International Internships in Madrid with The Intern Group

Thinking back to when I secured and Internship with the InternGroup Madrid I had 1 primary concern, which I am sure resonates with others in my position. However they were quickly laid to rest as I will explain below:-

I do not speak ANY Spanish

Not only did i not speak any Spanish before I started my Internship in Madrid, i also have (so i have been told) and aptitude for NOT learning languages. I was therefore concerned I would not be able to contribute in professional or social situations at all!!

I would like to reassure students that are/were like me!! the Intern Group do a fantastic job at placing you within companies where you will be most effective-this also means in companies with a compatible language level to yourselves. If you have a high level of knowledge in the Spanish language you will be placed in a predominantly Spanish speaking environment.However, if you are like me the Intern Group will place you in a company where the main language is English, this way you are able to learn Spanish but work and be effective in English!!

As for the social environment, do not worry!! All interns speak English at a decent level. You will be living with either other English speaking Interns or university students wanting to speak in English. The Intern Group also puts a huge amount of effort into organizing and maintaining a diverse range of social activities. You will never feel at a disadvantage for not knowing Spanish!!

And hey, despite my apparently best efforts to speak English the entire five months i was there- i came away with a basic grounding in Spanish! Just think if I actually made an effort i may be fluent!!

I hope you enjoy the experience as much as me; Madrid is a captivating city (honestly you fall in love and never want to leave) & the internship with the Intern Group has for me personally been a life changer!!

When I first decided to take part in the Intern Madrid program one of the things I was most worried about was the price I was paying. It's a pretty hefty sum. However after completing a two month program I can say that I definitely got my money's worth and here's why.

1. Support system
For anyone who hasn't spent a lot of time overseas, Intern Madrid really looks out for you. If you have any problems at all, Thalassa and Christina will do their best to help you out. This includes everything from fixing kitchen appliances to good restaurants to eat at to questions about your workplace. And for anyone who likes to be more independent and do your own thing, they don't hover and cramp your style. It's really down to your own personal preference.

2. Everything is organised for you
You could probably sort out your own internship, accommodation etc. yourself but that takes ALOT of planning and is quite stressful. Intern Madrid takes care of all the hassle. For example, I had a international student in my flat who had to sort out their own metro card which required them to telephone to make an appointment and then go in to fill out the forms. Intern Madrid had my metro card for me when I stepped out of the airport.

3. Social scene
When you arrive in Madrid, you instantly have a group of people to figure things out with. Everyone is pretty like-minded and for me, the people I met are one of the reasons why I enjoyed my time with Intern Madrid so much. Also the included activities really help you to get to know the others in your group.

4. Overall growth
I think with everything, it is what you make it. Put yourself out there, try new things and your experience will be that much richer. Sure, you may come across some things that you aren't 100% happy with but talk to Thalassa or Christina and they honestly do everything they can to help you out. I have grown so much as a person and that isn't something I can put a price on.

I will definitely be recommending Intern Madrid to anyone considering to do it!

Intern Madrid is a terrific springboard into a summer of exploration and professional experience. Like any extended time abroad, you will find yourself falling in love with a foreign place and all of its hidden gems. From orientation to airport pickup to consistent and reliable contact, Intern Madrid has your back. Led by the wonderful Thalassa, the program is tightly run and structured. I leave with nothing but good memories --which, in Spain, are hard not to make!

But, as is the case with any summer program for pre-professionals, there are flaws. These misgivings (some bigger than others) weren’t enough to keep me from enjoying my time there, but they are worth noting. The first and most upsetting part of the program is it’s tremendous lack of transparency. With such a large price tag, one would expect the program to include a breakdown of prices from the get-go (i.e. x amount for housing, x amount for placement, x amount for included activities, etc.). Instead you are hounded to pay a fixed price from the moment your first interview is over--a price that, shockingly, doesn’t include what you need most: food, insurance, and travel costs. Instead it covers a mysterious placement fee and a housing fee, which, if you compare with the Aluni housing provider website or any Airbnb, is notably overpriced. Tip: save money by booking your own housing and find a roommate on the Facebook group.

During the early course of your experience you will receive more emails asking for money than you will about details regarding your internship. I find this problematic! It can easily feel as though Intern Madrid is more concerned about the bill than about your experience. Thalassa and Christina help wane this feeling with their energy and kindness, but money details still prevail.

