Custom Placements
Americas
USA
Home sweet home. IGS started in Hawaii in the 90’s and has placed students in twelve states and counting.
Marine research on coral reefs, spinner dolphins, and reef sharks are popular internship topics in Hawaii and Florida.
Our law interns have worked for personal injury, business, and criminal law firms in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Highly customized placements find fertile ground in the U.S. as well.
We have placed students in Minnesota with a Native American Tribe, Texas with a landscape design firm, and Illinois with a stand-up comedy club to name a few.
Students seeking internships where they can commute from their own houses has become popular of late. One student commuted from their Brooklyn home to work with a sound studio we set up in Manhattan.
Hawaii
Hawaii is where it all started for IGS. We have used thirty plus internship hosts on five different islands.
We have set up obscure requests including a glass blowing internship. And we have stayed maistream with coral reef research with top scientists. Included in that mix are physical rehabilitaion placements, financial planners, and even a surf school.
Hawaii has been great to our clients and to IGS. Favorite excursions have been over to the Big Island and Volcanoes National Park. Our Founder, Dr. David Adams, once led a group of students to an eruption site. Back in the 90’s you were allowed to walk over the freshly-crusted lava as it emptied into the sea.
Tourists returned with partially-melted shoes and photos of the lava flowing literally below their feet. Put that down in the “what was the Park Service were they thinking” file? For those who walked the steamy paths, their soles/souls were forever touched.
Brazil
is a country teeming with youth and vivacity. IGS has placed students in Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo.
Our favorite internship was for a sports marketing student passionate about working with a professional soccer club. It took lot of contacts, but we successfully placed him with Santos Football Club–the famed organization where Pele grew into a star. In Rio, we placed a graduate student with a leading women’s advocacy group.
Located on the edge of a favela, the organization helped at-risk girls avoid falling into prostitution rings. Brazil is likewise an excellent location for conservation biology students looking to make a difference.
With the most diverse habitats in the world, interns have a chance to make a measurable difference. Excursions to the Mato Grosso and Manaus provide an excellent glimpse into the world’s greatest rain forest.
Argentina
Argentina is gaining traction among IGS students. We landed there in 2015 for a site visit and the found a fertile market with companies eager for English-speaking interns.
One of our students graduated in hospitality management and requested a boutique hotel to learn the trade. We placed her at a coastal property where she worked directly with the owner.
She quickly demonstrated her competence and was given a high level of responsibility within a week of arriving. Buenos Aires is the most popular city for our students and offers the greatest diversity of placements and things to do.
Excursions include flying to nearby Peru for a glimpse of the Amazon Rainforest. And for those seeking the bottom of the world, a trip to Ushuaia is in order.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a personal favorite of IGS staff members and a location we are all too happy to nudge our clients looking to practice their Spanish.
In the capital city of San Jose, they have worked at a language school where they assisted in the classroom and tutoring. One of our law students requested work in in bi-lingual law office in the downtown area and we secured a terrific litigation attorney for her.
In the highlands of Monteverde, our students have assisted a rainforest education institute that serves visiting school groups. They helped staff educate visitors on the dynamics of what makes a cloud forest unique. Our students likewise guided night excursions in search of tree-dwelling ocelots and monstrous tarantulas.
Some well-reviewed travel spots by our students include rafting on the Pacuare River. One called it the journey of a lifetime. And a side trip to La Fortuna volcano is sure to produce some New-World monkeys and Old-World terror with some of the world’s most poisonous snakes.
Ecuador
Ecuador is a great place to conduct a Spanish speaking internship. One of our students traveled to the headwaters of the Amazon to work with a wildlife conservation organization.
She helped treat injured wildlife and release animals back into the wild. Eco-tourism is another popular internship option. The country has some top-notch eco-lodges and tour companies. Go on tours and blog about your experiences on their websites.
And help the staff market the trips to local hotels and businesses. Our students enjoy excursions to Mindo–the bird watching capital of the country and to the Galapagos Islands where they can witness Darwin’s finches and turtles at work.
Mexico
Mexico Is there a better day-trip than touring a Mayan temple in the morning, snorkeling a cenote (crystalline pool) in the afternoon, and watching the sunset from a beach bungalow? Mexico has surprised many a student with its rich culture and limitless activities.
How does interning with a company that conducts whale shark tours sound? One of our clients split her time between the tour company and a sea turtle hatching project.
Great life! Another IGS student interned at a regional newspaper in the ancient city of Oaxaca. Covering local politics, he received a crash course in provincial hobnobbing.
Our students have traveled to the coastal town of Tulum and the premier beach on the Gulf Coast. And they visited the Piramides de Teotihuacán to unravel the mystery of the ancients.
