What makes interning in Marbella/San Pedro a unique experience for participants?
Esther: The Adelante Abroad program is a complete program in that it unites various important experiences into one: on one side there is the language and cultural immersion, that simply cannot happen in a classroom. On another side there is the day to day living, not visiting, for a minimum of two months, with other students or other Spanish nationals in real housing (nor dorms!) in Spain. On still another side, of course, there is the work experience in the labor market in Spain. This last piece gives candidates a unique perspective of the similarities and differences between working abroad and in their own country, that again, is impossible to learn in a classroom setting alone.
What can you tell us about the workplace culture in Marbella/San Pedro?
Esther: Given that the period of the internship is often times 2 – 3 months, participating companies in Spain don’t expect or demand of our students an intense labor output. Rather, there is an assumption of inclusion, that the student will contribute creatively each day. The host companies we use tend to have an open corporate culture and are interested in what a foreign student brings to the table, including innovative ideas or ways to finish a task as well as recent technology, and more – it is enriching to both the intern and the company.
What level of Spanish proficiency should interns have when considering this internship? Is prior work experience required?
Esther: We will accept candidates of all language levels, but it is clear that those who arrive to the program having a conversational level of Spanish will be more able to begin and finish a larger variety of work duties in their Spanish corporation or company. Always included in our Internship programs is an intensive 40 hour language course and we focus there on integrating quickly, using street and formal / business Spanish and getting candidates up to speed for their first day of work.
It is not a requirement to have previous work experience in the field you wish to intern in, however it is very helpful to have had previous internships or some exposure, even in the form of coursework, to what you want to do while in Spain.
What are some extra-curricular activities participants enjoy while interning abroad in Marbella/San Pedro?
Esther: Adelante provides activities and excursions during the first two weeks of the program, and can include, depending on the time of year, weather and number of students, city tours, gastronomic routes, church and cathedral visits, tapas tours. We also facilitate events throughout the program that will have an extra cost and are totally voluntary such as trips to Toledo, Salamanca, Pamplona, Sevilla. What I find is that most, after the first 3 or 4 weeks, want to explore on their own or with others they have met rather than be “forced” to take a group tour.
What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering interning in Marbella/San Pedro?
Esther: My advice always is to come here with an open mind…this country is very different than yours and it is not wise to compare. Each situation has it’s reason for being, it’s why or it’s because, and the best thing is to discover these “why’s” and “because’s” for one’s self!
Anything else you would like to share?
Esther: In the South of Spain we love to receive students! We know that 80% of the success of an abroad experience depends on the way they approach life, but we want to contribute to that success and so really do receive with open arms: we want them to have an unforgettable Spanish life experience that stays with them for years and years to come.