Internships in Madrid - Adelante Abroad

Name: Internships in Madrid - Adelante Abroad
Brand: Adelante Abroad
SKU: 17172
Rating: 4.7 (73 reviews)

Read 73 reviews

4.70 Rating

Leave a Review

Location

Spain
- Madrid

Length

4 to 52 weeks

Industry

Accounting Advertising Architecture Arts Business Communications Culinary Arts Design Ecology Economics Education Engineering Fashion Design Film Finance Healthcare Hospitality International Business Journalism Law Marketing Media Relations Psychology Sports Science Tourism +15

Financial Support

Payment plans

Health & Safety

Learn More

View Other Details

Program Details

Compensation

Non-Monetary Benefits

Timeframe

Fall J-Term Maymester Spring Summer Winter Year Round

Housing

Apartment

Language

English

Weekly Hours

Age Min.

Pricing

Starting Price

3075

Price Details

This Adelante program includes a volunteer or internship placement in your sector of interest, airport pick up, housing in a private room in a shared apartment, 2 weeks of intensive Spanish classes, and 24/7 access to your local Program Director.

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare Meals

Last Updated: Aug 17, 2023

Last Reviewed: Jul 29, 2023

Wish List

91 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Madrid is the most developed international program in Adelante's arsenal of programs with over 250+ participating companies. Who stands to gain the most out of that? YOU.

Take advantage of a professional internship program that provides a solid work, cultural, & life experience. A wide array of internship fields are offered to meet your needs and accelerate your professional development. In addition, you'll receive two weeks of intensive Spanish language classes included in our program to help sharpen your language skills and prepare you for your internship!

If you can't find your field below, do not fret! Visit Adelante's site for a complete list of internship fields. We can seek out new companies and create a customized program for you.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity and set your sights on interning in Madrid!

Visit Site

Apply Now

Video and Photos

View All Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

At Adelante Abroad, we take pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive community for aspiring students seeking international internships and study abroad experiences. We are committed to providing equality and opportunity, as we firmly believe that every individual, regardless of their background, deserves the chance to embark on a transformative journey. Through our specialized biopic program, we actively encourage and support students from all walks of life to participate without discrimination. We understand the importance of nurturing emerging talents, and our program stands as a testament to our dedication to providing an enriching, empowering, and unbiased platform for students to thrive and make their mark on the global stage.

LGBTQIA+ Support

At Adelante Abroad, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all students, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We wholeheartedly encourage and support LGBTQIA+ students to participate without fear of discrimination. We recognize the unique challenges that LGBTQIA+ individuals may face, and we are determined to provide a safe and empowering environment for them to embark on their international internship and study abroad journeys. With a focus on celebrating individuality and fostering growth, our program stands as a beacon of acceptance, ensuring that all students can thrive, learn, and contribute meaningfully to the global community.

Accessibility Support

Adelante Abroad is committed to offering comprehensive accessibility support for participants with physical disabilities and/or chroni conditions. While our foremost goal is to provide optimal conditions for all participants, there may be instances where certain program country locations pose challenges to full accessibility. Despite these limitations, we continually strive to ensure that all individuals can benefit from our programs to the best of our abilities.

Impact

Sustainability

At Adelante Abroad, we are driven by a vision of sustainability that goes beyond mere neutrality. Our commitment is to create programs and business practices that generate a net positive impact on the world. By striving to tip the scales towards positive outcomes, we seek to ensure that any potential negative effects are outweighed by the overall benefit we bring to the individuals, communities, and environments we engage with, aligning our efforts to leave a lasting, positive legacy.

Ethical Impact

At Adelante Abroad, our ethical impact programming is thoughtfully designed to harmonize student experiences with the well-being of our host communities and the environment. We meticulously assess the social and environmental implications of our programs, ensuring a balanced approach that maximizes positive outcomes for both our students and the communities they engage with. By fostering meaningful connections, minimizing environmental footprints, and prioritizing sustainable practices, we aim to create lasting benefits for host communities, safeguard our planet's resources, and preserve the integrity of the experiences we offer for generations to come.

Program Highlights

Flexibility: Our programs start the 1st Monday of every month with year round start dates. Choose to intern anywhere from 1-6 months.
Centralized Housing: You'll have your own private room in a shared apartment close to shopping, public transportation, and nightlife.
Tailored Internship: Gain solid international career experience by interning in a locally owned Spanish company or an international corporation with offices in Madrid's cultural and economic hub!
Local Staff: Our programs are meant for the independent traveler and are not group-focused. Our on-site staff in Madrid and the US are available throughout your program, and you can truly immerse yourself in the culture however you wish.
Economical Pricing: We are budget friendly! Do your research; nearly all other programs are at least DOUBLE the price. Not to mention, housing is included in our program price. You'll have your own private room in a shared apartment.

