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Intern Abroad HQ

Why choose Intern Abroad HQ?

At Intern Abroad HQ, we help students and young professionals turn career aspirations into reality. We facilitate life-enriching internships with industry-leading organizations around the world that allow our interns to learn through experience, develop the skills employers favor, and gain international exposure.

With 240+ internship programs across 24 career fields, you can choose to intern from 2 weeks to 6 months either in-country or virtually, in 22 destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America. We facilitate career-enhancing experiences that are tailored to meet each individual’s academic, professional, or personal requirements.

Intern Abroad HQ is proudly brought to you by the team behind International Volunteer HQ. We have collectively supported more than 130,000 program participants since 2007 and are the only B Corp certified provider in our field - meaning that we have been externally audited and meet the highest social and environmental standards.

Reviews

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India
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GIS in Gondwana

I have just returned from the best 6 weeks in Gondwana Game Reserve (South Africa) completing the 'GIS and Reserve Management' internship, run by Intern Abroad HQ and Wildlife Ecological Investments (WEI). During my time in Gondwana, I gained valuable insight into how conservation practices work within a reserve, I have developed my GIS mapping skills to new levels via a lecture series and research report, and also improved my cultural awareness and communication skills in a mixed- nationality camp. On top of this, I have come away with some amazing memories and close up animal experiences. The highlight of my trip would have to be the sunset drives every Sunday, where we drive to a viewpoint and watch the African sun setting over Gondwana's beautifully hilly landscape. It was an unforgettable experience, and I would recommend this internship to anyone who wants to learn or improve their GIS mapping skills, and is passionate about applying this in a conservation setting.

What was your funniest moment?
My funniest moment would have to be:
We were out on the car one day collecting game data, and it was an extremely hot day. The game route we were taking happened to pass the volunteer wild swimming spot that we sometimes use. The field coordinator recognised that we were all very hot in the back of the car and let us jump into the swimming spot in all of our clothes, spontaneously, in between data collection. This was funny as the water source had recently been used by the elephants, and we came out covered in elephant muck! But it was great fun.
Pros
  • Close wild animal encounters.
  • Sunny weather.
  • Friendly staff.
Cons
  • Lots of spiders.
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James
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An enjoyable and enlightening experience

I'm writing this 4 months into my 6 months on the Sustainable Business and Environmental Tourism Internship in Quepos, Costa Rica and I can safely say I've made the best choice I could have. The internship has been really interesting and I've been supported well throughout. Intern Abroad provide weekly reflection reviews for the first 12 weeks which really make the experience useful in developing my own professional skills. On arrival, travel was arranged for me and the accommodation has been fantastic throughout with lovely food. I feel like I've really immersed myself in the culture and helped make a difference to the company while learning a bit more about the business practices needed for a charity.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I'm doing my best to immerse myself into the culture and my home stay mother has really helped me with that by giving us a typical Costa Rican meal for breakfast and dinner very often. Upon learning I was keen to try everything, she made me cow's tongue or "lengua" for dinner one night to try. I ended up really enjoying it as well!
Pros
  • Beautiful wildlife
  • A lovely team around you with many other interns to socialize with
  • A chance to practise your spanish (a lot of people speak english too so you won't get too stuck)
Cons
  • Costa Rica is quite expensive
  • There isn't a lot of nightlife if you're looking for that kind of thing
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Ashley
2/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Not what was advertised

The internship was advertised as educational with conservation opportunities. That is not at all what I got. It was a scuba diving vacation with no other structured activities and all the other interns got drunk every night of the week. All optional activities costed lots of money and if you didn’t want to pay for it you sat at home bored. There was not much to do in camp and not much to do in the small town we were located in. The internship description said they provided food (which they did) but it was so basic I couldn’t even make a legit meal out of the ingredients.The company that hosted the internship in country forced me to pay a lot of extra money upon arrival for things which were not disclosed beforehand. I felt like it was a waste of time and money and do not recommend.

Pros
  • Learn to scuba dive
  • Cool way to see South Africa
Cons
  • No education or conservation efforts
  • No structured or organized activities other than scuba diving with no purpose
  • I was charged extra money upon arrival that was not disclosed beforehand
Response from Intern Abroad HQ

Dear Ashley,

Thank you for taking the time to share feedback. We are sorry to hear that you do not recommend this program. We always encourage participants to please contact us at any time throughout their experience if dissatisfaction is being experienced. Likewise, the onsite staff members and supervisors greatly appreciate feedback in real-time, as they're in a position to provide immediate support and guidance.

The scuba diving internship program is designed to be entry-level, tailored towards providing young people with PADI dive tuition and an introduction to Indian Ocean marine ecology (via online training presentations). Diving activities throughout the year are always subject to weather and seasonal conditions. Outside of this Monday-Friday schedule, interns have free time (including free time on weekends) and are free to independently plan their own leisure and tourism activities.