Europe
England
England is a time-tested student favorite. Many of our placements are in London proper, within easy reach of Big Ben. Our most recent client worked for a digital marketing firm near the Tower of London.
He helped on a Facebook ads campaign for an international client. Another student gave rave reviews to a Kurdish advocacy organization in the city. She conducted original research on Kurdish contributions to Great Britain. Newspaper work is a big draw. Past clients have interned at a major Daily.
Students with a writing talent have hit the streets to cover political events, arts, and culture. Those on a marketing track have launched online campaigns to recruit local business sponsorship. One of our veterinary students headed to a small town in the northern country to assist at a clinic. She did animal prep, surgery recovery, emergency field calls and basic administration.
Museums are likewise a big draw for interns. Our favorite is a maritime museum with a replica trade ship. Our student gave tours on the ship and conducted original research on the backgrounds of 18th-century sailors. Side excursions have taken students up to Glasgow for pub crawls and over to Stratford-upon-Avon and the birthplace of Shakespeare.
France
France remains one of our top draws. IGS was hired by an international organization to handle their Paris-bound clients. We set up twelve different internship options around the city.
Our students have worked with investment bankers in the fast-paced world of international finance. On the opposite spectrum, a client worked at the Perfume Museum sharing the history of scent with visitors. Photography is a high demand request and IGS paired a student with a fashion photographer in the city center.
An anti-child trafficking advocacy group has handled the highest number of our clients. They have a footprint in developing countries where underage girls are caught up in illegal prostitution. Our clients have helped lead campaigns that promote awareness of this troubling trend.
Outside of Paris we have placed students with a leading theater company in Nantes and marketing company in Monaco. Side trips are always a draw with Toulouse and Marseille high on their list.
Ireland
Ireland has long been a favorite for American study abroad and internship programs. Dublin has a stellar reputation among students for providing world class nightlife and a safe environment to enjoy the city streets.
With our northern internships, we try help students time the weather and avoid the worst of the gloom. Late spring through early fall is a great time to intern in the northern isles. For winter, we will point you closer to the equator.
One of our students completed an internship at a nuclear non-proliferation organization. He conducted research that he published on their site regarding nuclear weapons storage and safety. In addition, Dublin is a great location to pursue hospitality internships. There are top hotel properties in the city with an international reputation.
Theater is another topic worth exploring. Regional productions give students a glimpse into what Dubliners are known for: humor, repertoire, a sense of history, and an ability to brave privation.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has been a hot draw of late with Amsterdam a favorite for U.S. students. Our most recent request was for sports marketing at a professional soccer club.
We placed another student at coastal resort community with a top travel agency. She had just finished up her university study and sought a career in the travel industry.
She enjoyed the placement so much that she applied for a work visa with the intent of moving full time to the country. Side trips to Germany and nearby Dusseldorf make for interesting contrast. And to the south our students have traveled to Brussels.
The Netherlands presents well on student resumes as it is still an unusual choice and has a reputation in the business world as producing elite leaders.
Spain
Spain has produced some of our best-reviewed internships. In Barcelona, we partner with one of TripAdvisor’s top tour companies. This organization conducts food tours and classes on the local cuisine.
Our students join their staff in the field at upscale restaurants and eateries. Work behind the scenes included PR and marketing in the main office. A commercial casting company in Madrid has likewise received high praise from our students.
Headed by an American ex-pat, the company contracts with actors to film commercials for international brands. Museum work is also a favorite for IGS clients. We partner with some of the top cultural sites in the country. Finally, there is no shortage of politics in the Old World.
We placed a student with a political party that matched his ideology and he promoted a candidate for office. Our students make time for side trips to the south of Spain and cities like Seville and the resort town of Malaga. Immersing oneself in the art and history of the country is a transformation experience.
ASIA
India
India is one of life’s must-see mysteries. The contrast between the ancient gods and the modern high rises leave one perplexed, but happy to have dipped a toe in its currents. India internship options are vast.
The country can host all our topics and many a custom request as well. India is easy to navigate from a setup standpoint as there is a get-it-down spirit and government regulations are reasonable and negotiable. Some fun projects to consider are event planning positions that get you out and about the cities.
Photography work is another great option. We can pair you with a studio or freelancer and you can create a meaningful portfolio.
Excursions to consider include the famed Taj Mahal. Along with the design and history, what makes it a unique experience is contrast to the low brow villages just outside the gates. Mix and mingle with Hindus and Muslims living side-by-side and learn how history brought them together against the backdrop of a great world icon.
