CALL: +34 96 315 57 02
FOLLOW US:
Top

How to choose the right internship abroad

 

A fantastic way to improve your chances of finding a good employment after completing your degree is to participate in an internship abroad during your university or school years. You can gain hands-on experience in your chosen field, significantly increase your networking contacts, and learn about corporate cultures and professional working environments.

 

When choosing an internship you must determine for yourself what you expect to gain from it. Are you looking for general industry knowledge or are you focusing on a specific skill set? Are you only looking for course credit or actually want to experience how a company in a specific sector operates overseas? Additionally, you should ask when narrowing your research if local language is a requirement? Or, is the company located in a nice sunny Mediterranean city or is it in the middle of nowhere?

Finding the right internship is no easy feat.

 

Corporate or SMEs

Deciding whether to intern at a large corporation or a smaller enterprise isn’t easy – there are pros and cons to both. A big company comes with name brand recognition but they can be much more competitive, and interns usually struggle to interact with the higher-level executives who they can absorb wisdom from.

On the other hand, if you choose a small company you will typically get a feel of how the organization operates overall, and be able to learn from different people and departments. You won’t get the name brand recognition but you will gain a more hands-on learning experience.

At the company

Dress professionally, according to the sector and the company culture. Show up on time, don’t go out until late during the week and definitely don’t go drunk or hangover to work, it could mean the end of your internship. Accept any assignment given to you, even if you think you are not ready, it may be a test to see how you cope in challenging situations. Meet with your supervisor at the beginning of the internship, set some goals, ask him/her what they expect from you and how the internship will evolve. And remember, always do your best work.

Determine which aspects are the most important to you, and which are flexible. Weigh the criteria against the potential internship and you will be able to make a better decision when choosing your internship abroad.

Check the available sectors and internships – contact us and start planning your internship abroad in Spain.

Post a Comment