API Intern Group Reviews

I came on The Intern Group london program at the end of 2013. Was my first profesional experience outside of growing up in SouthAmerica and I think was the best time of my life.

First, I was placed in a Marketing firm which was a very good match for my studies. It was one of the most important digital agencies in UK and I learnt a lot. I did find the work intense but this was OK, as I was learning well.

Second, the program was well organised. On time and with lots of care. From the coordinators Ariana and Mona and Megan to Lee Carlin, the team really cared for my well-being and arranged everything for me. You could tell they really care and are proud of their program.

Finally, accommodation was good-quality, nice private bedroom in central London, and I lived with people from all over the world, who are now my friends and I am staying in good touch with all.

Thank you to Intern Group for a great life and work experience and one I will never forget.

Overall it wasn't that bad, but there were a lot of problems with my internship as well as with accomodation and communication with The Intern Group stuff. Would like to point out that I paid 240 pounds extra to live in en suite room and it was a big mistake as the toilet flash wasn't working properly, shower cabin was broken, shower itself wasn't ready as it was covered in hair when I arrived, water pressure in the shower was so low that it was impossible to wash and the mixer tab was broken too as water in the shower would be either very hot or cold. I informed Host international about the problems, can't say that they reacted to my request straight away, the day after I recieved an email from member of Host international stuff with the list of problems which were fixed, however after checking everything myself I realized that most of broken things remained the same. After that I contacted The Intern Group and they were very open to discuss problems with my accomodation and even tried to look for other accommodations, however it wasn't very helpful. In the end of the story The Inretn Group and I agreed that they will try to get 240 pounds refund from Host international and few weeks later The Intern Group informed me that Host international agreed to give money for the first 6 weeks back because according to Host inrenational all issues were solved (in fact they weren't). I was told that Host international will refund this money on the 20th of Jan. it's been almost a month and I am still waiting for the refund. I sent email asking The Intern Group about the refund but no reply. Would like to thank Lee Carlin, he provided a huge support to me when I was having difficulties with my internship, however I would say that it was better contacting him by phone rather than emailing him as sometimes he wasn't paying much attention to what I was writing and it was the main reason I didn't complete my intrnship and had to leave the office 2 weeks earlier and relationship with my boss are ruined also because of inadvertence of The Intern Group. The Intern Group was having difficulties with spelling my surname, I understand that my surname isn't familiar for english speakers but The Inren Group is mostly working with international students and I personatly think that misspeling your client's surname is highly unprofessional and disrespectful and shows one more time that The Intern Group can be very inattentive. Overall organisation was very poor, however I can say that as people who are there to support students emotionally The Intern Group stuff is very good even though it was sometimes hard to reach them, but once you get to speak to the stuff you get the feeling that they really care and able to give valuable advice. Moreover, they paid for the last week of my accomodation as a gesture on their side to make up for some of the troubles I have had.

I spent 4 awesome months in Madrid. I couldn't find a placement in the UK, but the overall experience I got on this programme is unlike anything I would have got at home! I got to meet a lot of new people, from my internship, Erasmus, and loads of socials from Intern Madrid. This is a great chance to do start your career, make new friends and contacts, and travel in this beautiful country!

I could not have asked for better accomodation, which was of exceptional standard, with students of my age, and in a perfect location! I also loved the Metro system in Madrid, where I had no problems- it is so easy and convenient to get around in these. Madrid is a beautiful city, with lots to do.

Obviously, employers value experience, but working abroad really stands out! I could not have been happier with everything here, I would definitely reccomend this! Thank you for everything Thalassa, it would not have been nearly as good without you!

Overall, the whole experience was amazing. Now when I look back on it I realize that I was missing home and worried about not speaking Spanish, but none of the other interns spoke Spanish and we all got along great. I'm still in touch with most of them as well as two colleagues from work. I definitely developed professionally and personally, I was quite shy talking to strangers before, but during the program I was forced to do it everyday and now I have no problem! I'll finish by saying that Madrid is the BEST place in the world! Literally has everything but all so close together, it's like a village with everything, I could never be bored and I will be back soon!

The overall internship experience was a positive one. I had interned at a menswear company, where I had the opportunity to be a part of the conception to execution of an entire season's collection. The process was an enriching one; however, I was tasked to tie up many loose ends of the company and didn't learn much on the role as a digital marketing/social media intern. Since the company had a staff size of only 5 full timers, I was made to count stocks individually, pack and deliver parcels daily, steam clothes etc. I would say that it wasn't the most ideal experience I had hoped for, as I paid a good sum for the intern program and was told that I wouldn't be asked to pour tea/coffee or similar things like it. Nevertheless, if you are looking for an insight of how things work in the fashion industry, this will be an eye opener for first timers who have absolutely no clue about the chaos that goes on behind the glitz and glamour of the fashion world. If you are looking into a more fulfilling role in the position you are undertaking (I was the digital marketing/social media intern), I will suggest working for bigger brands who have a more comprehensive scheme for interns.

Aside from the internship, the team at InternLondon was supportive in handling all other administrative affairs from the airport pick up to carrying out social activities for all other interns. They were responsive, easy to contact and ensured our safety/well-being at all times. However, the accommodation provided for my package (I took an off-cycle internship) wasn't great as the internet connection was extremely slow that I had to go to the library nearby to have decent access and the furnishing in the house were old (I could feel the bed springs on mine!). If you didn't sign up for the summer internship package, you're excluded in most activities and it is not the easiest experience to socialise with the other interns in the program, especially when most interns leave right after the activity is done.

