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| ABROAD CHINA'S SERVICES – INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS |
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Paid Internship 
Program participants will be placed in a domestic Chinese company or a foreign company in one of three fields chosen while completing the application. All of the internships provided (with very few exceptions) are paid internships, either in the form of a stipend to cover daily costs or a local salary.
Summer Programs
Participants taking the Internship Only option will work four (4) days per week, typically Monday through Thursday, eight (8) hours each day. Participants taking the Internship/Study option will work three (3) days per week, typically Tuesday through Thursday, eight (8) hours each day. The internships are designed this way to allow interns to work while providing time to study Chinese and explore China.
Stipends will vary from 50 RMB per day worked to 100 RMB per day worked depending on the interns qualifications, experience and company. The stipend is intended to cover some of the daily expenses incurred by the intern.
YP Program
Interns in the Young Professional Program that work at least five (5) days per week will be given a local salary is at least 2500 RMB per month. This figure can increase according to qualifications of the applicant and duration of the internship (longer internships are beneficial in negotiating monthly compensation). Participants must work 5 days per week in order to qualify for local salary. For YP interns that opt to work only four (4) days per week, a stipend will be provided, which varies from 50 RMB to 100 RMB per each day worked.
MBA Program
Interns in the MBA Programs must work at least five (5) days per week. Interns are given a local salary is at least 3000 RMB per month. This figure can increase according to qualifications of the applicant and duration of the internship (longer internships are beneficial in negotiating monthly compensation). Participants must work 5 days per week in order to qualify for local salary.
Factors
It is important to understand that the salary level in China is substantially lower than salaries in western countries. There are several factors that will affect the salary and internship that each intern will receive. The salary and job duties provided by companies are commensurate with the skills and abilities of the intern and the local labor market. Some of the factors are:
- Skills & Abilities of the intern
- Duration of the internship
- Number of days worked each week
- Language ability
- Local labor market and economic conditions
For more information regarding the internships themselves, please see our Internships link.
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Accommodations
Accommodations will vary depending on the program and city. Accommodations are provided to interns participating in the Summer Programs ONLY. Other programs utilize Abroad China's Housing Search Service (below).
Abroad China's Summer Programs (Summer A and Summer B) include accommodations in the program costs. Interns will be housed in a university campus dormitory OR a two (2) star hotel for the duration of the program in Beijing and Shanghai. In most cases, interns will have a roommate during the duration of the program. For pictures of the accommodations provided, please click
here.
Interns in Special Summer Programs in cities other than Shanghai or Beijing will be placed in a two (2) star hotel. Eight (8) weeks of accommodations are included in the program fee.
For participants of the Summer MBA program, Abroad China will find you find suitable accommodations (the cost is not included in the program fee) based on your budget and requirements. Because the duration of the Summer MBA program is less than 3 months, it is impossible to enter into a lease agreement.
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Housing Search
For interns planning on staying in China for more than three (3) months (MBA and YP Programs), Abroad China will assist in finding a suitable apartment. Apartments typically range in price from 2500 RMB (~$350) per month to over 7000 RMB (~900) per month. Based on the intern's budget and other criteria, Abroad China will locate up to 3 suitable apartments and accompany the intern to view them. Additionally, Abroad China's staff will assist the intern in negotiating the lease price and signing the contract.
The intern is welcome to see more than the three (3) apartments Abroad China found; however, Abroad China's staff will not view the apartment with the intern. Abroad China's staff will help the intern to negotiate the price and assist in signing the contract.
Typically, the longer the lease period the more receptive a land lord will be to lower the lease price.
Although apartments come fully furnished, apartments typically lack cooking and eating utensils, bedding, towels, and other household items. These items will need to be purchased by the intern once the apartment has been found.
The rental agreement is between the participant and the landlord. Each participant will be responsible for the monthly rent and deposit as indicated in the signed rental agreement. Each participant will be responsible for the telephone, water, heating, internet installation and electricity charges. Abroad China will bear no responsibility for unpaid bills or unpaid rent. If a participant breaks the tenancy agreement before the end of the contract the participant will be responsible for all charges incurred and locating alternative accommodation.
Temporary Hotel (Initial 3-day Hotel Stay)
Part of this accommodation service is the initial three (3) day stay in a two (2) star hotel. Upon arrival, participants will stay in a hotel for the initial 3 days, during which they will be shown apartments to lease (or other hotels for Short-Term participants). The cost of this three (3) day stay is included in the service package. However, hotels require a cash deposit of approximately 200-300 RMB ($27-60 USD) that the participant is required to pay. This deposit will be refunded given nothing in the hotel room is damaged or stolen. In addition, the cost of any extra days stayed in the hotel will not be covered by Abroad China. Two (2) star hotels average 240 RMB ($32 USD) per night in Beijing, 260 RMB ($35 USD) per night in Shanghai, and about 200 RMB ($27 USD) per night in other second tier cities.
Apartments in China
A typical apartment in China is usually in a high rise building, usually 20-30 stories high. In some cases apartments can be found in low rise buildings, which are less than 10 stories high. Price can vary greatly depending on the location and the size of the apartment. Expect to pay more if the apartment is in a prime location or near the city center.
Apartments will usually have a washer for clothes; however, most apartments do not have dryers. It is typical to dry clothes by hanging them up. Apartments will also usually have 5 gallon bottled water machines, as the tap water is typically not safe to drink. Otherwise, an apartment in China is similar to an apartment in the U.S., although it may not appear as new.
For more information regarding the housing search, please see our Policy and Procedures Page.
