Without the International Engineering Program, it would have been very difficult for me to get that job. It gave me an opportunity to study how the Japanese operate both in business and socially. This is an important attribute when operating in a global market. I studied quite extensively the business tactics, idiosyncrasies and laws that should be followed when dealing with the Japanese. While I was in Japan, I was able to put these methods into use.
Considerable commitment is needed to maintain an international co-op program.
There is tremendous benefit in completing an international internship. The sponsorship of a company, like NKK Corporation in Kawasaki, provides IEP students with excellent exposure to engineering and business environments. Such organizations have graciously welcomed students to their culture. Living and working in a foreign country for five months is an exposure for more educational that traveling as a tourist. It is easy to critically compare other cultures to your own, but when you personally visit and immerse yourself in a foreign society, only then can you come to appreciate it on its own merit.