Internships in Seville, Spain - Adelante Abroad

Wow! I can officially say I've fallen in love with Seville, Spain, and Andalucia in general. I'm so grateful to Adelante Abroad for helping me have this incredible experience. The staff was very friendly and timely in helping me through the application and interview process, and the in-country contact, SIGE, was always around to answer my questions. I asked for an international business internship, but what I really received was a marketing internship. Although I wasn't able to gain experience in a field I'm interested in pursuing, I did gain some useful knowledge, although I did get lots of "intern" jobs like organizing and researching, which was expected but not necessarily great experience. However, my company was amazing because they were very accommodating with the fact I was visiting and would want to travel, and my coworkers were super friendly and funny. I also had unlimited free coffee and fruit, which was amazing. Something that was both a pro and a con is that my internship was in English. I wasn't proficient in Spanish, so it was good I could communicate with my coworkers and understand my tasks, however, my main goal was full Spanish immersion, so working for 5ish hours a day in English didn't help! And I didn't know the internship would be in English beforehand. However, if you are intentional about working on your language skills, there are a variety of other opportunities such as intercambios, language classes, and talking with locals (all of which I recommend). Overall, I did enjoy my internship - mostly because of the environment and the coworkers rather than the actual jobs I did - and I felt as if I did learn more about business!

Housing was a slightly different deal. First of all, I was in the neighborhood Los Remedios, which is very nice, but was a good 30 minutes by foot or bus to pretty much anything I did. However, public buses in Seville are great and easy to navigate, so that was a fun experience! Although I would have sometimes appreciated being in the city center, it was nice to live in a different area. The apartment itself was functional - private room, no AC (do NOT expect AC in Europe, but fans and strategically-timed adventures to air conditioned locations make it bearable) but I did have a fan (after a couple of weeks), a small kitchen (no stove), a small bathroom (with little hot water), and a small living area. A few things were broken, but my landlord was good at fixing them (he even bought a new toaster when I told him the old one was broken). However, my roommates were a bit of a mess. My landlord wasn't always great at communicating when new people would be arriving (I texted him first to ask if a new roommates would be replacing the old ones, and was told one was arriving the next day), nor did he tell me I would have a male roommate after the first two female roommates left. It would have been nice to know co-ed housing was possible. Two of the three roommates were perfectly fine and quiet, but one roommate didn't follow the house rules and brought several guys over, practiced flamenco dancing and singing loudly after 11pm, and never cleaned the kitchen. But roommates are always a gamble, so just be flexible! Honestly I mostly just slept in my apartment because there was so much to see and do in the city, so it didn't ruin my experience.

The language classes at Giralda were wonderful, and a great way to explore the city with the organized (but not always free) activities and a great way to make friends. I was sad they were only for 2 weeks, and I ended up taking more Spanish classes my last month at a different location (Sevilla Habla, near my internship) because I wanted to improve my Spanish. I highly recommend this, as it helped me make new friends after those I had already met left.

As far as the city itself, I 100% recommend interning in Seville! Barcelona and Madrid have the "big city appeal," but the Andalucia region is incredibly friendly and fun. And it's lively in its own way - most people stay out to between 2am-6am, although I don't recommend making a habit of that. Also, the city is very walkable (unlike Barcelona which is spread out and transportation is expensive) and there is so much to see for every person - theaters, shopping (literally everywhere), bars, museums, music concerts (and so many amazing street musicians!), historical buildings, the Isla Magica Theme Park (highly recommend), parks, and an aquarium. I don't really like going out and partying, so I found friends to walk alongside and kayak in the canal, visit the theme park and the aquarium, and eat at sushi joints, tapas bars, and Italian restaurants with me! I was never bored, and even though I traveled almost every weekend, I always looked forward to returning "home" to Seville every single time! The only downside is that flying out of the Seville airport/getting to some other places is a little harder or more expensive than Madrid or Barcelona. However, I visited Paris, Lisbon, Cadiz, Carmona, Granada, Barcelona, and 3 cities in Morocco (via We Love Spain - I highly recommend) during my three months! But there are so many things to see in the city and in the Andalucia region that you don't need to travel very far every weekend! Although I enjoyed my weekends traveling, my weekends in Seville were just as fun!

All in all, here is my advice: Do it! You'll be nervous and unsure, but you will grow so much. Also, I recommend longer programs! I really started to feel settled after the first month, I felt at home after the second month, and I didn't want to leave after the third month! I made dozens of friends from around the world, went on many adventures, took thousands of photos, got lost, said the wrong thing, learned how to shop and order in Spanish, watched soccer games with locals, ate waaaaaaay too much food, gained confidence in my navigational skills, learned how to communicate despite a minimal vocab, and so much more. And I loved every minute of it. Spain is so very different from what I am used to, but I can't wait to return in the future!

Adelante truly is a wonderful program from beginning to end! They were very prompt in responding to my initial interest and setting up a first phone call, followed by comprehensive guidance before my arrival in Spain. I told Adelante my field of interest and they found a perfect internship for me in Sevilla! The two weeks of Spanish class prior to the internship were also excellent; the school had wonderful professors and organized free, fun cultural excursions we could participate in after class. The Adelante staff was incredibly supportive and checked in with me regularly. The on-site people provided airport pickup, accompanied me to the first day of my internship, and organized a flamenco show excursion for all Adelante interns. They care a lot about each individual intern and were very helpful in resolving any questions or concerns promptly. The program is perfect for people who enjoy independence with accessible support when needed. I felt very comfortable in Sevilla and enjoyed the opportunity to shape the experience around my interests.