Popular Programs

Internships in Barcelona

Adelante provides unique internship placements in the cultural hotspot of Barcelona. Over 30 sectors available, including medical, media, architecture, sports recreation, and more. All internships include two weeks of intensive Spanish language courses to prepare you for your program.

Program Reviews

4.70 Rating

based on 73 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Intern

5 rating 76.71%
4 rating 20.55%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 1.37%
1 rating 1.37%

Growth 4.45
Support 4.5
Fun 4.55
Housing 4.45
Safety 4.85

Good for Students, Solo Travelers, Building your resume

Showing 25 - 32 of 73 reviews

First off, I’m glad I made this decision; the decision to move to Madrid, expand my knowledge of their cultural lifestyle, building bonds with the locals and the other Adelante members, interning and working with great people, and overall living out a life changing experience, Adelante made all of this possible and I can’t thank them enough. Adelante does a great job of making this transition a very smooth one. They constantly check up to see how everything is and update you on local events that may occur. I have no legitimate complaint about living in Madrid. The food is amazing, the locals are friendly, and everything is extremely accessible andconvinient. My internship consisted of training kids aged between 10-15 for basketball development while also assisting different coaches. Within that first week the whole staff made me feel as a part of the team. I highly recommend Adelante 100%, and I ask that anyone hesitating to go with this program to just go ahead and do it. I promise you will not regret it.

This summer I was in Madrid for my one-month internship, working at an English summer day camp for children aged 4-16. My experience in Madrid was a very positive one!

In terms of accommodation, the apartment was nice and considering there were 6 people living there it was actually surprisingly spacious! I didn't get to meet a lot of my flatmates because we all had internships during the day, and other things to do so we didn't see each other that often (and I was also only there for one month), but the people I met were great and I'm planning to see them in the future! The apartment was also right in the centre, in Sol, so getting both to the Eureka Spanish Academy and work (and even the airport!) was very straightforward and the metro in Madrid works amazingly. Overall, the apartment gave me the freedom of my own room with the possibility of still socialising with others which is the perfect mix!

The classes offered at Eureka were one of the highlights of my trip! The teachers were absolutely phenomenal and in such a short space of time, my Spanish improved significantly! The people attending the classes changed more or less every week, with new people arriving and others leaving from all across the globe. It was wonderful meeting all of those people and it was sad when we had to say our goodbyes.

As for my internship, being there for one month, I only had the option to teach English, which isn't related to my future career plans per se but was none the less a magnificent experience! It was my first time ever interning, and I was also in a foreign country, but the company I worked with was fantastic! The staff were very welcoming and friendly, and by the end of the first week I had already gotten the hang of how the day camp was run. The children were adorable and they definitely put a smile on my face that I carried with me for the rest of the day! Though I was nervous at first, the final experience was 100% worth it!

As for the city, well Madrid is just beautiful! It can't be expressed it words really, you simply have to try it out for yourself!

What would you improve about this program?

If there is anything that could be improved it would be the one-month option of teaching English. It would have been better if I had gotten a chance to do something related to my future career choice but I understand that for just one month it is hard to find an internship, especially if, like in my case, I hadn't had any previous working experience.

A paid-for taxi for the return flight would have been nice, as there is a paid for one on arrival, but the metro worked fine nonetheless.

Lastly, the program is a bit on the expensive side, especially for an internship seeing as you're not getting paid, but for what the program offered I can understand that the money went to good use. It's just that a little cheaper would have been better.

Response from Adelante Abroad

Hi Marta! Thank you so much for your review. We are happy to hear that you had a wonderful time in Madrid. Yes, although we do offer the 1-month internship for Teaching English only, we do encourage our candidates to intern abroad for longer because most companies prefer to have interns for more than a couple of weeks. Staying abroad for 2 months or more is ideal for our candidates to gain experience related to their career as well as gaining more fluency in Spanish.

You mentioned the pricing as really the only negative here; all of our pricing is upfront on our website with no hidden fees, so it's really easy to shop and compare and see that we're the most economical in the market.

