Professional internships in the design industry
Design is a very popular creative direction, but it includes many aspects. There are many types of design, and designers from different countries use a variety of methods, materials and techniques. In any type of design, it is important to gain experience not only in the native country, but also abroad. Thanks to this, the specialist will learn more different approaches to the process of creating something. Such experience helps to gain internships in foreign companies and studios.
The main types of design for internships:
- web-design;
- graphic design;
- interior Design;
- clothing design;
- landscape design;
- eco-friendly design.
For other varieties, you can also find internships, but you must independently contact the companies and studios in which you would like to work.
Most popular countries for design practice:
- USA;
- Australia;
- Holland;
- Germany;
- France;
- Italy.
Basic requirements for interns:
- a diploma of specialized education or a certificate of study at the university;
- age from 18 to 30 years;
- English at Upper-Intermediate level and above;
- summary;
- motivation letter.
How to find an internship abroad in design
You can find an internship program yourself or using the services of a specialized agency.
When doing an independent search, you need to find the companies and studios in which you want to practice. Send a motivation letter, resume and portfolio. It is best to send a large number of 15-20 resumes to different companies, as many organizations do not hire interns from abroad because of problems with a visa. Some companies apply for a work visa if the internship lasts from 6 months. If less, they usually send formal invitations for a guest visa.
When searching for an internship program through an agency, you are selected by the employer based on your needs and experience and which companies work with the agency. Employees also help with preparing a motivation letter and resume, obtaining a visa, training for an interview and help throughout the internship if you have problems and questions.
In both cases, you need to prepare a resume and a letter of motivation, sometimes they also ask for letters of recommendation from employers and professors and the portfolio. If you are suitable for a company or studio, you will be assigned an interview where all the requirements and questions will be discussed in more detail.
If the interview is successful, you will be sent either an official job invitation to get a work visa, or an official invitation to the country to issue a guest visa. The type of visa depends on the country where you will work, and the duration of the internship.
Internships for novice designers
The duration of the internship depends on the employer or the internship provider. The duration can be from six weeks to a year, in some cases you can agree with the authorities to extend the program.
The length of the working day depends on the place of work. Companies usually have a full-time job, while studios can have full-time or part-time work, floating hours.
Some companies, when applying through an agency, provide housing, or help with its search, or pay in part.
The materials are provided by the employer, so you do not need to bring anything with you.
Internship cost for designers abroad
You can find a free internship yourself, but in that case it will definitely be unpaid. Through agencies, you can find programs on which a scholarship is paid. But it is usually small.
The cost of the internship depends on the country, sphere of design, duration of the internship and price of the company that provides the internship.
A six-week internship in Canada costs about $ 2,000, and a five-month internship costs $ 2,800. In Malta, programs can cost $ 2,000 in two months. In case of extension of internships, it will be necessary to pay extra.
Remember the additional costs: flight, insurance, visa, housing and travel within the country. This is usually paid by the intern, not the employer. Also, do not forget to include small expenses in the budget: Internet and mobile communications, entertainment, food.
How to quickly and legally start an internship in design for students and graduates
If you want to take an internship abroad, but you don’t know where to start, we will help you quickly collect all the necessary documents, create a resume, tell you how to get letters of recommendation and get an interview on Skype, help you get a visa.
StudyQA service is ready to offer internships for different levels of training. Fill out the special form on the website and after reviewing the application we will call you back.
