Consider your chances of being placed

Applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 30 and currently enrolled full-time in a technical field of study at an accredited U.S. college or university. You must also be at junior-level standing or above by the time you begin your internship. Graduating seniors and graduate students may also apply. Applicants must also be fluent in English. Foreign language skill requirements vary by position, and while most positions require only English, foreign language skills are preferred. International students studying in the United States are also welcome to apply.

In terms of the internship placement process, there are many applicant qualifications that are considered: grades, coursework, previous experience, language skills, letters of recommendation, essays, motivations for interning abroad, etc. And although not every student will get placed, there are ways that you can increase your chances of placement.

How do I increase my placement chances?

By becoming involved in the IAESTE Local Committee on your campus, you can increase your own chances of placement.

IAESTE Local Committees work with local area employers and their universities to identify internships for international IAESTE participants. IAESTE LC members then receive reciprocal opportunities to intern around the world. IAESTE LCs are instrumental in hosting and receiving internatinoal IAESTE trainees and organizing events for their exchange visitors. Furthermore, IAESTE LCs promote the benfits of international exchange and global leadership by organizing activities, events, and meetings on their campuses. LCs work with university faculty and staff to create partnerships that help accomplish IAESTE's mission of developing global skills in tomorrow's technical leaders.

For more information, please contact the LC President, Shelby Clark. You may also download a membership application at IAESTE United States.

How can I help identify an internship for an international intern?

Job raising is the function of the Local Committee. Each fall the committee contacts employers in the Chicagoland Area to raise jobs. For every job the Local Committee raises, one LC member receives an internship abroad.

Please contact the Local Committee for more information and to find out how you can get involved in job-raising.

How does job placement work?

Each year the IAESTE United States national office reviews their U.S. applicant pool to determine what types of internship positions are needed. In January they attend an international exchange conference with all the other IAESTE countries, where they trade internship positions based on their needs. Then, when they return in late January, they send out to all applicants a list of all the available positions world-wide. Applicants may then submit a list of their top 10 internship choices, ranked in order. At this time applicants are also requested to submit the rest of their application materials. The national office then works to match applicants with positions. Only one person may be nominated to a position at a time, therefore IAESTE United States will select the top-qualified candidate for each position. That applicant's file will then be forwarded to the overseas employer for them to make the final decision regarding acceptance. Final decisions are received on a rolling basis throughout the spring, starting in March.

What kinds of jobs are available?

IAESTE offers internships in all technical fields:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Architecture
• Mathematics
• Natural and Physical Sciences
• Agricultural Sciences

Check out the list of sample jobs.

How do I apply and get involved?

Start out by coming to one of the Local Committee meetings!

We will be meeting regularly Winter Quarter. Look for an email announcing date and location.
Join our mailing list and we'll email you with upcoming events and news.