On top of our affordable pricing, we give our Alumni candidates a considerable discount when they return for a second internship with us. Perhaps that will be an option for you in the future when you are able to participate a little longer.

We have new data that shows as you "unpack" your experience, you have learned more than you realize and have gained an international skill set not possible if you hadn't ventured abroad with us. Check out the new "Guided Reflection Exercises" section on our website. Thank you once again for leaving such a great review. Good luck in all future endeavors - Team Adelante!

By Allison Munder on October 9, 2017

I chose to enroll in this program because I knew the value of having international experience in a field (law) I that I plan to enter all while improving my Spanish skills. Personally speaking, Madrid was the ideal place to pursue an internship because I had already traveled there before with my family and I was confident enough in my Spanish speaking abilities to work in a zero English environment. I hit the jackpot with my job placement and boss as he was one of the most friendly and hospitable people I've ever met. We never seemed to have issues communicating with one another and I can say that I learned a good deal from my internship that will certainly help me down the road.

What would you improve about this program?

What would have been an otherwise perfect 10/10 experience was unfortunately marred by one seemingly avoidable problem within the apartment. Before I explain, let me say that the apartment definitely had its pros, i.e. close proximity to the language school, centrally located near the Puerta del Sol, good size, clean bathroom and kitchen, etc. Now with all of that being said, a lack of one simple thing was never disclosed before agreeing to do this program: air conditioning.

Before you rush to judgement and think why I could not just simply accept things for what they were and deal with the heat, let me tell you that for my entire life I have lived in South Louisiana, a place where 100% humidity exists year round along with temperatures that typically stay in the 90's practically every season except winter. The stereotypes you hear are true: the vast majority is an uninhabitable swamp.

Let me be honest, Madrid in the summer is undeniably hot, and I was well aware of this coming in. In addition, A/C is not super common in Spain unlike the US. After a few nights trying to get a good night's sleep in what quite literally felt like someone's attic, I quickly realized that the one basic fan provided to me in my room simply was not going to cut it for my two month stay. I then began to start asking around on how to turn on the A/C units found in every room plugged into an outlet. First, I asked my apartment supervisor about it only to be told that they don't work and he revealed to me that Madrid is very hot in the summer. Okay, got it. My plan B was to email the Adelante supervisors, who I must say are extremely friendly and helpful people and do everything they can from a desk in California and for that, I do not mean this as a knock against them. It was then that they regretfully informed me that the A/C in the apartment never works but that was a good tradeoff for living in the middle of town. Had I known that this would be the case going in, I would have elected to live on the outskirts of town and with reliable A/C rather than where I was, without question.

One other tiny thing that was neglected was a sort of transportation back to the airport on the day that I left Madrid. I found this surprising due to that fact that Adelante does provide a pickup from the airport upon arrival, which was super convenient, yet I was told that I needed to figure out how to commute to the airport for myself on short notice.

Like I said, my experience with this program was overall a very positive one. I consider myself lucky to have had both a great boss and internship itself. I'm extremely grateful for those things and achieved my ultimate goal in the process of improving my Spanish. I realize that what this company does is not exactly easy and hiccups are bound to happen from time to time. I just wish the company would have been a little more up front about things like these before I pulled the trigger on this because quite honestly, a good night's sleep became a coveted luxury during my time there.

Response from Adelante Abroad

Davis, thanks for the great review. Your supervisor at the Law firm where you did your internship in Madrid wrote a very solid and glowing evaluation of your time with him also, so good job! About the heat: this summer was the hottest on record in Madrid since they have been recording weather. It was crazy. We do advise in the Pre-Departure Orientation materials that A/C is pretty rare in downtown Madrid, where our housing is. We also advise that airport pickup is included, and airport drop off at the end of the program is not. I know it is a lot of reading but this information is definitely included in there.
We offered to change housing for you and two others who really struggled, like locals and visitors alike did, with the heat. We found another apartment, a bit farther out, but with A/C. No one moved! I think a combo of the temperatures lowering and the location made people stay put? Not sure, but when we heard from a few of you that it was unbearable we did secure another apartment. In hopes you use your Spanish every day now and thank you again for the 10/10 note in there (minus the heat!) Team Adelante

By Allison Munder on August 15, 2017

I initially got in contact with Adelante because of a lack of graduate student internships offered in my Master's program. When I heard that they had so many different types of internships, specifically a dedicated translation internship (I'm currently getting my M.S. in translation) I decided I had to take the leap and just go for it.

