API Intern Group Reviews

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.

From the very beginning the Intern Hong Kong team was very professional and helpful. I have traveled a lot, studied my Masters degree abroad and attended numerous language courses across Europe, but my 6 weeks stay in Hong Kong was definitely one of the most comfortable trips i´ve ever made. The Intern HK took care of everything: visa, accommodation, networking events, so basically I was able to concentrate on work and exploring the city. Moreover, from my experience, I could say it actually makes a big difference when you have somebody local willing to help you 24 hours while living in a new country and facing a new culture. It was my first time in Asia, so of course, I was worried before coming to Hong Kong. When you don´t know enough about mentality and lifestyle it could be hard to get around. However, thanks to Intern HK I met so many friends from across the globe and got to visit so many places, so actually Hong Kong felt like a second home for me right from the start. By and large, I enjoyed every moment of my stay and learned a lot about Asian culture, people and business.

Hong Kong is an absolutely amazing city to do an internship at. This city actually never sleeps on any day of the week so the first couple of weeks before settling into the Hong Kong life I didn't sleep either as there is so much to do. All the interns are very friendly and the staff (Steph!!!!!) are really nice. Steph is great and everyone loves her (even her "interesting" dancing).
The actual internship was a great way to learn a lot of things in a very short time. Also its a great way to explore different jobs to see what you enjoy doing or not as you get to do all sorts of jobs that no one else in the company wants to do (I know I never want to do market research ever again). It was also nice working for a small company as you can actually see it progressing a lot over the short internship.

PS. Steph and Yiyan are great

Pros:

-GREAT STAFF: The 3 program directors had great personalities and were very helpful in all aspects of the program. Whether the issue involved the internship or personal life, they were often available.

-Exciting and new environment: By selecting the Dream Careers program I was able to live independently in a bustling and lively environment. The experience helped me learn how to properly adjust to living in a place I'm not familiar with, which is a skill I am confident that I will use for the rest of my life.

- Hard work ethic of the directors: During my time as an intern the head director/coordinator worked diligently to find an internship tailored for me. I wanted to work in Tourism (specifically tour guiding), which was something the director had not encountered before. However, because of his hard work I ended up WORKING (yes, I got paid) for a company that I truly LOVED

- Weekly sessions: One day each week all the interns gathered for an hour-long (sometimes more) meeting where we listened to the stories and advice from current professionals. Many of the speakers were very transparent and honest, which helped us find ourselves in them. In simple words, we were able to see that although we were potentially misguided at the time (as the speakers were during our age), we would find our way eventually.

-Personal concierge: EVERY WEEK we had the opportunity to discover a new event and/or restaurant in the city because of the Dream Careers staff. This made it easier to transition to living in the city.

Con

- You're taking a risk: This con deals primarily with the individual rather than the program. As with ANY internship experience interns are going out on a limb to find their career path; thus, you may NOT learn what job is right for you within the 2-3 months of the program.

I will admit I was a little hesitant about Intern Group, just by looking at the website it seemed too good to be true. I tried to look for a NYC internship on my own, and was not successful. My college career center recommended Intern Group to me, and that is when I knew I needed to check the website again. I am so glad I did, as a busy college student they took all the stress away for me. They helped me build my resume, found the perfect internship, and provided me with housing. The best part was being surrounded by other college students who were ambitious, and being around staff members that supported your wildest dreams. Before my summer with Intern Group I was terrified of life after college, but now I cannot wait to graduate and embark on my dream job in NYC.

I had an amazing time with the Intern Group. My internship as a photographer with the Resident was top notch, and provided me with extremely professional experience that is very applicable to my field. I was very satisfied with the amount of "real world" work I was doing around the office, out on jobs and etc.
Any difficulties I came across were more welcomed challenges than anything, such as tough commutes or long days. Everything I experience in London has helped me grow personally ans as a professional individual.
Never before has a summer changed my life in such a large way.

I arrived at NY University Hall after 16 hours of flying half way across the world, 1 hour in a local bus, 20 minutes in the hot subway and 6 blocks of walking with two huge suitcases in the baking sun. I though; what the hell did I get myself into this time, and then my sweet summer staff came to meet, greet and save me and my suitcases on 14th Street, and I knew my newest adventure was going to be fine.

I love traveling and experience new things, but an internship was, at the time, a whole new concept for me. Literately. I am not American and working an entire summer for the experience alone was new. But with the help of Dream Careers it would be easy to find an internship and a place to stay in NY, so I thought why not try it?

I did and I had an amazing experience! I worked long hours at my internship and spend a lot, if not all, my energy there during the week. However, I always made sure to join the program's seminars, workshops, events or hangouts or whatever we were doing. It was here I made all my friends and with them I created my best memories.

Throughout my summer I did a lot of self-discovery in regards to what I will do after college. The program gave me tools to use in the work place, how to stand out, do my job well and especially how to network my butt off. It even taught me how to deal with my, at times, very difficult boss. And for this, I will always be much better prepared for when I finish school and venture out into the work place.

But when I think back on my New York experience, I don't remember the days I spend at the office working, but rather the time me and my dream career friends and staff went to Central Park, or out to dinner, or even the Yankees Game (not a sports fan). The program, the friends I made and experiences I had are some of my best memories from New York.

My experience with Intern Group in LA was the best summer I have ever had! Firs of all, I was in my dream city of LA. I've always thought LA was the place that I wanted to end up in. But I had never lived there for an extended amount of time. This was the perfect way for me to get that experience and realize how much I love living in LA. I didn't want to spend a whole term away from college, so this was the perfect program for me so I could do it over summer. Second of all, I got to spend it with amazing people that I never would have met had I not joined the program. I still talk to my roommate from the program even months later. All the amazing people that joined the program are all just as enthusiastic and excited to be there as you. Third, I got to check out a job in my industry that I was curious about. It was great having an amazing internship experience and getting a glimpse into what kind of job I will have in the future. I am so grateful I participated in the Intern Group program in LA and i encourage anyone and everyone looking for an internship in an amazing city to join any of the Intern Group programs!

I had a fantastic time while interning in London. For me, this experience was more about getting to live overseas for a short period of time, with the added bonus of the internship looking good on my resume.

My internship was exactly what I had hoped for. It was in a nice environment and wasn't stressful. Though I will add that in my internship I didn't learn much that I hadn't already learnt and experienced, but I knew that when I said yes to the company I interned with, because they explicitly stated what my daily tasks would be in the interview. For those considering this program where work experience and growth is really important, you can interview with multiple companies, so make sure you know what your daily tasks will be before signing on.

My shared accommodation was wonderful! I loved the area I stayed in and the house itself was really clean and modern.

I made some really great friends through the intern groups social activities, and thanks to them had an amazing time while abroad.