For this program, a cook prepares dinners at the camp, Monday through Friday. Participants are free to prepare their own meals outside of this service, utilizing food which is provided for this purpose (particular dietary requirements must be communicated in advance). Sodwana Bay is a small coastal town and there is access to restaurants, cafes, and other facilities which people are free to access at their leisure.

I understand that during your stay, there were some group activities arranged, such as the Kosi Bay Day Trip and various art/craft sessions. Participation is always optional and our Program Guide, which interns receive in advance, provides guidance concerning free time, meals, and personal spending budgets.

I remain available to discuss your experience directly and address any outstanding questions which may have arisen, so you are welcome to contact me.

Kind regards,
Karen - South Africa Program Manager
karen@internhq.com

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ana sofia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

amazing remote internship in Valencia

This experience has helped me develop my understanding of how an organization operates in every way possible. During my internship I helped with market research in Mexico for companies that would be good prospective customers. I chose to participate in this remote internship because it allowed me the freedom to work from home, while getting involved in a field I love with an international company. Reflecting on the experience, I'm most proud of my professional growth and all the knowledge I gained. I feel really good with this experience and how much it has helped me in a professional and personal way.

Pros
  • personal growth
  • learn about the industry
  • amazing support
Cons
  • none
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Zeeshan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Intern abroad morroco 2023

Morroco is the perfect country to do your internship in. It is a beautiful country and filled with amazing people. Intern abroad made sure of our safety and that we were staying in a fabulous morrocan riyad. This internship helped me gain a huge amount of experience which I know will help me with my future ambitions. I also made many new friends along the way and experienced the different cultural aspects of the country. The food in morroco is also very lovely and there are many restaurants all over Rabat.

Pros
  • Amazing people
  • Great experience for CV/Resume
  • Food
Cons
  • Tourist prices
  • Bugs/insects
  • Language barrier

Programs

Displaying 1 - 9 of 23

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Sarah Butler

Job Title
Program Manager
Sarah Butler with red hair and a flannel shirt

What is your favorite travel memory?

After graduating from university, I made the decision to move to the UK and ended up living in London for 5 years. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made! London is such a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, and being so close to other European countries, the world really was my oyster. Coming from such a small country like New Zealand opened my eyes to so many different cultures and ways of living. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, forced to make new friends, travel the world, become more independent, and adapt to a whole new way of living. I made so many great memories and will forever treasure my time spent there.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Intern Abroad HQ has always been an environment that fosters creativity, teamwork, and new ideas. A company is only as good as the people it employs, so to be around colleagues that really believe in the work that they do, has only motivated me to be my best, not only professionally but personally too! Speaking to so many interns day to day has made me so much more confident and compassionate. I feel secure in voicing my ideas, troubleshooting problems, and contributing to overall company success.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The feedback I receive from returned students is almost always related to their increased sense of self. Traveling abroad, being pushed out of your comfort zone, and trying something new force you to put a lot of faith in yourself and your abilities. Each participant's experience is different, with the highs and lows teaching valuable lessons about one's strengths and weaknesses. For many, completing an internship reinforces passions, hobbies, interests, and career paths. For others, it reinvigorates a love of language, art, or travel. Whatever the outcome, the opportunity to travel abroad expands perspectives, leaving you more culturally and self-aware.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

For me, I'd love to participate in one of the Social Work & Community Outreach Internships in Arusha, Tanzania. Interns can be placed in NGOs, rehabilitation centers, charities, and with community programs that provide assistance to address specific social issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, domestic abuse, youth pregnancy, and unemployment. Interns can help to improve access to vital healthcare services. Tanzania is such a beautiful country, so to be able to explore world-famous natural landscapes, all while giving back to the communities that make it so special, would be amazing.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Intern Abroad HQ has come a long way since its establishment in 2017. In just 6 short years, we have established over 240 internship programs in 22 countries, and it all comes down to the hard work and dedication of those behind the scenes. Our office is full of young professionals who understand the struggle of landing that first job with little to no experience. The ability to relate to our interns, their struggles, and their motivation allows us to reflect more critically on programs and how we can provide the best service possible. We take pride in our programs and respect that people travel from all over the world, investing their time, resources, and energy into them. We take feedback seriously and continuously reflect on how we can improve our services to foster successful and positive experiences.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Motivation and enjoying the work you are doing. You have to believe you are making a difference and surround yourself with a team that shares the same goals, values, and objectives for success. Having a shared purpose gives employees something to work towards while also letting customers know what they stand for. At Intern Abroad HQ, we truly believe that an internship is an amazing way to gain practical experience and bolster your resume. Choosing an internship abroad or an international remote internship offers the additional benefits of gaining overseas work experience and broader cultural immersion, both of which will help you stand out to future employers. We track our success by the feedback and reviews our interns give us, so we’re motivated to ensure you have an unbeatable internship experience.