Published in the West Bloomfield, Patch.

For some young people living through the global recession, looking for work doesn’t stop at the airport gates. Ariel Disner, 22, graduated from Michigan State University in spring 2011, but had a difficult time finding work using her business administration/pre-law Bachelor’s degree. When the opportunity arose for her to intern in Israel, Disner said, she couldn’t pass it up.

Disner is Jewish, a a 2007 graduate of Birmingham Groves High who had participated in the Birthright Israel tour program which allows American Jewish youth an all-expenses paid vacation in Israel. However, immersed in her new culture in Tel Aviv, Disner shared that her internship was a far different from any vacation.

1. What are your impressions of working in Tel Aviv compared with taking a tour?

Prior to my internship in Tel Aviv, I had only been to Israel once before on Birthright and wow, was my experience different. Don’t get me wrong, Birthright was an amazing experience, but it by went so fast. Covering all of Israel in just 10 days, my time in Tel Aviv was slim. We of course went to the beach and saw the major tourist spots, but something was missing. After I graduated from Michigan State University, I was lost. Not sure what to do I decided to sign up for Career Israel, a five-month internship program. Living in Israel was truly amazing. Unlike a tour, I got to experience work, culture and religion through Israeli eyes while making lifelong friendships.

2. What do you hope to get from this experience?

I feel my experience abroad will look outstanding on my resume as opposed to staying at home and working. From experience, employers love hearing about the time I spent abroad and want to know if I can bring that international experience back home. By interning in Israel, while simultaneously learning to navigate the culture and learn Hebrew, employers are impressed with the fact that I can immerse myself successfully in another country. In my opinion, any college grad can score an internship, but by interning abroad I often go to the top of a company’s competitive list.  Read more here.

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