By Matt Gulizia, ISA Senior Site Specialist for France
Professional organizations around the world seem to be asking for exponentially more out of the recent graduates they recruit than ever before. Study abroad can certainly be a significant résumé booster when seeking employment, but to really stand out among other applicants, real-world work experience is often still the gold standard for employers. A great way to connect experiential learning with international education is to take part in a study abroad + internship program. This allows students to reap the innumerable benefits of study abroad while simultaneously exploring their passions and testing the waters of what working in their aspirational careers might really be like.
Through the ISA Paris Internship, Business, French Language & Electives program at the American Business School Paris (ABSP), students can now earn course credit while engaging in an internship in the fields of Marketing & E-Commerce, Finance, and Fashion & Luxury Retail Management. Students will have two options when electing to take part in this exciting endeavor:
SPRING PROGRAM: Spring courses + 2 month credit-bearing internship
Students participating in the spring program will complete a full semester of courses during the ABSP’s spring term (earning 15 semester credits), followed by a two month (6 credit) unpaid internship in the summer.
ACADEMIC YEAR PROGRAM: Fall courses + 6 month credit-bearing and paid internship
Students participating in the academic year program will complete a full semester of courses at the ABSP in the fall (18 semester credits), followed by a full-time internship in the spring. Students are paid the French minimum wage while participating in this second semester internship and receive 12 semester credits for the internship component.
Internship partners will change from term to term but may include organizations such as the following:
- Galéries Lafayette
- Apple
- Gap/Banana Republic
- Groupon
- Groupe Royer
- Groupe Royer (New Balance)
- Michael Kors
- Société Générale
- Hyatt
- Brand Image
- DDB
- Valentino
- Spilan – Ateliers de la Maille
- Antin Infrastucture Partners
- FXCM/Plateform Trading
- R.D
- Engie
- Akzo Nobel
- Masterlock
- Alpha Direct Service
- Sarl Mathis
In addition to the academic and internship facets of the program, students will attend professional development workshops, conferences, and will engage in individual coaching sessions with a tutor throughout their time abroad. English is spoken in the internships, and there is not a language requirement for any of the programs (though it is recommended that students take a French language course while participating in the program if they do not have any prior French language experience). Over the course of the internship, students will work on a professional internship report with their tutor, connecting their experience with their classroom learning and future goals. Placements into internships are guaranteed through the program and are finalized on site.
