The global coronavirus pandemic has radically shifted how young people are pursuing an education and approaching the job market. While most college students have resumed classes online and recent graduates have joined the workforce virtually, a growing number of college-aged people from the U.S. and around the world are pursuing alternative paths to professional and personal growth. I know this because I hire and train some of them.
As a Tel Aviv-based business development associate at Fiverr — a global company that is changing how the world works together by connecting millions of businesses and freelancers — I’ve been fortunate enough to host interns from around the world who come to us through Masa Israel Journey, an organization supported by The Jewish Agency and government of Israel. Their immersive, long-term educational experiences for young adults aged 18 to 30 provide profound benefits for both the interns and the companies where they work.
Those who come to intern in Tel Aviv — a center of Israeli innovation — are immediately embedded inside some of the fastest growing companies in industries such as technology, software and medical equipment. Surrounded by knowledgeable professionals and exposed to internal workflows, project management practices, internal KPIs and growth metrics, interns earn invaluable real-world experience while adapting to a fast-paced environment. Not to mention, they gain exposure to the unique work culture in leading companies, such as Fiverr.
Meanwhile, the companies themselves benefit from a diverse group of interns who collectively bring a wide range of perspectives. This is particularly important for companies championing innovation, which often consists of finding new and different approaches to solving problems. Young people, even without years of experience, bolster creativity and offer unique ideas. They are not constrained by the limits seasoned professionals experienced and internalized. They also have the enthusiasm and passion that opens them to tackling challenges. My colleagues and I understand that we don’t know what we don’t know, and so we provide our diverse interns with opportunities to have an impact on key decisions.
The extended length of internships, which typically last at least four months, also broadens our ability to invest in these interns. Our goal as a company, along with many others in Israel’s leading technology sector, is to put young people in positions where they grow with us and gain invaluable experiences for their futures as well. One of the primary reasons we work with long-term programs like Masa is because program participants have the time to properly train and fully integrate with our teams.
Interns are a valuable part of our organization. Some also join us with former expertise and apply their knowledge to not only perform the tasks they do for us but improve them, too. Currently, I have two Masa interns on my team, Jennifer and Garret, and they work within the core systems of our company: building landing pages, reaching out to business partners, and conducting market research.
Time and time again, our interns have demonstrated the drive or ‘chutzpah’, as we say in Hebrew, to take on big tasks. One example is our intern turned employee, Dasha, who built the QA system for one of the departments during her internship. Today, three years later, we still use the system, and she manages it. When interns are treated as integral to a company’s success and given projects they can own, as is done with Masa participants, they are more motivated and dedicated to the shared mission and vision.
Young people also enjoy working in Israel because the environment is very welcoming, and the people love to share their experiences and knowledge with those from other parts of the world. As a result, interns receive an immersive cultural experience to complement a priceless professional experience. These internships encourage participants to get out of their comfort zones and face situations that differ from their normal patterns, enhancing their personal development.
Through these rewarding and enriching opportunities interns return home smarter and stronger than when they arrived, armed with a broader understanding of various working environments. Further, they’re given the tools to build their arsenal of qualities and skills, which they will eventually bring into the professional world, either as an employee or as an entrepreneur.
Though it might seem intimidating to drop everything you know to work in a foreign country, especially during this period of uncertainty, it actually couldn’t be a better time to take that leap. Even as interns adhere to COVID restrictions, many are still living and working within their new communities, enjoying the local culture, meeting people, and broadening their global perspective. No situation is perfect, but those who make the most of these opportunities and adapt to changing and unexpected environments will be better equipped to take on the immense challenges of the future.
Eli Bogdan is a business development associate at Fiverr.