Nepal
Nepal. Upon landing in Kathmandu prepare for sensory overload. The colors, the smells, and the oddity of it all ensures that you have left your comfort zone. IGS has partnered with one of the leading trekking eco-tour companies for our business and marketing students.
For community development, few places offer the opportunity to make a measurable difference as Nepal. NGO’s have a solid foothold and have helped modernize the country. One of our students worked with an international Buddhist organization and tutored monks on a range of subjects including geography and English.
Our students have gone north and south for their excursions. The Himalayan resort town of Pokhara has been a big draw. And to the south, the Chitwan wildlife preserve is a great place to see rhinos and other endangered species.
Thailand
Thailand is a personal favorite of our staff. Is there anything more delightful than street food on a southern beach? Our longest tenured placement is at the foremost sea kayak ecotourism company in the country.
Our students go on the excursions and blog for their website. They join the staff and visit local hotels to promote the trips. We have likewise placed student at a leading English language newspaper in a major coastal city. Our students have done video production for their fledgling television station as well as writing articles for the paper. At-risk youth is another popular option.
We have connected students with several organizations that work with kids on the edge of exploitation. One of the most rewarding placements has been with an organization that promotes conservation using Buddhist principles.
Excursions have seen our students travel north to Chiang Mai for trekking and Buddhist temple tours. And they have gone to Phuket to enjoy beach nightlife and diving.
Japan
Japan is a portal through which the uber-modern and the timeless meet. Be it in a teahouse or amidst the rock garden of a Buddhist temple, there is harmony amidst the hustle.
One of the more memorable IGS placements came of the heels of the tsunami that devastated the northern provinces. A student came to us in search of an internship that would allow him to help the victims and their families.
We confirmed him with a Red Cross organization delivering food to people struggling to get back on their feet. Business and marketing internships in Tokyo are another great option for students looking East.
They look great on a resume provide insight into international trade. For getaways, our students have traveled to Mt. Fuji to seek the iconic volcano up close and personal. And in Tokyo, they have watched prized fish at tuna auctions sell for thousands of dollars.
Oceania
Australia
Australia is a huge draw to our U.S. clients. Sydney is one of the most sought-after cities in our catalog. With vast white sand beaches a ferry ride away from the city center, our clients find a nice city/beach balance.
Digital marketing students are drawn to our placement with one of the premier international firms in the world. And those more inclined to working near the water have interned with top marine scientists. A recent student just signed on to assist the Manly Lifeguard Station forty minutes from the downtown. We have likewise place students Back of Bourke—the Aussie euphemism for the middle of nowhere.
One of our students worked at an Aboriginal Radio Station near Darwin. Two of our Japanese students worked with an eco-tour company in Cairns. There is no shortage of options for finding your place under the sun.
Many of our students do a side trip to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling or diving. Those with terrestrial passions head to the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves—a two-hour drive from Sydney.
Fiji
Fiji has hosted IGS interns since 2001. We partnered with a world-renowned reef ecologist and to allow students to research and document MPA’s (marine protected areas).
After a three day training period they begin their research. Living in a Fijian village is one of the highlights. Student results on reef health and fish counts are sent to UCLA for their mapping project. Other popular internships include teaching at a local school.
Students teach a subject of their choice as well as provide English lessons for the class. A third project that students have helped with is work at a local dive resort. They assist clients on dive trips and work with the office to promote their tours.
Student excursions Taveuni and Beqa Islands are favorites among our clients. Beqa is home to the legendary fire walkers.
New Zealand
New Zealand has long been a favorite of IGS interns. Fifteen hours of sunshine in January is a big draw for many of our northern clientele.
Add Kiwi hospitality that is second to none and a vibrant business and government sector in Auckland and Wellington respectively and the key components for a highly sought-after location is present. One of our favorite Kiwi placements is at the yacht club that won the America’s Cup sailing race in Bermuda.
They host our clients who are interested in marketing, boat design, and serving as a race technician. Other Auckland favorites include a major event planner, community garden, and rugby club. In Wellington, our politically-minded students have written for a local political newspaper and produced some great articles on local happenings around the Beehive (The Kiwi nickname for their capital building.)
Excursions to the South Island are a favorite. Our fly-fisherman have landed some impressive trout with the help of local guides.
South Africa
South Africa is a great location for internships and study abroad. IGS students have mainly shown interest in shark research projects on the southern coast.
Commerce and business in the city of Cape Town proper is also a draw for students. Animal conservation is a third area of interest conducted primarily in game parks. There may also be an opportunity to work with aquariums.
Excursions should include at least one game reserve like Sabi Sand. For those in search of big city nightlife, popping up to Johannesburg will do the trick.