Virtual Internships in Costa Rica

Why did you choose this program?

I was looking for an internship to fulfill my college program requirements. Because of COVID, there were no in-person internships available. Costa Rica Global Learning Programs held a virtual presentation at my school's career fair, and I was intrigued with the the idea of working for a business in another country and to work virtually. Both would be great additions to my resume.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Humber College, with Costa Rica Global Learning Programs, organized most of the application requirements, and gave students a comprehensive step-by-step application process. Students were given a list of companies in Costa Rica along with their profiles, a description of the internship and the types of tasks and projects students would be working on. Students were then asked to rank the companies in terms of interest.

Students had to record their own video interviews - even these interviews were very structured and easy to follow. For example, Students were given a link to the recording website, a couple of practice questions to record, and students had several attempts to record the actual interview questions. Once the interview was completed, the student and company were paired up, based on mutual interest.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

The idea of an internship can be intimidating, especially for someone who has had little experience in the job market. Remember to think of your internship as a safe place where you can be curious, ask questions, say "I don't know how to do this", and ask for help. Your mentors are there to guide you to becoming the professional you want to be. Remember to ask for periodic feedback during your internship. Be courageous!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

My internship was three days per week for eight weeks. At the beginning of each week, all interns had a morning meeting with our mentor (via Zoom) who provided us with a detailed project and task list for the week. We went over the assignments, and also discussed any meetings our mentor wanted us to shadow. We also held a meeting at the end of the week to present our completed projects and review ongoing work. Interns would also get together on our own (via Google Meet) to discuss group projects. We all worked on the same cloud-based programs and were able to see everyone's progress. It felt inclusive, the closest one could achieve to an in-person experience.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest concern was if I would be able to connect with my mentor and be able to work successfully for them. First, Costa Rica Global Learning Programs onboarding workshops were very useful - from understanding how to work virtually, learning about working for a company in Costa Rica and cultural differences, to time management. The onboarding workshops were very helpful.

Second, my mentor was organized and had set up the online programs and platforms to make working on projects an easy transition, and encouraged interns to ask questions and offer suggestions to improve our tasks. My mentor was open and made my internship experience positive and rewarding.

Having completed this virtual internship, I now have complete confidence to work remotely for a company anywhere!