International Internships in Colombia with The Intern Group

My experience with Intern Latin America (ILA) was absolutely fantastic! As a mechanical engineering student I had the opportunity to work with the maintenance engineering team in a company that produces batteries. I had no idea how batteries were made and I can probably recite the process by heart after my time there. Furthermore, one of the things I valued most about my experience was that this opportunity gave me insight on a completely new aspect of mechanical engineering: maintenance. I had the opportunity to study a specific machine in detail to try and figure out the main causes of its down times. I studied maintenance protocols and had the opportunity to suggest actions to take in order to prevent the down times. This was especially important to me because my school curriculum is more focused towards the design aspect of engineering, rather than other important parts of the job such as maintenance. Also, apart from the technical things, the entire company took me in with open arms and made me feel at home immediately; this was very valuable to me.
As for the ILA team, I am beyond satisfied with their work and support! They were so quick to answer and react to any and every issue that came up. From injuries to lost keys, they handled anything that was thrown at them. Furthermore, their cultural involvement strategies were on point! We got so many notifications informing us of activities that would help us international people to really live the local culture and get immersed in it: soccer game viewing events, local food tasting, city tours, and much more!
I remember posting a picture on Instagram and the caption was: "Eight weeks is not going to be enough!" However, I now see even more how true the statement was!
Thank you Intern Latin America for the experience of a lifetime!!

My time in Colombia was amazing! If it is something you are considering, I say definitely do it, you will not regret it! The staff at Intern Latin America, especially Erika and Adrianna, have been so incredibly helpful and I feel like I have made new friends in them. The welcome and support they gave me throughout my trip made the experience what it was. I will always remember my time in Medellin!

In my second week at work, one of my colleagues asked if I wanted to go to the Silvestre Dangond (Vallenato artiste in Colombia) and as I was still new and open to everything in Medellin, I decided to go. Needless to say, it was the single best concert I have ever been to! I can actually say that I have NEVER EVER danced so much in my entire life. Very sore knees afterwards, but very fun memories!

The Intern Group is a program that will benefit both seasoned travelers/interns and those new to the international/internship scene. I have never met a team more dedicated to making sure you succeed than Adri, Erika, Johanna, and Monica. Throughout my three month internship in Medellín, I could count on the help and support of those four.

They will work with you to fix any problem that arises. They will help organize great experiences that you'd like to have. This is more than an internship abroad; it's an opportunity to grow professional and socially. I've never been a part of such a diverse and interesting group of people. I've made connections with interns and individuals from over thirty different countries across six continents with this program.

In regards to the internship itself, they will work to get you an interview and placement in a position you're interested in. I'm interested in government and security; they helped me get a position to intern with the Colombian government related to security and technology. Where else are you going to be able to do that as a foreigner?

The Intern Group doesn't just benefit oneself while in Medellín, but also once you return home. Having this international experience has garnered the attention of a number of employers that I'm interested in. This experience has made my resume competitive enough to get interviews with the places I want to work at, including Booz Allen, Microsoft, and the National Security Agency! One of my intern friends even got her job before starting her internship when someone saw this on her LinkedIn.

I highly recommend the Intern Group. You won't regret choosing them.

Hello reader,

I spent six months doing the programme so I feel like I can put forward my point of view fairly. I study Spanish at University and so my main aim when coming to Colombia was to improve my language. I made this known to the Intern Group from day 1; however, it took them two months to find accommodation in Medellin with a native Spanish speaker. I made it clear that I did not want to live with native English speakers, as nice as they were, and that I wanted to live with locals; however, for a company with such good connections, it does appear that all they wanted to do was put me in their overpriced standard accommodation. Every time I tried to get information from the team about who I would be living with, where I would be living, what was it like, etc. (basic questions I feel), they were not very forthcoming. Then when they found me accommodation they did not know about the state of the new apartment (there were cameras in the kitchen, Big Brother esque).

Aside from my constant problems that I had regarding accommodation, my internship was for the most part a 6/10, the safety is a big 10/10 if you are looking for the Poblado area which is not really living the foreign experience. The team are all very nice and helpful, which they should be, and the city is amazing. I think the internships can be the luck of the draw as many people loved theirs, and others hated it. If you are looking for the full hampering package, never been to a third world country etc. then the Intern Group is right for you. However, to the person that wants to take a little bit more out of the experience which that vast sum of money costs you...be careful.

The team at Intern Latin America is amazingly helpful and really ensured I had an excellent experience!

Medellin is much safer than the media portrays and I fell in love with the city.

Make sure you do you research into the company you will be interning with and what you will be doing during the internship to ensure you get the most out of the experience!

I earned a full scholarship that allowed me to intern in Medellin for six weeks. One of the things that I enjoyed the most was how clean the city was, and how nice the people were.

During my time in Medellin, I got to experience the "Feria de las Flores" (Flower Festival), Medellin's annual cultural festival. The celebration extends for an entire week, with a varied number of events every day. From fashion shows to an antique car parade and a flower parade, the Feria de las Flores had celebrations of all kinds and for all audiences.

As per my internship, my coworkers were the nicest. They were very resourceful and helped me navigate through the company smoothly. I was in charge of developing the basis for the code of ethics of the company, which required a lot of concentration and impartiality. My project challenged me to think from different perspectives, foresee potential conflicting scenarios, and think of ways to prevent disjunctives between the different divisions of the company. In the end, both the organization and I were satisfied with my work. In addition, I was able to sharpen and develop my planning, executing, critical thinking, and team work skills.

I also enjoyed the cultural activities Intern Latin America put together. They were dynamic, social, and educational. I was impressed by how much Paisas celebrate their culture. Though they will listen to foreign artists and music, they always root for theirs. The same applies to food and drinks. Overall, the activities encouraged me to get in contact with local people and culture. This taught me the importance of cross-cultural understanding and proactivity in foreign scenarios.

Wow! I was super impressed with how great Colombia is. I feel like many people may be a bit hesitant to go there but it is truly amazing. I worked in the government in the department of education. I had a lot of fun. Some days were a bit slow and I definitely had to be proactive to find work to do but I think this is down to Colombia being quite new to the idea of interns!

The guys over at the intern group were super friendly and gave me everything I need. I always had somebody to call if I needed any help with anything. They also had a Facebook group which was super cool to keep in touch with everyone. Even though I was a bit hesitant myself I actually felt really safe. I ever had any problems.

The highlight of the social scene had to be the Chiva! It is the biggest party on a bus ever. It is so awesome, I loved it. Great place great people!