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 Visa Application Assistance (US only)
Foreign travelers to China are required to obtain a Chinese visa before entering the country. As Abroad China has an office near the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, Abroad China is able to assist US citizens in obtaining the proper visa. Program participants will need to send their passport, two passport photos, and a completed Visa Application Form (found here) to Abroad China's Virginia office in order to process the Visa. The entire process takes around ten (10) working days.
Most of Abroad China's program participants need to obtain an F Visa, which is for business trips and internships. The visa will typically be valid for 3 to 6 months from their date of entry; however individuals who apply for the visa on their own may receive a different type of visa based on the policy of their local Chinese Embassy. If you plan on leaving China (even to go to Hong Kong), it is recommended that you apply for a Double/Multiple Entry Visa.
For participants staying in China for more than 6 months, the visa will need to be renewed either in China or by leaving the country and renewing it outside of China. It's the responsibility of participants to check the validation date on the visa stamp and make sure to maintain a valid visa and passport. Abroad China will provide assistance and advisory for visa renewal and extension during the first 6 months of the program in China. If participants would like to stay longer after the program ends, it will be participants' own responsibilities to handle visa issues.
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Airport Pick-up/Drop-off in China
The ability to speak Chinese is not a requirement for any of our programs. Therefore, we understand that being picked up from the airport by an English speaking Abroad China employee can be comforting to someone who does not speak the local language. Even for people who may speak Chinese, those who have never been to mainland China could fall into various traps set by people at the airport to swindle foreigners for money. Abroad China will pick interns up from the airport in Beijing or Shanghai when they arrive in China. Furthermore, Abroad China will take the intern back to the airport when their program ends and they are leaving China.
Abroad China is not obligated to take interns to or from the airport/train station for any reason other than the initial airport pick up and final drop off.
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Welcome Package
For program participants in Shanghai and Beijing will be given a welcome package that includes:
- Cellular Phone – this is yours to keep even after the program's completion
- City Map of Beijing or Shanghai
- Business Cards
- Miscellaneous items such as snacks for the intern to eat after the long flight
- Other items as deemed necessary by the program staff.
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China Orientation &Welcome Dinner
Even the most well traveled individuals can benefit from information provided by local residents. Our team has in-depth experience with interns traveling to China and is familiar with the type of problems and questions that come up. Abroad China's staff will give all of the interns that are staying in Beijing or Shanghai an orientation and a welcome dinner. Topics in the orientation include:
- Culture shock
- Back ground of the city
- Living abroad
- Chinese business culture
- And various other topics
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City Orientation
The city orientation is designed to give interns a feeling of the city and the city's metro system. The intern(s) will be taken to various parts of the city via metro and shown various points of interest within the city. The city orientation will usually take up the better part of a day. The city orientation is NOT a guided tour. The intern will have at least two months to explore the city's tourist sites on their own.
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Networking events
Interns are taken to either American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) or British Chamber of Commerce (BRITCHAM) networking events. Interns will have the opportunity to mingle and network with individuals from various local and international firms. The socials are typically business formal events, with cocktails and appetizers being served.
These networking events provide individuals, who may be planning to do business in or with China in the future, the chance to meet other working ex-patriots or locals. The establishment of a network is of utmost importance when doing business in China and these events can be a great resource.
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Cultural Event
The cultural event is designed to give interns a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. Cultural events will vary from program to program and city to city. Below are some examples of cultural events:
- Visits to a historical site (such as the Great Wall)
- Visit to a small village outside Beijing or Shanghai
- Visit to an ancient portion of a city outside Beijing or Shanghai
- Volunteer work (Children, Elderly, etc.)
- Short demonstration and course on Chinese Tea Ceremony
- Short demonstration and course on Chinese Kung Fu
- Short demonstration and course on Tai Chi
- Other event as deemed appropriate by program staff
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Call Center Support
Abroad China provides each of its interns with a cell phone (when included in the program package) and a local Chinese number that can be used to call any of the program directors for support. Interns are able to reach Abroad China's staff members at any time for support, directions, or any other help. This is especially useful when an intern wants to go to a specific place, and needs the address text messaged to them in Chinese from a member of Abroad China's staff.
Abroad China's Call Center Support will give you reassurance that you can always reach somebody who speaks English and can help you whenever you need it.
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Travel Assistance
All program participants will receive travel assistance, such as help booking hotels and travel arrangements while in China. This is an invaluable service as it can be extremely difficult for non-Chinese speakers to find travel deals, book hotels, and find the best means of transportation. Abroad China even utilizes discount travel sites, which have websites only in Chinese, to help interns save significantly on train, plane, or hotel prices.
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Chinese Language Study
We encourage applicants who do not speak Chinese to utilize the study option. English is not widely spoken, even in major cities, and learning the local language can make daily life easier and more fulfilling. With both one-on-one and group classes, participants can enroll in beginner, intermediate or advanced classes depending upon their level. Those students who have some Chinese ability will be given a placement test before being assigned to a class.
Summer Program
For summer program interns taking the intern study option, forty-eight (48) hours of language study during the program are included in the program fees.
Summer program interns taking the study only option, twenty hours (20) of language study per week of the program are included in the program fees.
Courses will either be given at a local Chinese language school or at a local university, depending on availability and number of students enrolled.
YP and MBA Programs
Abroad China will assist the intern in finding a suitable language school based upon needs; language study fees are paid by the intern directly to the language school.
Hourly rates and minimum amount of class hours depend on Chinese level of the applicant. For beginner to advanced levels, rates can range from $10-$12 per hour, with minimum requirement of 50-80 hours of class. Since a placement test will determine hourly rate and minimum required hours, class schedules will be determined upon arrival. Abroad China will assist each interested intern with the enrollment process. Participants will pay the cost of their classes directly to the language institute upon arrival and enrollment. |
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