United States culture can be experienced in many different ways. From food, history, and holidays, to communication styles and bonds with colleagues. Generations of people from different corners of the world have contributed to the shaping of the present-day culture of the United States, a melting pot where diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds come together to form the very essence of the U.S. This melding of cultures is what attracts many international students and young professionals to intern and train in the United States. And depending on where participants interned in the country, they have all experienced U.S. culture differently.
Perhaps you have learned about U.S. culture through TV shows, books, or even social media, and now you are curious about what it’s like to live and intern in the U.S. Hear from some of our former Career Training USA interns and trainees about what U.S. culture means to them, both inside and outside the office!
Francisca, Chile, Historic Preservation and Conservation Trainee, Denver Art Museum
Denver is a rich and cultural city for someone working in the art sector, like myself. The museums were really engaging and had high-quality exhibits that make people come here from different parts of the United States just for the purpose of visiting the museums. Denver, and Colorado in general, has a very diverse, open-minded, respectful culture. That was really refreshing to me, not being seen as an “other” but just as one more of the “gang”. I hardly had any negative experiences regarding prejudice, discrimination or anything like that. I participated in Pride and met wonderful people in the process. I also did a lot of volunteering and visited some national parks nearby.
Image courtey of Francisca
This is a great opportunity to be in a U.S. city for either learning a new language or to improve your skills and build experience for your professional career. My colleagues were all very focused on giving us the best possible care and it makes the entire experience of interning here a really valuable one. The environment and the people involved have been really positive, engaging and motivating. Working in a place with like-minded people is kind of a first for me personally, and I wouldn’t have experienced that if it wasn’t for this program.
Yifu, China, Law Intern, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The aspect I like the most about U.S. culture is that people here tend to be nice and kind to each other, at least from my own experience at the District Court. In China my colleagues are more prone to distance themselves from each other, rather than keeping a relatively close relationship with each other.
Image courtesy of Yifu
My favorite thing about my host city of Boston is to go visit the universities and their campuses. It is pretty enjoyable to take a tour of the beautiful campuses. My colleagues and I also took the commuter rail to Wellesley Hills where we visited our supervisor. We took a tour of his house, which is pretty big and beautiful. We heard about his stories when his family immigrated to the United States from Italy in the late 1940s. It was interesting to learn more about the history of the United States.
I would recommend this program to my friend because this program is a once in a lifetime experience that you would never regret. I got to know how the federal court system works and operates on a daily level.
Adeel, United Kingdom, Business/Commerce Intern, Miraki Innovation
I really enjoyed the work culture of the U.S. Miraki fostered a creative, entrepreneurial environment. From day one, they welcome you and treat you as part of the team. You are allowed to be fully immersed from the get go and treated as an equal. Something that took some time to get used to was the culture of going for happy hour with colleagues, this is something that does not happen in the U.K. It took me a couple of weeks to understand this is a weekly tradition to spend some time with colleagues after work during the week. I thoroughly enjoyed my evenings with them and it is something I would like to start doing back home in the U.K
Photo courtesy of Adeel
I also thoroughly enjoyed doing the many tours available to learn about the rich history of Cambridge, Massachusetts. I would recommend all future participants to do the same as well as exploring the many museums that the city has to offer. Also, I was able to visit New York City and visit a lot of attractions that I grew up learning about, which became one of my favorite experiences. I really like that in U.S. culture, families and friends get together in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere to enjoy the sports. The sporting events are also a lot of fun to watch!
I definitely recommend this program – you grow greatly as an individual by being out of your comfort zone and in a new city, it is truly a life changing experience for the better.
Camille, France, Marketing Intern, Hermes
The work culture at Hermes was really welcoming. You have a lot of freedom to work on different projects if you want to. I also found my English is better than when I arrived. I have been able to work within a multicultural environment which will be useful when I look for future jobs.
The U.S. mindset is so different from ours in France! The rules seem rigid, but behind it all there is a lot of freedom and few judgments, which is great. I love the liberty I feel here, I love the Thanksgiving tradition and how family or friends come together to be thankful for what you have and for each other, which I find beautiful. I also love the variety of cultures and landscapes that the country offers.
I especially love the diversity of New York and enjoy all the neighborhoods within it, especially East Village, Brooklyn and Riverside. Each part of New York City was its own little place. I strongly recommend going to Beacon and Sleepy Hollow, New Jersey and Connecticut. The Ivy league Universities are beautiful as well!
This internship in the U.S. was such a great opportunity to improve my language and professional skills, and most of all, to understand US business practices and mindset. This is necessary for any future jobs within a global company.
