Ashton | Hospitality & Tourism Internship at Absolute Internship

Ashton T.

Hospitality & Tourism InternshipAbsolute Internship|TokyoTokyo

Now studying English Literature/History at Auburn University

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Internship

Hospitality & TourismUnited StatesUnited States

Currently

English Literature/HistoryAuburn University

I worked with a sake brewery touring company and had a wonderful time assisting in the global awareness of this culturally significant beverage. I also spent a lot of time visiting historical sites and practicing my photography around both Tokyo and Osaka.

Ashton is a former student and verified Absolute Internship ambassador

Why Ashton chose this path

“I one day would like to live and work in Japan, and this was meant as a test for myself to see if that would work for me.”

How I got in

As above, I would one day like to live and work in Japan, and prior experience doing so is valued by companies in Japan.

Top tips for getting accepted

Go into it with an open schedule, try to fit as many things you can only do in your location as possible into you day to day.

Common mistakes to avoid

Gone a little further and explored a little more.

What Ashton wishes they knew

Things I wish I knew before starting

There wasn't much I missed with my research, but maybe some more of the variety of restaurants around where I was living.

The hardest part

Being away from my partner.

The best decision I made

Going with the host company I did, they were wonderful.

What it's actually like

A typical day

I would typically wake up around 8, get ready and head out. I would walk to the local train station and take a ride eight stops down to the station near my office. I would work for a while and then take a lunch, often with my direct supervisor who would show me around to different local spots that she liked to go. I would come back and finish whatever I had done in the morning, and when I was off work I would go and do my own thing around the city, whether that be walking to Akihabara or finding somewhere new to take pictures, before heading back to the hotel and turning in.

Topics Ashton can help with

Remote WorkingCareer DevelopmentWorkplace CultureIndustry SkillsWork-Life BalanceInterview PrepDay-to-Day Life

Questions students ask Ashton

What is it like working with a language barrier?
I actually have about a year's worth of experience with learning Japanese, which got me very far in my day to day, though with Japan specifically, one could probably still have a lot of success with little to no knowledge of Japanese, as many there know at least some English.
How did you land your internship - what did the application process involve?
With my company specifically, I expressed my love for Japanese culture and by extension sake, which was something that endeared me right away, as this company was a small one with a very passionate group of people calling the shots.
What skills do you wish you had before starting that you'd tell others to prepare?
As I did a good amount of translation, knowing the other half of it, that being localization or the adaptation of the meaning of one language into another beyond just literal definition, I would say that knowing more about just that would have been handy during my time there.

Ready to ask Ashton a question?

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