How to Do a Student Humanitarian Internship with Real Step: Your Complete Guide

Want to experience something international but don’t know where to start? Real Step supports you step by step in carrying out your humanitarian internship project as a student. Our goal in this article is to clearly explain the process of doing an internship with Real Step, from your first contact to your departure. Then set off on one of our internships with confidence and enthusiasm!

 

Values serving professional opportunities

In 2021, RealStep was born in response to a growing demand for professionalizing experiences. We offer official internships abroad, semesters abroad, certified training on projects with lasting impact. The concept of a meaningful gap year emerged: an experience rich in impact, skill acquisition, and accessible thanks to paid programs abroad.

We place positive and lasting impact at the heart of our activities, respecting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal responsibility.

We aim to encourage international mobility by providing access to professional experiences with meaning. Find in the next section the internships and fields where you can do your internship!

 

What types of humanitarian internships does Real Step offer to students?

Our 150 missions can be customized to meet different goals: internships, gap year, semester abroad, university credits, research projects, etc., taking into account local contexts and the specific needs of students and their institutions.

We offer many positions, all linked to social, humanitarian, or environmental projects with impact. Most positions are within international NGOs, but also in scientific research projects, social enterprises, sustainable travel organizations, etc.

Here are some examples of the most requested internships:

 

To add even more meaning to your profession – see our programs

• Management, business, marketing, communication
• Philanthropy, fundraising (for commercial profiles)
• Cooperation and international development

 

To gain the opportunity to train on the ground – see our programs

• Marine biology
• Environmental sciences
• Agronomy / agriculture
• Veterinary internship

 

To help local communities develop – see our programs

• Construction (civil engineering, architecture, design, etc.)
• Teaching
• Social work
• Psychology

 

To validate your medical or nursing internship – see our programs

• Nursing care
• Physiotherapy and other medical internships

 

To discover a country and learn a language – see our programs

• Hospitality and catering
• Travel and tourism

 

Humanitarian internships for students can last from 4 to 24 weeks and can be adapted depending on the study level (Bachelor, Master, etc.) and the degree of learning required.

You also have different types of internships: immersive or professionalizing. Immersive internships take place on missions that promote personal development and transversal skills, while professionalizing internships are supervised by specialists who oversee and validate students’ skills during their mission.

 

An asset for your career path and future career

Going with Real Step means:

• The guarantee of doing an internship with impact at an ethical organization in a safe environment.
• Trusted partners.
• A large number of professional experiences.
• Professional support throughout the humanitarian internship for the student.
• Acquire transversal skills: boost language skills, connect with other cultures, gain confidence, open-mindedness, project management, and work in an international context…

 

In short, a real springboard into the professional world!

 

What are the terms for participating in missions?

To apply, a phone call is first organized between the student and a member of our team to answer initial questions and guide them towards a mission that matches their goals and profile, while considering the needs of partner NGOs.

Then, RealStep sends a first selection of projects to the student based on the established profile and NGO needs so they can choose the project they want, at their preferred dates.

Once the project is confirmed, a deposit must be paid to secure the spot. At this stage, the student should gather information about visa requirements, health, and plane tickets. The most important thing is to anticipate the budget and logistics. We support students throughout the process; our team is available at every step to guide and reassure them.

Finally, after checking off their entire administrative checklist and packing list, the student is ready to depart and will be taken care of upon arrival by our local team, available 24/7 to assist with their project.

 

To summarize:

1. Browse the website to find the internship that suits you.
2. Schedule a call with our team.
3. The first selection of projects is made.
4. We confirm the project.
5. Make sure to get information on logistics, organization, and budget.
6. You are ready to go!

 

Are there any prerequisites to join a mission?

Your skills

Everyone can contribute! To participate in our missions, specific skills are not necessary; the missions are varied, and everyone can contribute at their level. Moreover, if training is necessary, our local teams take care of training and supervising participants on the projects.

 

Your language level

Linguistically, depending on the missions, it is possible to go with a beginner level, but we recommend at least an intermediate level to fully benefit from the social and cultural aspects of the mission. We can help participants improve their level, if necessary, with language courses on site or online courses before departure.

 

Your arrival

Upon arrival, volunteers and interns attend an orientation day before starting the project to learn best practices, risk management, what to do and avoid, and understand the project expectations. This allows them to start calmly and have a rewarding experience, even without prior experience.

 

Our advice to prepare your departure well

Over the past 5 years, we have sent more than 1000 students on humanitarian missions and internships, of all ages and backgrounds. All obstacles can be overcome; everything is possible!

 

• Worried about cultural differences? We prepare you as much as possible before departure with presentations, exchanges, and on site, you will be with young people who, like you, ventured alone… Everyone is in the same situation!
• Think you won’t cover all expenses? With a bit of anticipation and motivation, there are many ways to finance a humanitarian project.

 

A few tips from the team to start:

• Learn about the country’s culture before leaving to familiarize yourself with the local environment, respect customs, and ease your adaptation.
• Familiarize yourself with local arrangements and project descriptions to avoid unrealistic expectations or unpleasant surprises.
• Stay open and flexible. Humanitarian internships for students are full of surprises; sometimes you must accept changing conditions due to weather, social movements, etc.

 

Finally, there really is no reason not to start: each humanitarian internship for students is a unique experience that opens new perspectives, strengthens commitment, and prepares for a more responsible future.

So, will you contact us to prepare your internship?