Second, the “included activities” are surface-level at best. Skip the cattle-call trip to Toledo and go on your own or with a friend. On the organized trip you are required to stay with a tour group that spends more time in gift shops than it does in the city. In addition, Intern Madrid urges you to attend the “professional development” workshops if you’re “serious about your career insights” (but they schedule these workshops during your workday, which is ironic given we are here because we are serious about work.) Again–best to skip this workshop and enjoy another day of work (which you are technically paying much more for!). Flamenco night, however, is by far the best organized activity. Highly recommended!

If you make the most of it, a summer with Intern Madrid is a summer you won’t forget. Given you like your internship and your roommates, and go into the program with healthy expectations and an attitude of exploration--you’re set. That being said, the price tag is high,and seeing as Intern Madrid doesn’t offer financial aid, the group’s diversity suffers.

If Intern Madrid were more transparent and more generous, they would have my recommendation. Until then, they have plenty of room to grow.

Choosing to do my internship with the Intern Group was hands down one of the best decisions I have made in my life. From start to end, every contact I dealt with in the Intern Group reassured me that I had made the right decision choosing them to find me an Architecture Internship.

I chose to intern in Madrid as I had previously grown up in the UK and wanted to have the opportunity to travel back to Oxford, refresh my memory of places I had once been to, and discover other parts of Europe at the same time.

It was the first time I was travelling across the other side of the world by myself and I was absolutely nervous and excited at the same time. Of course, typical me got my dates mixed up as to when I was meant to arrive in Madrid due to the time difference. Which sent the lovable Madrid Program Director Thalassa in a panic, even causing her to post on my Facebook wall calling on family and friends to help with my whereabouts. Nevertheless, I got there in the end, with a driver waiting at the gates ready to drive me to my new home for the next two months.

The overall experience was one that can only really be understood by going on the internship and experiencing it for yourself. Being on the other side of the world, in a foreign country where I neither spoke nor understood Spanish, it challenged me in ways I never thought was possible and definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I learnt how to trust my instincts and realized just how friendly Madrilenos were.

Coming from Melbourne, - where everyone leaves their bag hanging open on the train, loosely carrying their wallet or their phone in their hand while shopping, or mindlessly being engrossed in their shopping as their shoulder bag hangs unprotected - it was a huge eye opener to me as to how on guard you had to be with your belongings when walking in the streets of Madrid. It's not to say that Madrid is not a safe country. In all honesty, once I'd gotten used to my surroundings, it was hands down one of the safest countries I had ever been in. As Thalassa had reassured me many times before I'd left Australia, every corner, bend or area was brightly lit in Madrid with police officers always on the lookout.

Whatever it is, it is probably a good idea to learn to read a map so you're not freaking out thinking you're lost and get yourself even more lost when really, you were only a corner away from your apartment (yes, that was me on many occasions). Definitely check up on the weather before heading to the country of your choice. Don't make the mistake I made of coming to Europe in the Winter, with minimal clothing because I had the mindset of "oh, how cold can it possibly be?". I was lucky the shops were still open when I arrived at 6pm and had a housemate more than willing to take me out to get some warm essentials.

I am someone who used to say that "I would never travel alone" because having my closest friends around me to enjoy every moment is crucial to me. I look back and realize how silly I sounded in saying that because some of my closest friends to date, are the ones I met on the program and went travelling to other countries with. Homesickness did kick in every now and then but it wasn't anything that everyone on the program hadn't previously gone through; so it was just a matter of helping each other move past it.

The best advice I can give to those looking or wanting to apply, is to throw yourself out there. Force yourself out of your comfort zone and give yourself a chance. Don't hold yourself back because you're scared of being alone. You may feel alone but all you need is to open your mind up, look up, and realize that you're surrounded by some of the greatest and friendliest people on this earth (program staff included).

The 4-month internship experience I had in a financial advisory firm enabled me to understand certain concepts in the financial market that were relevant to my course.

Reading the financial times everyday and discussing it in the office while being tasked to do research papers on prospective investments for the firm, aided me to grasp and understand more how certain events affected specific financial markets (bonds, equity, pooled funds).

