Global Team Internship - Aims & Initiatives
At Think Pacific, we believe that an internship abroad should not only enhance your CV – It should develop your global perspectives, increase your skills and confidence, be accessible, and help you discover your passions through exciting real world experience.
Our Global Team Internship (GTI) has been designed to help you bridge the gap between university and graduate employment in a globalized workforce by combining unique work-experience with cultural immersion and a team-based adventure.
During the placement, you will have the incredible opportunity to live in Chiang Mai, Thailand with a team of fellow students, whilst supporting our hand-picked network of Thai-based businesses, social enterprises and charities to develop practical and sustainable solutions to current challenges.
On a Think Pacific Global Team Internship in Thailand, this is your opportunity to:
- Experience; Gain unique experience of living and working in Thailand
- Contribution; Make a tangible impact and find solutions to real world problems
- Challenge; Expand your comfort zone, throw yourself into diverse projects and themes
- Learn; Learn about a new culture by living and working in South East Asia
- Skills; Develop professional skills and gain experience employers are looking for
You will need a positive mindset and a professional approach because you are working on real-life business projects for clients that invest time and mentoring for students. Our guarantee is that this internship will boost your softs skills and confidence, whilst providing the chance to make a meaningful contribution to exciting partners.
After your first week of cultural discovery, orientation, preparation and team building with your fellow interns, it’s now time to start working on inspiring projects for fantastic businesses and NGO’s in Thailand.
Each week you will be allocated a programme partner to work for and project brief that inspires you. The week begins with a site visit to learn about the organisations vision, goals and challenges. Your task then is to work within a small group of 3-5 interns to tackle the brief and present back your ‘action project’ and ideas to the organisation at the end of the week.
For host organisations, this is an opportunity to gain unique international insights from creative thinking students, to prototype new concepts, begin new projects that have been limited by staff resources or gain fresh perspectives on their strategies and operations.
Our partners include local enterprises, family-run businesses, start ups, social enterprises and charities. Organisations are from diverse areas of arts, tourism, retail, property and technology or mission focused in areas of environment, conservation or human rights. All organisations are chosen for their ethics and sustainability. They are also fabulous mentors, who value student perspectives, are eager to collaborate to grow their vision. Like us, they see external participation as a means to boost internal opportunity.
Each week you will be set an Action Project – A specific challenge faced by the organisation. Your role in your team is to find the best solution. Often ‘big picture’, always interesting, sometimes challenging. Projects focus upon research, development and solving issues. You’ll need to work collaboratively, consider cultural difference and learn quickly. Creative and critical thinking are the secret ingredients to producing the most effective outcomes. Each week culminates in you presenting your concepts to the partner for feedback and review.
Across the internship, you will have the opportunity to work for three different partners on three different ‘action projects’. Each week there will be a new business, charity or social enterprise for you to engage with and complete an ‘action project’ for. When it comes to doing this, we have designed the ‘5 D process’ that you and your fellow interns will follow:
- Discovery: you will visit the organisation and engage in activities to learn about the product or services
- Discussion: engage in discussion with the organisation’s team and your fellow interns to deepen your understanding and explore ‘action projects’
- Decide: alongside your group, you will decide which project you will focus on
- Design: working in vibrant ‘co-working’ spaces, you will create your project with your small team
- Deliver: present your group project to the attached partner organisation
“78% of employers believe graduates do not arrive in the work-place equipped with the skills they need to be work-ready – Chartered Management Institute ‘Work Ready Graduates Study’
The world of work is rapidly changing. Employers are seeking graduates ready to work in global, hybrid environments, who are flexible, resilient, collaborative and problem-solvers. But students have limited opportunity to get real-world experience, to hone their skills or develop their professional abilities.
Our Global Team Internship is designed to develop a range of core skills employers look for, whilst at the same time, adding capacity and growth to a small, handpicked businesses and enterprises in Thailand, who really value your commitment, ideas and innovation – a true win-win situation!
