"Learning experiences around every corner" for China intern

Jack (back row) with his colleagues at United Media Solution

After a whirlwind three months interning in China, I touched down at Auckland Airport with my iPhone storage full, my bag packed with Zhejiang specialties, and an overwhelming feeling of wanting to do it all again. 

Having studied for a semester in Taiwan the year before, I thought I knew what I was signing up for, language and culture-wise – but I could not have been more wrong. My time in Ningbo opened my eyes to how vast the Chinese-speaking world truly is, with differences apparent in vocabulary, cultural attitudes, and sheer physical scale.  

After a couple of days adjusting to the cold and fitting out my apartment near the city’s new CBD area, I began my internship at United Media Solution, focusing on research and copyrighting. 

United Media Solution is a digital marketing agency that specialises in helping New Zealand brands make sense of the vast Chinese consumer market. It felt surreal sitting across from partners working with clients like Tourism New Zealand and Discover Waitomo. By virtue of UMS’s central place in the market, my office experience was a crash-course about the New Zealand-China relationship on both official and commercial levels. 

Jack and colleagues connecting online with UMS staff in other parts of the country

Alongside daily tasks, I worked with colleagues in-person and virtually from UMS’s other offices to write whitepapers on client-relevant topics, such as international education and recent immigration policy changes. The office environment was a new experience for me, but I quickly found myself part of the team and close (but wary) companions with the company cat. 

As I got to know more of my colleagues, I got a greater sense of how deeply my work was valued and taken seriously. I received feedback on drafts from those across my desk all the way up to company co-founders. We conversed in English in professional settings, but Chinese was the language of our lunchbreaks at local restaurants and literally everywhere else. 

A selection of photos from Jack's weekend hiking excursions

While visiting the big-name tourist sites were must-dos, I often got just as much enjoyment poking my head into mum-and-dad-run restaurants and using my broken Chinese to chat with construction workers on their smoke breaks. China is a nation of intense contradictions, and I now believe it has to be experienced to be (somewhat) understood. 

Learning experiences were around every corner. I found myself becoming a member of three local hiking WeChat groups and spent many Sundays exploring the hills and valleys just beyond the terminal metro stations. I met countless locals who went above and beyond in their hospitality toward me, building my confidence to try local specialties like duck head and fermented ‘stinky’ tofu. 

Jack joined a hiking group that would explore the local countryside

Taking stock of an incredible three months, I am certain I have unfinished business not only in China more broadly, but even just in the province I lived in. It is hard not to feel like you are at ‘the centre of it all’ in Ningbo, no doubt from a New Zealand point of view.  

The experience is certain to open the eyes and tastebuds of anyone with a prior interest in Asia, and I will be looking to contribute to the New Zealand-China relationship as I move beyond university life. 

The Foundation's business programme supports New Zealand companies to better understand Asia so they can make the most of opportunities in the region. It also supports to grow the next generation of Asia-savvy business leaders.

Our internship programme helps interns build a better understanding of the people, place and culture of their Asian host country, while developing industry-specific skills that will benefit them as they progress in their careers.