Learning, Growth and New Ideas Through Our International Internships

New Horizons – Why We Welcome Interns
At YOUNEEDS Co., Ltd. (“YOUNEEDS”), we believe that fostering the growth of future international marketing professionals is a key part of our mission as a Japanese market entry company. For this reason, we occasionally welcome interns from overseas to participate in our YOUNEEDS International Internships. This initiative helps our team gain fresh perspectives on international markets, while providing our interns with hands-on experience which they can leverage in their future careers. In summer 2024, we were delighted to host two interns from the United States, Tyga and Elaine. The internship gave us a wonderful opportunity to expand the knowledge of our team in Japan, while supporting the career development of our interns.
We aim for our internships to be a mutually beneficial experience. We design content that aligns with our commitment to global collaboration, as well as the interests and strengths of our interns. Interns have the chance to communicate ideas, lead projects and make marketing presentations to our clients. This initiative not only helps them develop their skills but also helps us gain fresh insights into market trends that benefit our clients. In this blog post, our Editorial team looks at what an internship at YOUNEEDS involves, as well as how Tokyo-based companies can support us in this initiative.
Responsibility and Experience – Work Content During The Internships
Our American interns, Tyga and Elaine, joined us in July and August, 2024. Internship in Japan and ICC Consultants worked with us to arrange their internship, smoothing the matching and arrival process for both YOUNEEDS and our interns. We were excited to learn that the interns were studying marketing, including classes in subjects such as Japanese language and business culture, aligning their interests closely with YOUNEEDS.
During their internship, Tyga and Elaine worked on several key projects. These included marketing research for existing Japanese clients, online marketing strategies for prospective clients, and an internal project to refresh YOUNEEDS’ website and social media presence. To ensure their learning experience was as hands-on as possible, we provided them with autonomy to manage their assignments independently, supplemented by two in-person feedback sessions weekly.
With support available from a YOUNEEDS mentor as needed, they had the freedom to exercise their creativity while working on real business challenges relevant to our marketing specialism. We also aim to include interns in business meetings with our clients and partners, giving them an understanding of real business operations at YOUNEEDS.
Autonomy and Self-Determination
In our internships, we encourage our interns to think for themselves and approach problems with confidence. We always ensure that our internship content aligns well with the skills and interests of the interns, and empower them to take the initiative. For this reason, we encourage interns to manage projects themselves, with guidance available from our team as need-be.
On a day-to-day basis, our interns help with internal and client-facing projects. While work content changes depending on our priorities for the month, content will generally focus on marketing and promotion. We usually encourage the use of Microsoft Office, Slack, Canva and other key software. We find that this approach gives interns the freedom to apply their skills and knowledge, while also benefiting our team by moving projects forward while providing new approaches to our work.
A Cultural Experience – Exploring Japan During Time Off
In their free time, interns are able to explore Tokyo and further afield as they see fit. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to immerse themselves in Japanese culture. We firmly believe that exploring Japan is one of the best ways to understand the Japanese market. During this International Internship, our interns visited the ancient Japanese capital of Kamakura and even explored the streets of Asakusa wearing Japanese traditional Yukata. We are certain that these cultural experiences made for fantastic memories during their time with us.

Meeting Our Clients – Presenting for YOUNEEDS
Our goal is for interns to take ownership of their work, while encouraging them to develop interpersonal skills and confidence in business situations. We were therefore keen for our American interns to present their ideas directly to our partners. For Tyga and Elaine, their work for YOUNEEDS culminated in a presentation to our partner firm, Shachihata. With a history stretching over 100 years in Japan, Shachihata is a well-established industrial arts company. The chance to participate in business negotiations and present for a Japanese company is an invaluable experience which is sure to benefit our interns greatly.
While we know it can be intimidating to attend business meetings as a young person, especially in a culture other than your own, we were impressed with our interns’ abilities to articulate their ideas to a professional audience, a skill that is invaluable in any future career. This direct client interaction is one of the highlights of our internship program, as it allows interns to step into the shoes of a professional marketer, with real stakes and direct feedback. For this reason, meeting our clients and domestic partners is one of the most important parts of our International Internship program.
Looking To The Future – Support Our Internship Initiative
As we enter fall of 2024, we are excited to announce the continuation of our International Internship Program. This time, we are looking forward to welcoming two marketing students from Australia in November. We are excited to hear their ideas and share our enthusiasm for Japan market entry strategy with them. To give our interns the best reception possible, we are reaching out to companies in Tokyo that may be interested in providing an opportunity for our interns to present their marketing ideas in person. While many internships involve assisting with internal tasks, we want to give our interns something more meaningful—a chance to lead and present, in-person.
If you are affiliated with a company in Tokyo and are willing to provide a warm, friendly audience for our interns’ marketing proposals, we want to hear from you. This is a chance to help the international marketing professionals of the future lead, grow, and make an impact. We believe the experience of meeting young marketing and business students from abroad will also benefit your team in Japan, providing fresh insight and the chance for discussion.
In Conclusion
Hosting international interns is a key way in which YOUNEEDS contributes to the growth of young talent in international marketing. We are proud to support young marketing and international business professionals as they embark on their careers, and we are always looking for opportunities to improve their experience. We wish Tyga and Elaine all the best in their future endeavors!
As ever, our team at YOUNEEDS is ready and waiting to help foreign companies enter the Japanese market. For a quote or a casual discussion of how our business can help you, please contact us here or via our LinkedIn.
