Tips for an intern?

[otensian]

Hi,

Firstly, this is a bit of a wide question to ask, but I'm going to be starting internship in Osaka in a pharmaceutical company (I'm a chemistry student) in a couple of months and I wondered if anyone could give me any general advice on not acting like a complete prat when I'm there?

There's a couple other things I'm curious about. What are company domitories like? Should I take small gifts to give to my supervisors?

If I decided I wanted to work in Japan in a few years, or try and do a PhD there, will the fact that I've already interned there be much of a help or is it a lot more difficult than that?

Thanks

[Taro Toporific]

--What are company domitories like?
---Should I take small gifts to give to my supervisors?
---will the fact that I've already interned there be much of a help or is it a lot more difficult than that?

Company dorms are cheap/free but not much fun. Some companies like Hitachi, the nice dorms can be like a cheap hotel room. In other companies, the dorms can be like a 3rd-world prison.

Gifts for supervisors should be booze (which can be bought here). Other gifts are just too tough to guess.

And yes, a previous internship does count on your resume, if you survive. I've seen a lot interns over the years at Hitachi...many interns went wacko and left under a cloud of ill feeling. Only a couple were appreciated. I don't envy the steaming pile that most aliens intern step into.

Bottom Line: If you survive, you gain some points --- if you thrive, you'll have a big career boast --- if you stay, you'll be a real f'ed gaijin.

[dimwit]

Company dormatories can be a great way of saving money at the expense of your sanity. The six months I spent living in one were a well paid hell but as Taro said they can vary a lot. Try to make sure you know the rules of the place and how strictly they enforce them. In that respect, the place I lived was like a boy scout camp.

In general most companies will expect you to make the occassional social gaffes so don't sweat it. Going there with a fair dose of humility goes a long way to prevent you achieving pratdom.