Voices from Abroad: Federico Galperti

Shanghai (China), Internship Abroad, Tee-Hee Asia

I have always found China and its culture very interesting, but never really had the chance to go there. One of the reasons I chose the Marketing Management course was in fact the requirement to do an internship. When the time came to choose a place I finally saw a good opportunity to feed my interest and decided to go to China.

Child with regal birds

The choice was in fact not the easiest. There were personal relations and commitments I had taken up in the previous year that were holding me back from taking this big step towards my education and maturation process. However, I decided that this is the time to gain experiences and not to grow in a steady and regular life. As it turned out, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

My first impact with Shanghai and Chinese culture was weird. On the first day, I paid too much for my trip from the airport and way too much for some tea. There I was, open to new experiences and trusting toward everything and everyone. I learned quickly that in big cities, especially in Shanghai, you have to be open but aware that many people are there to survive. Even a cent more for them made a difference.

A park scene in Shanghai

Shanghai was absolutely amazing, you were able to see anything and do anything. Within a week I had found 3 sport teams that I joined and had already found some friends in the office. The life experience that I got in China was incredible, I saw so much, met people from all over the world that were all there for different and interesting reasons. It opened my mind in ways that, if I had stayed in Italy, would not have been possible. It completely changed my perspective on life and on my career ideas. The working environment was amazing, about 40 people of all nationalities and especially Chinese and Western individuals working together on a daily basis. The experience exceeded my expectations, I thought I would get bored and be a bit of a bimbo while being an intern, but I got integrated quickly and was directly awarded many responsibilities. The projects I worked on required me to go around the city to meet with managers of all levels and therefore work closely with Chinese people.

I had a great experience from which I grew as an individual in ways that would not have been possible by staying in my comfortable home. It is a challenge, it is not always easy but the benefits you get from it definitely outweigh the costs and risks.