Seville not only offers the beauty of both rich history and city scenery, but it also offers a very vibrant culture full of music, art, and social life. Adelante's team on the ground is an incredible group of individuals who are constantly making themselves available to both support and ensure that you have the richest experience possible during your time in Seville! Incredible team on the ground!

I've just returned to Trinidad and Tobago after my 6 month internship in Sevilla. I wish I could hop on a plane in the morning and head right back! That's how amazing my experience was. I'll begin with my Adelante team who facilitated my internship. They were awesome, checking up frequently to make sure everything was as it should be, I’d say on a month to month basis. On arrival, I met my Program Coordinator at SIGE. From the first day we met at her office to the very morning I left, I can say my stay would not have been the same without her warm and loving nature. I never felt like a fish out of water once, as she offered much support over the 6 months during every twist and turn. My first placement lasted all of two weeks; however, my program coordinator soon found a suitable match, surprisingly a charming little museum we both visited by chance on the first day we met. In the first two weeks SIGE arranged tours of Sevilla and a two week intense Spanish Course before I began my internship, unfortunately, I did not pick up much more of the language as my second Internship was in English, and I had only been studying Spanish for 2/3 months prior to leaving Trinidad. I did however get by just fine with the basics. The people of Sevilla are extremely spirited and generous, and their strong vibrant culture is like none other. I was able to look on at the Semana Santa street processions during the Easter and take part in the Feria de Abril de Sevilla, its biggest festival, such good times and amazing memories. I can’t speak about Sevilla without mentioning two things 1) how simply beautiful it is, from its cobble stone narrow streets, to its brilliant monuments, palaces and cathedrals, to the large river separating Sevilla and Triana, just stunning! 2) How extremely hot the summer months are. If you don’t like the heat, perhaps choose to go to Sevilla in the cooler months. July/August months are tough! Somehow by a miracle I was able to make it through the heat. My second Art internship in Museum and Cultural Management was a perfect match. The president of the Museum/Foundation and her husband were the best hosts and I learnt quite a lot during my time. I used my weekends and days off to travel, which enhanced my experience even more. My apartment was a 5 to 10 minute walk from everything including the bus, metro, restaurants/bars, the grocery, the mall and even a night club (if you are into that sort of thing) and I never once felt unsafe. All in all I will highly recommend your first or next Internship to be done in Sevilla. All the best guys!

My time in Sevilla was incredible, I know Adelante has the option for Barcelona, Madrid, and Sevilla, but Sevilla is by far the best. I visited Madrid and in 2 seconds was so grateful I picked Sevilla. My friend went to Barcelona and she said, though it was beautiful, the people were not as nice. Andalucia overall has a stronger since of culture and the locals are so friendly and proud the be from there. My internship was really great in the since that I had a lot of important work to do and I was able to network with a lot of successful people. The only negative was that I had to work in English because I was at an online newspaper and there couldn't be any mistakes. The language courses made a huge difference in my experience and were the best part of it all. After the classes I kept improving my Spanish, but it is all up to you. You have to be willing to stick you neck out and just talk to people. The Adelante staff were really helpful and checked in on me all the time, the only person that was a problem was my landlord. He was unresponsive or would say he would do something but never follow through. I still have things that need to get fixed since my first day and I am leaving day after tomorrow... At least when I complained to my Adelante contact about not having an iron she was able to get him to give me one after he said that he wouldn't. Overall though my trip was incredible and I would do it again in a heart beat. The social scene is really fun, it is a lot of outdoor seating areas in plazas. There are places to go dancing too, but it is a really relaxed vibe. I loved going out I always felt safe and the people were friendly. I definitely recommend coming here. Just a heads up it is insanely hot, but usually it is dry so its not unbearable.

I interned in Sevilla for 3 months in a school working with kids suffering from severe mental disabilities. It was an amazing experience, I learned so much. Sevilla is a great city with so much history and beauty. I also had the opportunity to travel around Europe because I had 3 days off a week, it was perfect! My living situation was great - living with an awesome Spanish woman. I got to practice my Spanish with her every day and it really helped. The Adelante and Sige team was incredible, especially Catherine who helped me whenever I needed something. Overall this was an invaluable experience and i would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I had an incredible internship placement. I truly enjoyed working and teaching children of all ages English. It was difficult at first because I had kids from ages 3-13 in one class however I learned how to adapt quickly. They say the best way to learn in experience and that is what I got. However my living situation sucked. My landlord did not follow any rules and did as she pleased.

I LOVED my time in Sevilla. Adelante was on top of everything and always good at getting back to me quickly when I had questions.
I wish I had a little more guidance when I was first in the country, I didn't feel as much support when I got there as I would've liked. But my home-stay was fantastic and they turned out to a great resource. The people I worked with at the library were so loving and kind and definitely took care of me! Once I got used to the city, I feel in love with Sevilla. I always felt safe and the people there are amazing. The richness and the vibrancy of the country is like no other. Adelante has great connections with companies and organizations for internships as well!
If having other Adelante students there is important to you, I would definitely suggest speaking with Adelante and checking to see if any other students are studying/interning while you are there.
I would absolutely suggest Adelante to other people (everyone who works there is so nice!) and I would highly recommend Sevilla!!