Pursuing an internship (referred to as a stage in Italy) is often necessary for an initial step on a career path. Seeking an internship abroad is advantageous, especially in terms of developing interpersonal skills in diverse environments and international experience.

One of the best ways to land an internship abroad is by directly contacting companies in your home country that have international subsidiaries. Many companies have particular application methods for interns and may place you in a position according to your skills and interests. Knowledge of Italian is a plus, though not always necessary.

Here are a few useful links:

• Talent Manager : Italian site seeking talented individuals, useful for job and internship placement.
• JobTel : Italian site which suggests numerous internship opportunities and stage advice.
• InternAbroad : a service from GoAbroad.com that provides opportunities for internships and work abroad.
• InternJobs : a global database of internships for students, recent graduates and career changers. If you are looking for an internship, register for free and have instant access to all the offers.

EU Progamme: Leonardo Da Vinci

As quoted in a press release on www.europa.eu, "The Leonardo Da Vinci programme focuses on the teaching and training needs of those involved in vocational education and training. In doing so it bolsters the competitiveness of the European labour market by helping EU citizens acquire new skills, knowledge and qualifications in European countries outside of their home country. It is part of the Commision's flagship funding programme in education and training, the Lifelong Learning Programme."

The program addresses:

• persons under 28 years of age. The length of the programme extends from a minimum of three weeks to a maximum of nine months according to the level of formation;
• persons under 28 years of age with a professional title who seek job trainging in a company (for a period between three and twelve months) in the working market of another member state of the EU;
• persons under 28 years of age enrolled in a university who would like the possibility to work for some months (minimum three, maximum twelve)for a company of another EU member state.

For more information about the program in English, visit: http://www.europa.eu