In the grand scheme of things, having an overseas internship has definitely given me an edge over others when it comes to job applications. London is an amazing place to live with so much culture and things to do all the time - you will learn and gain a lot more if you mix with the locals rather than just sticking around with other interns. Although it wasn't a bummer leaving the internship, it was definitely one in leaving London.

The program in London was great from start to finish. I did an internship in a marketing firm and I learned so much, I'm currently applying for full time jobs and they are all so impressed I have work experience from a foreign country. The best thing about the program is that they have taken care of everything to make sure I can really enjoy London, the events and activities are great, the accommodation is perfectly located, I only had to travel about 20 minutes to work! The only negative was that I wish I had more time to explore other parts of England and not just London. The best piece of advice I could give is to really push yourself both in the workplace and also to explore what London has to offer, there is so much I saw and so much I know I haven't seen yet. I must go back!!

Hello,

I have been interning at the Rabbit Agency for 5 months. The experience has been very valuable. Doing something completely different I think is always worth your while. But the company is a very interesting company, with high standards and amazing clients.
They also gave me any opportunity I wanted, and I have been involved in everything I wanted to be involved with.

I had found a place to stay, so did not make use of your offer on housing.
Eventually I have paid 1500 pounds for a 5 month intern experience.
Giving me a good place to go to (the internship) and the opportunity to meet people and go to 3 events.
The events were of high quality, perfect, I'd say.
And I think Arianna and Mona did a really good job at making us feel at home. Always enthusiastic and trying to get everyone to talk to eachother. And may I note, that the 3 events a side, they came up with a lot of idea's on the side and took part in those (I went) to as well.

Unfortunately I have not found a real connection with the people I have met, this may be because I am from the Netherlands, this may be because there were not that many guys. And a side from the events I have only met with one other intern on one other occasion.
I think the only thing you could improve is think through about what the group could do after the event is over. I found that after the event was done, most people just went home. While this might of been a good opportunity to go and talk some more in a pub maybe and really get to know each other.

The question: would you recommend this program to a friend?:
I have answered with No, I would not.
I don't think paying 1000-1200 pounds for a spot in an internship programme is the right price. The only reason I went for this program, is because I was extremely late with my preparations for internship/work, I did not feel that I could organise it myself on the short notice I had.
Certainly, most of my friends, would never pay the amount of money that I have paid.

Thanks a lot for the valuable experience though!

Cheers,
Mels

P.S the year completed button does not have a 2014 option.
P.S.2 I have rated the 'housing' question a 7, because I heard people say it was alright and close to where other interns were staying.

I spent a few months in Madrid on an Intern Madrid programme. From the moment I arrived I knew that if I needed anything I would be able to approach Thalassa. My accomodation was great, clean and in a good part of town and I was with a bunch of cool people.
My job was exactly what I wanted to do. Working in an exciting and friendly start up where my ideas were listened to and I felt like I learnt something new every day. I am really excited to put the social media experience (among other things) that I gained on my resume.
The activities were also awesome, a trip to beautiful (but cold!) Segovia, watching Flamenco and tapas, tapas, tapas!
I loved it and I loved Madrid. Thanks Intern Madrid and a big thanks to Thalassa for making it a really great trip.

I had an amazing time interning in Colombia! I lived in an apartment with three roommates in the center of the city close to great food and a fun social scene. I was in Colombia to do research for my senior thesis on forced displacement, and my internship allowed me to interact with the displaced on a more personal level. The internship was great for me academically and professionally; I actually got an internship this winter/spring based on my ability to show that I had worked in an all Spanish-speaking workplace. There are so many wonderful weekend and day trips around Medellin, and the people are extremely friendly. I had a bit of a hard time at first with the accent, but I got used to it. I hope to go back to Medellin again one day!

I would certainly consider my time in Medellin as a rewarding, enriching and truly inspiring experience. As a language student, perhaps one of the most important aspects of an extended stay in a different country is the opportunity to meet locals and this is the only way to really challenge your grasp of a language.
If you want to improve your Spanish and you go to Madrid, Barcelona or Buenos Aires you will find it infinitely harder to meet locals and it is very easy to stay in your comfort zone and socialize solely with fellow travelers. However, during my stay in Medellin there was an abundance of invitations from work colleagues, friends of work colleagues and this provided me with an instant platform to improve my Spanish and also to experience a completely different culture.
I worked at the local government where I essentially had an administrative role. Whilst this was at times mundane, I was constantly talking Spanish and I met many interesting people from all the different echelons of society. For instance, I attended a national conference which was attended by the Colombian President but at the same time I was fortunate enough to visit the poorest communities with local politicians and attend meetings in which these locals addressed the problems that they felt needed immediate action.
In terms of social life, Medellin has an area full of nightclubs called Parque Lleras which is great fun; there are also nights out organised by InternLatinAmerica and this gives you an opportunity to socialise with other interns from all around the world. Whilst I was there, there were interns from the US, Belgium, Holland, France and the UK.
Perhaps the only issue that I should raise, and I do feel that this should be acknowledged, is that if you apply for a home stay with a Colombian family, that family has no obligation whatsoever to involve you in their daily activities. The term 'homestay' is actually misleading as in reality you are just renting a room within the house of a Colombian family. My 'homestay' consisted of an unemployed Colombian women who stayed in her bed all day, chain-smoking. (Her name was Olga. If you do end up applying just say I don't want Olga!)
To conclude, I would absolutely recommend the Intern Latin America program. Aside from the issue with the accommodation, it was a fantastic experience and any keen linguist should seriously consider it as an option to improving their written and spoken Spanish.