Program offers London internships

Students can spend hours after hours trying to look for a decent internship on the Internet. They also hesitate when deciding whether they should study abroad with fear that credits won't get transferred back to IU.\nTo combine the two experiences, these students might want to consider the London CIC Internship Program, organized by Arcadia University's Center for Education Abroad.\n"The IU Office of Overseas Study first adopted this program in Fall of 2003," said Paige Weting, assistant director of the Office of Overseas Study.\nParticipants have an internship placement with a firm in London's commercial, health care, media or government sector. The internship placement is highly tailored toward the majors of participants. \nInterns with fine arts and theater majors have worked at art galleries and theater companies. Students from other disciplines have had a variety of projects ranging from working at a zoo to a counseling center to a school. Political science majors may also have a chance to work at the British Parliament. \nTiffany Kraft, a senior majoring in accounting and international studies, participated in this program in spring of 2004. She was an accounting intern at the personal office of famous fashion designer Stella McCartney, the daughter of Paul McCartney.\nShe worked directly under the financial controller of the office, preparing daily sales report for the three Stella McCartney stores in L.A., New York and London, and taking care of the invoices. She also managed the account of a celebrity-caliber tailoring service at the London store.\nThis four-credit internship required her to write a reflection paper and take a class on British art and architecture.\n"I wrote a 25-page paper on joint business venture after the internship," Kraft said, "and my boss helped me with (it)."\nKraft shared an apartment with other IU students in Notting Hill, and she took the "tube" to work everyday. During her stay, she traveled a lot in London and other European countries.\n"I'd love to live in the U.K.," Kraft said.\nHowever, living expenses in London are quite high.\n"A McDonald's meal costs about $10," Kraft said.\nShe spent more than $10,000 for the whole semester.\nSteven Nah, a senior majoring in finance, accounting and international studies, interned at Pro-Capital Investment, a brokerage agency, last summer 2004 through the program. His daily tasks involved doing research on prospective clients, managing and updating company's database and other general office duties.\nHe also took a British politics class at City University and went for a three-day trip to Brussels to learn about the European Parliament.\nNah shared an apartment with other IU students in Chelsea and said the pubs were packed with people watching soccer games, since it was the season of European Championship Tournament.\nHe recommended students go to Leicester Square -- London's version of Broadway.\nThough the United Kingdom is similar to the States, Nah advised students to keep an open mind and be prepared to adjust to a different environment, for example, driving on the opposite side of the road and different common phrases.\nWeting also mentioned the London CIC Internship Program is relatively new, but it has grown quickly, having only two participants in the first semester to 25 this semester. For more information on the program, visit www.indiana.edu/~overseas or visit the Study Abroad 101 Office in Franklin Hall.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Joyce Chan at mkchan@indiana.edu.