Some Journalism interns talk about what they were doing while working in Asia.
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It is important to recognise that news organisations do not always offer 9 to 5 work places.
Many will ask interns to work early morning or late night shifts.
In some countries employees feel that they must spend long hours in the office to impress the boss, in others it is expected that people will go home to their families.
You’ll need to “read” the situation when you arrive, and modify your workings accordingly.
The world is a big place, and it can be frightening. Parents may resist the idea of you travelling overseas alone to work or study because of this. And maybe you would be alarmed if they didn’t! But if you follow our guidelines and are sensible it will probably be no more risky than staying home.
Check out the safety FAQ for more information.
The experiences of others can reassure parents, so if you can, find someone who has returned from an internship who would be happy to advocate for you.
RMIT staff members are happy to take a call to discuss any concerns about going on an international internship.
Parents of returned students tell us that while they were apprehensive at the outset, they realised that the international internship is good for self- and professional development and would give their child many advantages in the long run. Many comment that the person coming home is more independent and considerate and all up more mature, in a good way.
Photo credit: Minette Layne via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC
Journalism requires a special set of skills and knowledge, especially of the culture you are in. The pages her re designed to help you navigate challenges of an international internship in the media.
When you work as a journalist in another country you will soon discover that what we think is news is of little interest to the local audience, and similarly issues that we think are boring are hugely fascinating to locals.
It is really important when working in another culture to be guided by your supervisors about what is and what is not news. Do not get upset about it. It is just different. Not wrong. But it will be difficult to get used to.
Remember that as an intern your job is to observe and learn, not to tell the locals how to do journalism in the Australian way.
The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Austrade, cover politics, local news, holidays, visa, health etc, for most countries.
The Department of Foreign Affairs maintains a list of Australian embassies, consulates and high commissions on the web.
The list of foreign embassies in Australia includes key staff.
OANDA currency converter
A useful currency conversion site, which allows you to convert between 164 currencies. You can also specify a particular date for the conversion.
FXCheatsheet
Allows you to create and print a wallet
OANDA FXPilot
A multi-currency converter that can be downloaded. It can be set up to automatically update whenever you HotSync your Palm Pilot
The Trading Room
A quick look at how the Australian dollar compares
International Internships 