During my internship in Seoul, I learned so much and had such a wonderful time. I was able to meet a lot of interesting people in my industry who I never would have had the chance to meet otherwise, so the networking chances were fantastic. The friendships I developed with the other interns were the icing on the cake, and it was an amazing experience getting to know so many people from different countries. The coordinators are really kind and helpful, and also fun! The weekly events organised for us were fantastic, and they made the whole experience that much more enjoyable and educational. The office environment was not only friendly, but also entertaining and very generous. This was my first trip to South Korea, so I wanted to make sure I could enter and stay in the country without any problems as I don't even speak the language. Beyond Academy ensured that I could do all of that prepared to answer any question I had. My internship was the best possible experience!
What other participants should know
- Language barrier (sometimes)
- Heat (weather)
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Response from Beyond Academy
Dear Valentina,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your recent experience on the Beyond Academy Barcelona Program! It has been a delight having you as part of the Barcelona Community and we are really glad to hear that you’ve had a positive experience overall thanks to the support from our Community Team and friendships forged with fellow Beyond interns. We constantly work on improving our program delivery through the feedback we receive, and would like to take the opportunity to address some of your concerns directly, also for the benefit of future Beyonders.
Remote Work & Accommodation Arrangements
We know how remote work can have its fair share of challenges and can fully understand your frustrations regarding this arrangement, though in a post-COVID world, it is becoming increasingly common for many companies these days to adopt a hybrid / flexible work policy. Prior to arrival, we had discussions with both you and your Host Company, and we agreed altogether on a schedule consisting of 3 remote days and 2 on-site days for client events and team meetings. However, we do recognize that a majority of your work was completed remotely indeed, as few in-person opportunities were made available during your program period unfortunately. We regret that this did not meet expectations and have made a note of these specific arrangements for any future intern placements here. If we had known earlier about the extent to which this would affect your experience, we would have certainly explored other opportunities for you right from the start. We did however share our suggestions on solutions such as co-working spaces, and encouraged you to communicate with your manager regarding an alternative arrangement. We also want to address that your choice not to stay in the Beyond Academy accommodation site with other fellow interns was respected, though we are glad you still had a chance to be part of this vibrant and welcoming community through our weekly events.
Program Costs & Communication
We invest substantial effort in the overall program organisation and our pricing structure is actually highly competitive for an intern abroad experience. We have dedicated teams working hard behind the scenes throughout the entire process from your application all the way to when you are on program, with each team taking care of a different part of every intern’s Beyond Academy journey. To start, our Admissions Team shares comprehensive program information to interns before signing up to make sure that their motivations are in line with what our program entails. Next, our Role Success Team takes over and our interns go through a personalised role-matching process dedicated to securing an internship opportunity that aligns with each individual profile. Finally, considerable effort goes into the community events that we plan for interns while on-program, as well as maintaining our on-ground support structure exemplified by the dedication of Luiza from our Barcelona Community Team. All our teams work in synergy to make the entire Beyond Academy experience possible, which is why you were put in touch with different points of contact at various stages of your journey with us.
That said, we do acknowledge all the valuable feedback that you have given, and we will continue working on any areas of improvement to ensure the best possible experience for our future interns. Once again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us and despite the challenges faced, we wish you all the best in your future endeavours and hope that you carry with you the positive aspects of your experience with us.
Warm regards,
The Beyond Academy Team