Julia’s Summer time Internship in Lisbon, Portugal
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Wish to hear from a school pupil who interned overseas in Portugal? We just lately spoke with AIFS Overseas participant Julia from California State College, Chico, who spent her summer season doing an internship in Lisbon.
Uncover how Julia’s internship in Lisbon with AIFS Overseas helped her develop her profession expertise and make significant connections.
Selecting an Intern Overseas Program Vacation spot & Time period
Deciding the place and when to intern overseas will be difficult for a lot of faculty college students and younger professionals—typically coming all the way down to a number of elements, together with private or cultural preferences {and professional} alternatives. The selection to intern overseas in Lisbon turned clear to Julia after doing a little analysis and chatting with her household and mates:
“I selected Lisbon, Portugal, as a result of I had by no means visited earlier than and heard nice issues from household and mates. I used to be intrigued by the town resulting from its wealthy historical past, hills that jogged my memory of San Francisco, and the big variety of actions to do!”
Whereas some college students intern overseas as early as freshman 12 months, others, like Julia, select to attend till they’re upperclassmen. For her, interning overseas in the summertime earlier than senior 12 months was the right time to achieve skilled expertise whereas having fun with all Lisbon has to supply. Hear why Julia believes summer season is a perfect time to discover Portugal:
“I selected to go throughout the summer season as a result of I used to be trying to full a summer season internship earlier than getting into my senior 12 months of school. Transferring to Lisbon in the summertime modified my expertise as a result of I met plenty of vacationers from everywhere in the world who had been vacationing in Lisbon, relatively than solely assembly locals. Fortunately, as a result of I did a full-time internship, I nonetheless had the chance to satisfy and turn into near locals. I spent plenty of time with my bosses and the locals who ran the restaurant [where] we’d have lunch day-after-day.”
Managing Funds Overseas
Price is a significant component for a lot of faculty college students and latest graduates who need to research or intern overseas. Happily, AIFS Overseas accepts monetary assist, and we provide scholarships and grants, which may also help cut back prices. Along with making use of for scholarships and monetary assist, it’s good to do some monetary planning and create a funds so that you just don’t overspend whilst you’re overseas. Hear Julia clarify how she managed her cash throughout her summer season intern overseas program in Lisbon:
“I managed my funds whereas overseas by setting a restrict of how a lot cash I might spend per week. I might be certain all of my dwelling necessities had been taken care of earlier than I let myself splurge on new garments or meals. The recommendation I might give to different [interns] is to spend cash at your personal tempo, typically group dinners will be costly or awkward to navigate in case you are missing cash. Don’t fear concerning the worry of lacking out and ensure you are financially safe earlier than attempting to maintain up with group plans!”
Internship Expertise
With a full-time internship program with AIFS Overseas, your placement shall be with a vetted group that aligns along with your skilled targets and expertise degree. Our on-site employees go to the internship services and meet along with your future internship supervisor earlier than placement to make sure every thing meets our excessive requirements—guaranteeing a optimistic expertise for each the intern and the host group. Hear Julia describe her expertise as a Advertising Intern in Lisbon:
“The corporate I labored for… is a renewable vitality start-up that focuses on creating a brand new mannequin of wind generators [for] people [and] huge companies to create much less of a carbon footprint. My position was Advertising & Gross sales Intern, and I represented the corporate at festivals, conferences, and conferences. I used to be additionally accountable for managing their LinkedIn and reviewing their web site.”
Under, Julia explains how her internship overseas helped her develop new expertise and led her to affix a gross sales program at her residence college after she returned to the U.S.:
“One notable process of mine was pitching [my host company’s] generators to shoppers at conferences. I initially assumed my position as an intern can be extra targeted on leveraging my expertise with social media; nevertheless, [the company’s] merchandise weren’t available on the market but, and there was hesitance to launch social media platforms. Subsequently, I used to be anticipated to verbally promote these merchandise to shoppers face-to-face. This was communicated to me instantly, and it allowed me to mentally put together. I ended up having fun with networking with folks in tech fields or with homeowners of different start-ups. This process gave me plenty of confidence in my public talking talents in knowledgeable setting and led me to be closely concerned with Chico State’s Seufferlein Gross sales Program after I returned.”
Work Tradition Overseas
Whereas work tradition can range relying in your host firm, area, and program vacation spot, Julia explains how her host firm’s work tradition in Lisbon in comparison with that of the U.S.:
“[My host company’s] work tradition was extraordinarily close-knit and welcoming. My first day was extremely memorable as a result of I bear in mind laughing quite a bit, feeling like my targets had been revered and heard, and having fun with an genuine Portuguese lunch. I labored with 4 male supervisors and a pair of male interns. I used to be the one woman within the workplace, and the primary feminine [team member the company] had ever had. I felt extraordinarily protected and was all the time reassured that my voice was essential to everybody.
The tradition differed from the US as a result of we’d all share lunch collectively each single day, whereas within the U.S., most workers have lunch at totally different occasions and don’t prioritize sitting down collectively and having a dialog. The work setting in Lisbon felt extra relaxed and effectively thought out, whereas in the US, we’re obsessive about having excessive productiveness and continuously working.”