I had really wanted to live abroad again but wanted to experience Europe this time and on my own terms (I studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina during undergrad). Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, I would 100% come back here. Adelante took care of all the housing and internship placement which was SO nice. My apartment was much bigger than the apartment I have back home and it was in the perfect location.

Although I was initially hesitant about why I had to attend Spanish classes at the language school I was really glad the 2 weeks were required. The teachers were all really nice and just tried to get us talking while teaching us in a very practical manner.

I know from experience how hard it can be to find reputable international internships, I get it. Honestly, I got so lucky that I found Adelante. They did all the planning, apartment-hunting, interviewing and arrangements for me so that I could focus on just enjoying my experience. The internship was great, I learned so much and now I have something truly impressive to put on my resume when I get home. If you want a truly unique summer experience and a rigorous internship, Adelante is for you.

What would you improve about this program?

I think that the program could be improved with weekly or bi-weekly language classes included in the program fee. I would have loved to have kept going to some of the classes just to get some conversation hours in but unfortunately it was too expensive. Being able to opt-in to these classes would have been great.

Adelante Abroad was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I got amazing internship experience, improved my Spanish, and also made some great friends and connections abroad. Adelante provides support for you before and during your trip with anything you made need. I did a graphic design internship and was able to add a lot to my portfolio and work experience in general. There were also many opportunities to travel outside of working that really helped improve my experience. Spain is just amazing!

What would you improve about this program?

The only part of the experience I feel could be improved is the housing. Some of the other program apartments I saw were much nicer than ours, but ours had a lot of things that were broken like the air conditioner, oven, tv, etc. It could also overall be a little cleaner.

I had a great time in Madrid! I already speak Spanish so I was able to live with four girls (who were not on Adelante) from various countries and communicate entirely in Spanish (some of them didn't speak English at all). My internship shadowing Dr Enrique Rojas was wonderful and I learned so much about psychology and psychiatry. I sat in on most of Dr. Rojas' sessions, received lessons during free time, and even conducted a few one-on-one sessions with patients on my own. The social-life was also great, I fell in love with Madrid as a city and can't wait to go back as soon as possible!

As a side note (this is neither good nor bad): I wanted to be very independent on this program and I was able to be (especially because I was not housed in Adelante apartments). I lived abroad for almost half of my life growing up and have been to over 35 countries so I loved that, but I would caution others who might not feel as comfortable navigating a new city/language/culture to live in non-adelante housing because you receive a lot less support.

What would you improve about this program?

I can't think of any ways Adelante could be improved specifically. Perhaps providing more detailed info on what to do with keys etc when leaving the appartment, and an easier to navigate website.

I have to say that the internship set up was convenient and the application was easy enough to complete. The cost, in comparison to other abroad competitors, was quite affordable considering I was posted literally 400 feet from in the exact center of Madrid. I would do this again if there was another opportunity to do so. However, I immediately suggest that whoever is looking into this program to plan, at minimum, 6 months ahead to get all the requirements settled. After all, I ended up having more fun than expected. Every penny is worth it and the people I was with were nice enough to help me with anything I needed.

What would you improve about this program?

Longer program. Reduce costs in housing to compensate for tuition costs. Possibly change location to lower the cost of housing.

Loved this experience! Going abroad is something that is on everyone's bucket list, so why not learn something while you're at it? Adelante does a fantastic job providing a great experience abroad along with a great internship. The Spanish class that came with my program was a surprise but definitely my favorite part. The internship itself (medical) was great as well- very enlightening. The one suggestion I would give is to make sure to get a visa! Traveling in Europe is fairly affordable and with all the extra time you may have from work, it's worth it to get out and explore! I would do this program all over again!

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you decide to intern abroad with Adelante in Madrid?

Lexie: I just graduated college in May and was going into law school this fall and they had an internship in the legal field in Madrid so that was the perfect time and opportunity for me. I had already been to Madrid and am proficient in Spanish so I wanted to go back there over other options.

Parque Retiro pond with rowboats

What made this experience unique and special?

Lexie: I lived in a huge apartment with my own room with university students my age and had no host family so I was really independent. Also, I got to know my coworkers really well and converse with them in Spanish and see what they could teach me about the law and life. This experience was already beyond what I could have gained from say taking university classes abroad with students I may already know and be tempted to speak English with.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Lexie: This is the best thing I could put on my resume and the best summer of my life. I gained so many friends and contacts from the experience and maybe a possible job opportunity later on. I became more independent. It took my Spanish to a higher level.