The daily tasks I encountered to compose a research paper was a challenge in itself as I had to learn how to 1) be more adept with excel, 2)coherent in organizing my thoughts and information I read to a paper, and 3) being able to present and explain what was written. I learned and enjoyed the whole process, and finishing three papers was indeed fulfilling.

Choosing to participate in Intern Madrid was a great decision. Once I was accepted into the program, I was able to communicate with Christina, one of the program coordinators, and she was always available to answer any questions I had about the Intern Madrid process.

As soon as I arrived at the airport there was a driver ready to pick me up, bring me to my apartment and give me the welcome packet. This feature made me feel at ease right away. My apartment was very nice - right in the heart of the city and just a short walk to the metro. There were many options for restaurants and shopping and I was so close to Retiro Park which was great! I really bonded with the other participants in the program and we still keep in touch! My internship was good as well. I worked for a marketing company and everyone in the office was very welcoming and friendly. I was a little nervous about not being able to speak the language fluently, but I was able to work in English, use a translator tool and improve my Spanish by speaking with coworkers and friends.

I also really appreciate the hard work and dedication displayed by the program coordinators - Christina, Thalassa, Olga - you ladies made my experience what it was and I can't thank you enough for your involvement and support!

Additionally, I liked the structure of the program - having pre-planned included events in conjunction with an internship was the perfect set up for me. I always attended tapas night on Friday - it was a great way to meet the other participants and create lasting friendships.

Madrid is a beautiful city; so full of life and culture, and you're guaranteed to have an amazing time! I was in Madrid for two months and they were two of the best months of my life! I highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a great internship and an awesome experience! :)

I would definitely recommend the Intern Madrid Programme to everyone. At first I was hesitant at the idea of paying for an internship, however Intern Madrid found me an amazing internship with a start up where I gained so much experience and given much more responsibility than any internship I could have found on my own.

Any issues, from a broken blind to falling ill, the team are there for you 100%

The other interns were welcoming and friendly and we still keep in touch.

Madrid itself is a vibrant, entertaining and friendly city - I plan to return as soon as possible!

Wishing to learn Spanish, I was signed up to go to Mexico as a part of a study abroad through my school when I came across the Intern Group. The thought of going to Madrid appealed to me because not only would I be able to study abroad and learn Spanish, but I could potentially get valuable internship experience as well.

I was put in contact with Thalassa and within a few weeks of communicating back and forth she informed me I had a Skype interview with Grant Thornton. Here in the US, Grant Thornton is a highly sought after accounting firm that is currently ranked 5th on a list of the top 100 accounting firms in the US so naturally I was both surprised and exciting to hear that I could potentially be working here while interning in Madrid. A few weeks after the interview Thalassa told me they had offered me the position, and naturally I accepted.

From the moment I arrived in Madrid, the Intern Group team made me feel both welcome and excited to be in Madrid and see all it had to offer. Within the first few group outings Thalassa and I both discovered we shared a love for hamburgers and over the next few days she continually sent me lists of places I should try in order to start my side journey to find the best one in Madrid. This is just a brief example of the things the people apart of the Intern Group team did to make each person’s experience that much more personal. When I arrived I was quickly welcomed by the other interns who were able to show me the ropes on what to see and do in Madrid, and later once they completed their stay and other interns arrived I found myself as the perceived veteran and was able to do the same thing for them. It was really interesting meeting people from different places all over the world and talking and comparing and contrasting both our everyday lives from our respective home countries and the differences between our home country and Madrid.

Though personally I never had any problems arise while in Madrid along with most other interns there, the few unforeseeable dilemmas that arose the Intern Group was there to handle in the timely manner I would say there was definitely never a big problem or conflict. At work, I was given both tasks that related to what I planned to do further in my career and the freedom of not having someone always breathing down your neck and letting you work at your own pace. My colleagues were rather friendly and I truly enjoyed the internship aspect of Madrid. Once I returned home I quickly was offered another competitive, highly paid internship that I am currently completing while I finish school and I definitely think I was both considered for the initial interview and offered the position because of my internship abroad in Madrid.

Being home for several months now I frequently find myself missing Madrid and the time I spent there. I am still in contact with people apart the Intern Group team, other interns that were there with me, and even other friends I met while in Madrid. If you are looking for something that will not only provide with valuable internship experience, but an opportunity to see an amazing city and have a wonderful experience I would highly recommend this program.