Intern Overseas Supervisor
AIFS Overseas internships place faculty college students and younger professionals in a small or mid-sized firm of their host metropolis. This ensures college students can collaborate straight with colleagues, construct nearer relationships, and tackle a extra essential position inside the firm or group. Each intern overseas will even have at the very least one supervisor, who (as we talked about earlier) is vetted by the AIFS Overseas on-site employees. Hear Julia clarify her expertise together with her internship supervisor in Lisbon:
“I had a beautiful time working with my supervisor, [the company’s CEO]. He was excellent about finishing check-ins with me to see how I used to be doing out and in of labor and ensuring I used to be on prime of all my initiatives. His management type was democratic, and he all the time needed my enter.”
Internship Perks
Some worldwide internships include distinctive perks. Whereas we are able to’t assure you’ll get an internship with VIP entry to an area music competition like Julia did, we are able to’t rule it out both! Hearken to Julia go into extra element about this superior perk together with another advantages of interning at her host firm in Lisbon:
“My internship provided many perks past the great staff. I used to be in a position to attend two weekends of the competition ‘Rock in Rio’ with VIP entry to at least one stage. The competition hosted many fashionable musicians and bands corresponding to Macklemore, The Jonas Brothers, Doja Cat, and Ed Sheeran. I used to be additionally in a position to attend many conferences with different tech firms, startups, and pupil leaders. I grew my skilled community quite a bit and received to see in actual time how start-up firms are run and managed.”
Skilled Improvement
Along with constructing your community, interning overseas supplies loads of alternatives for skilled improvement. Hear Julia clarify how her internship in Lisbon helped her develop essential profession expertise:
“The highest three expertise I gained from my internship had been independence, initiative, and confidence. The internship helped me achieve data about the right way to promote and market merchandise that haven’t hit the market and discover methods to face out from rivals whereas being on a funds. It additionally taught me quite a bit concerning the significance of buyers. Though I realized quite a bit, the hands-on day-to-day expertise of interacting with enterprise professionals helped me achieve essentially the most expertise.”
Language Studying
You might be not required to be fluent in one other language to intern overseas. As Julia explains, she received by simply tremendous in Lisbon with English, and even picked up on some primary Portuguese:
“I didn’t must know Portuguese to be eligible for my summer season internship in Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon has plenty of English audio system; nevertheless, understanding some primary Portuguese phrases was useful whereas speaking with locals. My language expertise improved after I spoke to the locals on the cafe close to my work.”
Housing
One of the crucial beloved advantages of AIFS Overseas packages is that housing is all the time included. Plus, we all the time be certain it’s secure and centrally positioned, so that you don’t need to commute too far to your internship or the town middle. Under, Julia describes her expertise in a shared house with different AIFS Overseas members:
“AIFS positioned me in an house with 5 different women and 1 man. The house had 8 bedrooms, permitting all of us to have separate bedrooms. There have been 3 bogs, a front room, a spacious kitchen, and a eating desk. The house advanced had cleaners and nice administration. [It] was positioned in Saldana, an prosperous a part of the town with a lot of buying and metro stations throughout.”
Sharing housing with different AIFS Overseas members is a good way to make mates from day one. As Julia explains, considered one of her favourite reminiscences from her time overseas is together with her roommates:
“A core reminiscence I’ll always remember is kayaking with my roommates in Lagos and uncontrollably laughing with the tour guides who thought we had all identified one another for years.”
Making Mates Overseas
Housing isn’t the one manner you may meet folks in your program. AIFS Overseas internship packages embody a welcome orientation, social actions, in addition to journeys and excursions—offering loads of alternatives to make mates overseas:
“I used to be in a position to instantly construct private connections whereas overseas with my fellow roommates who went by way of AIFS as effectively. I additionally had the prospect to satisfy everybody going to Lisbon by way of AIFS for the summer season at our welcome orientation. I made mates with a few locals who labored at bars or eating places I might regularly go to.”
Why AIFS Overseas?
Whereas folks could select an AIFS Overseas program for various causes, nearly everybody comes to understand our trusted on-site employees who’re there to help them—wherever they go:
“The AIFS sources that caught out to me had been the unbelievable employees members. The primary being Max Panconessi, who joined me and my fellow interns on our first and final day of labor. He was extremely supportive when it got here to shifting into my new house, offering suggestions of issues to do within the metropolis, and supporting me professionally. It was clear that every one the on-site employees from AIFS had all of our greatest pursuits in thoughts all through the entire program.”
Are you able to take the leap and intern overseas like Julia did in Lisbon with AIFS Overseas? We’d love that can assist you begin your journey!
Right here at AIFS Overseas, we all know a factor or two about serving to faculty college students and up to date graduates intern overseas. Our packages include many useful inclusions which might be designed to counterpoint your expertise overseas and ease the transition in your host metropolis. From coordinating your housing to offering issues like built-in profession readiness, complete insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency help, on-site employees, and cultural and social actions and excursions, you’ll take consolation in understanding you’ll have help all through your complete expertise overseas.