What was the highlight of your experience?

Lexie: Thanks in part to my coworkers, I got to attend a few great events with locals that a tourist would never know about…I attended a Spanish-speaking theater production that a fellow coworker was a part of in Lavapies (a very non-tourist neighborhood of Madrid) Bernabeu stadium (Real Madrid stadium) for an after work party with cocktails and DJs.

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering interning abroad in Madrid?

Lexie: Save up your money and do it. No questions asked. Do whatever it takes to make it happen.

Sophie R.

Ian Fetterolf

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Antonio Pallares

Program

Internships in Madrid - Adelante Abroad

Job Title

Adelante Abroad Co-Directors in Madrid

Mr. Pallares is a retired Professor of Economics from a post graduate School of Business in Madrid. Part of his curriculum at the Polytechnic University was requiring that his Spanish students participate in external internships. Therefore, he has a deep and diverse list of companies in Madrid that are accustomed to receiving interns from him. During his 10 year long tenure with Adelante, he is constantly growing this list of companies to truly customize each candidate's program. Antonio is a very typical, traditional Madrileno, wearing a suit and tie most days and speaking fast and with lots of colloquialisms! He provides both professional and emotional support as needed, working primarily to ensure that our candidates really engage and enjoy their new life and time with us in Madrid.

What makes interning in Madrid a unique experience for participants?

Adelante Interns!

Antonio: This is the crown jewel of the Adelante Intern Abroad programs, the longest running and with the most participating companies and degree fields represented. Our team is seasoned – I am born and raised in Madrid and have been with Adelante for 10 years, the Director of Programs, for 13 years. What is unique is simple to answer: We treat the candidates with respect, professionalism and care.

What can you tell us about the workplace culture in Madrid?

Antonio: Interns will be given a good orientation to help them assimilate and there are definitely cultural differences! (For example, it is expected that you might arrive late some days, due to traffic or metro issues, and it is also expected that you will stay late some days if a project delays or there is more work to be done by a deadline.) There is a great desire to intern in corporations here as it has been proven that it is a “bridge” to full time work later on.

What level of Spanish proficiency should interns have when considering this internship?

Antonio: For shorter term programs (1 to 3 months): Low intermediate at very minimum, and use the first weeks in the included Intensive Spanish Language module to get to solid intermediate. For longer term programs, (5 to 6 months): A lower level is acceptable since the company knows that as time goes on your level will improve dramatically since you are living and working in Spain, using public transport, shopping, going to the bank, out at night, etc., it is automatic! Prior work experience is not required, however in some fields like engineering or law, that should be what the field of Studies is at university level.

What are some extra-curricular activities participants enjoy while interning in Madrid?

Antonio & Angel: Madrid is the epicenter and heart of Spain, so very easy to get most anywhere now. Viajes a Toledo, Segovia, Ávila y visitas a los museos de Madrid are some examples of included excursions and activities. City tours, tapas tours and the very popular Lunch with your Teacher – all take place during the first two weeks of the program, before the internship starts.

Tapas in Lavapies Madrid

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering interning abroad in Spain?

Antonio: That you are demanding of yourself during this time. That you focus your interest on things like punctuality, being a grand observer with questions always ready, that you are willing to do some small jobs to perfection knowing that this will earn your way to bigger projects later on & making an effort to become friends with and part of the team at your work assignment.

Anything else you would like to share?

Antonio & Angel: Madrid welcomes interns! It is a city of many cultures and thought processes, open to new and also loving the old. Interns that are the most successful are those that come to work, not just to vacation, and know the connection between the cost of this to them & their family and the value it can give them, if they do it right, for future work/career prospects.

Location

Location:

Madrid

Currency:

Euro

Weather:

Jan-Mar

61 F / 34 F

Apr-Jun

82 F / 43 F

Jul-Sep

90 F / 57 F

Oct-Dec

68 F / 37 F

Airports:

Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas

( MAD )

A world-class European capital city steeped in art, architecture, and history, Madrid is an affordable destination for students and tourists alike. Enjoy parks, museums, and bustling nightlife in this iconic Spanish city.

About Adelante Abroad

Internship, Volunteer, Semester & Summer Study Abroad Programs define Adelante Abroad's menu of offerings and expertise. Choose to intern overseas in Spain, Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, or Scotland. With year round start dates, Adelante is sure to provide a travel program that's right for you! Our affordable internship abroad programs include...