Take this opportunity for professional growth, throw yourself into every aspect and you will gain demonstrable skills to boost your future.
What does an average day look like on this placement?
No day on this placement is the same, you will gain experience of working on consultancy challenges with 3 of our partner organisations (businesses/charities), you will also learn from local professionals and develop your professional and personal skills. Week 1 is dedicated to your project briefing, and your days include discussions and activities with your team, and fun team building and cultural activities.
Following this, during your project weeks (2, 3 & 4), you can expect to wake up around 7am and have breakfast in the ‘TP House’. You will then take pre-organised transport with your project group to visit the business you will be working with that week, for a tour and presentation about the organisation. You will then be set a consultancy challenge which you will work on with your group from different locations throughout the week in the morning or afternoon. You will then return to your accommodation, where you can relax in the evening with your peers, in a local cafe, or join a team social activity before you have dinner around 7pm. .
What does an average week look like on this placement?
Your placement is split into 4 weeks. Week 1 is dedicated to your project briefing and settling into Chiang Mai. Weeks 2, 3 and 4 are your project weeks, and they all follow the same structure:
- Monday – Organisation Visit & Challenge Brief
- Tuesday – Group Work
- Wednesday – Field Trip or Excursion
- Thursday – Group Work
- Friday – Group Presentations to Partner and Stakeholders
- Saturday – Included Activity e.g waterfalls, markets, national parks
- Sunday – Free day to explore Chiang Mai
Will I work alone or in a team?
You will work with a team for your 3 consultancy challenges, we aim for this to be a different team for each week.
What projects will I work on?
You will work with 3 businesses/charities over the duration of your placement. The 3 organisations will be introduced to you during your briefing week.
How will I travel to projects?
All transport involved in the placement will pre arranged by the Think Pacific team.
Will I get to visit different businesses in Thailand?
Yes, we aim to give you a varied experience of working with different organisations in different fields. You will visit 3 businesses/charities over the duration of your placement.
Will I get help on the business consultancy challenge?
Yes, you will receive support and guidance from the business/charity staff representatives when you visit the site, and they will be available for a Q&A session mid way through your challenge for support and guidance. The Think Pacific team will also be available for support and guidance throughout the challenges.
Will I be working directly with staff and customers?
You will visit the business at the start of the week and interact with staff members as you learn about the business. You will have a Q&A with a representative from the business during the week, and you will present your consultancy challenge back to them at the end of the week.
How will I communicate with businesses without knowing the language?
Think Pacific local staff will support the communication with the business staff if required.
Will there be interpreters?
Think Pacific local staff will support the communication with the business staff if required.
Will I be supervised by professional staff at the projects?
You will receive guidance and support from the business representatives, then you will work independently with your group on the challenge set for you. Think Pacific staff will support you as required.
What should I do if I have a safeguarding concern about a project partner?
We encourage you to speak with a Think Pacific Manager as soon as possible about your concern. We ask that you do not speak directly with the project/partner staff about your concern, as this could put the individual/s at risk of harm. Think Pacific will listen to your concern and take the relevant action if required, in line with our safeguarding policy.
Accommodation
During your GTI Thailand experience, you will be based in Chiang Mai and staying in Alt_Ping River, this is a hostel/hotel with a cafe on site, kitchen for you to use and many communal spaces! You will be living alongside your fellow teammates and Think Pacific staff members.
Food
On project the majority of your meals are included in your program fee. Please see the break down below of what to expect during your project…
- Breakfast will be continental (includes fruits, muesli, milk, filter coffee & tea, and bread) and provided by Alt_Ping River.
- Lunches are not provided (with the exception of Saturday day excursions), and you will have access to a fridge and kitchen in the accommodation, if you wish to store/cook lunch.
- Dinner will be local Thai dishes (vegetarian based with meat/fish options on the side) and provided in the accommodation.