In Israel, it can be a challenge to find a stable job, straight off the plane. Whether you’ve made Aliyah or are here on a B/1 Work Visa, you need to start somewhere. So why not consider an internship?

Internships in many other places can consist of coffee runs and just answering phones. But in Israel, the Start Up Nation, you are treated as an equal employee right off the bat. You could be launched into bizdev, software research and development, or biomedical market research on your first day!

An internship gives you a sneak peak into a specific industry. Worst case, you hate your internship. But is that really the worst case? I firmly believe that even a less-than-desirable internship is a wonderful learning experience, not just to know what you do and don’t like, but to teach you your worth and invaluable lessons about the workplace.

Best case scenario, you love your internship. You love the industry, you love the work, and you love the office culture and your coworkers. You learn something new every single day, and rise to the challenge in ways you never thought possible. The company has given you your own project? Run with it! Show them what you're made of! And at the end of the internship journey, they may very well offer you a full-time position. In which case, it has definitely paid off.

And if you are just doing an internship and then returning to your homeland, the lessons you learned at your Israeli internship are invaluable. If nothing else, you grew as an individual and will have so much more life experience when you return to your native workforce. That cultural experience will give you an edge when you interview for jobs, if you know how to portray it correctly. Masa Israel Journey has published a great blog about "4 Ways to Portray Your Israeli Internship in an Interview" that you should definitely check out, if that is the case.

Although the title "Intern" denotes being a temporary business unit in the organization, don’t let that stop you from owning your daily responsibilities and showing the company what you are made of. Now is your time to shine! And just as the Start Up Nation had to begin somewhere, this is your start!