for a challenge. You will get involved with the day-to-day activities of the office whether it be contacting clients, working with business support teams, researching for current or future projects, putting together portfolios, attending meetings or working on set briefs.

When you arrive at work on your first day, you will be assigned a supervisor who will be able to advise and support you during your placement, and of course our Projects Abroad staff are always on hand too.

Work colleagues will often have good levels of English but will be keen to learn more! Take advantage of the opportunities presented by your hospitable colleagues; have lunch with them or spend some of your free time with them and you will learn many things about their culture.

No matter where you are placed your input will be greatly encouraged and appreciated, especially if you prove to be adaptable and willing. Our voluntary business internships give you a unique insight into the business world. Take every opportunity offered to you and you will reap the rewards!

Experiences on a Projects Abroad Business Placement

"I was given a huge responsibility from the start of my placement. I was given a plan for the company's English Clubhouse and left to it. The success of the project was on my shoulders from the start, and I enjoyed this challenge alongside learning about Human Resource Management and marketing."
Fenny Mehta - Business Project volunteer in China

"For me, the challenge was to assess a young software development company and make recommendations to improve the management processes and increase market share. Previously I had worked in a large multinational, but now I had to operate without the vast resources that I had become accustomed to. However, what I could depend upon was the enthusiasm and hospitality of my Mongolian colleagues. Their willingness to learn, accept change and take risks to grow their business should serve as an inspiration to many Western managers."
Ian Bromage - Business Project volunteer in Mongolia

Global Entrepreneurship Week - Get Involved

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a worldwide celebration of entrepreneurship and aims to unleash young people's enterprising ideas to address some of society's biggest issues, from poverty through to climate change.

It was inspired by the UK's Enterprise Week and founded by Make Your Mark and the Kauffman Foundation. Among planned activities for the Week are Speednetwork the Globe and Unleash It! - both designed to connect people across the globe and to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. To find out how you can take part - whether it be creating your own event or participating in one of ours - go to
www.enterpriseweek.org.uk/about/global_entrepreneurship_week