I have gained a lot of new knowledge on customs brokerage, which is a niche yet important part of the supply chain that will be beneficial to know about for my future career in this industry.
Emmy Wang
Business Administration with a Concentration in Operations and Supply Chain Management
Why did you choose to do a global internship? I chose to do an internship abroad in Singapore this summer because I have always loved Asia and wanted an opportunity to work there. I study business and supply chain, so in addition to loving to travel and try new things, the large logistics hub in Singapore made it a suitable choice for my field of study.
What is one of your favorite memories from studying abroad? One of my favorite memories from this global internship was that I got to interact with many people from different backgrounds. At the office, my coworkers introduced me to local dishes and taught me a lot about Singaporean culture. From the program, I also made friends who were international students from countries I have never visited before.
Where were you able to travel during your time abroad? What are some of your favorite things about your host city? One of my favorite parts of Singapore is the infrastructure and food. I found all the buildings to be very pretty and really enjoyed walking around the city surrounded by that kind of infrastructure. Singapore is also a country of mixed cultures, so the easy accessibility to a wide variety of cuisines was also a part I really liked about Singapore. Other than Singapore, I also traveled to Vietnam and Malaysia, which introduced me to more new cultures and widened my global perspective.
How do you think interning abroad is contributing to your future career goals and/or academics? I was a brokerage solution intern at UPS Singapore. Prior to entering this internship, I had no knowledge about customs brokerage despite being a supply chain major. After this internship, I have gained a lot of new knowledge on customs brokerage, which is a niche yet important part of the supply chain that will be beneficial to know about for my future career in this industry. UPS also arranged a driver attachment day and airport hub visit for the interns, which allowed me to observe the logistics process of package delivery and handling in-person. For me, these opportunities were a great way for me to learn more about my field of study.
What is a challenge you’ve faced while abroad and how have you overcome it? One of the biggest challenges that I faced in Singapore was the difference in communication styles. Everyone spoke English but had a different way of communicating the same thing sometimes. The slight differences in phrasings sometimes made it difficult to understand what my supervisor was telling me to do. In order to overcome this, I asked many questions for clarification, which made me realize that asking questions is very beneficial in avoiding miscommunication and error. I am usually not one to ask many questions in class, but this experience has taught me that it may be beneficial to also start doing it more often.
What advice do you have for future study abroad students? My advice for future study abroad students is to be open to trying new things and to do some research beforehand. Two months may sound like a long time but it will go by very quickly, so it is a good idea to do some planning to make sure you can fit everything that you want to do into the limited time frame that you have. It is also a very rare opportunity to go abroad, so being open-minded to new cultures would be great for personal development and learning.
