Was was the biggest cultural difference working in Columbia?

Something we always hear from our alumni with regard to cultural differences in the workplace is just how welcome and appreciated they feel from day one. Given that the concept of an internship is relatively new in Colombia, our partner companies are always so grateful and interested to have interns from all over the world providing fresh ideas and working alongside them. While this is a huge benefit because you automatically feel like an integral part of the team, the fact that internships are a new concept means that often our partnership companies don't know how to make the most of having an intern. Therefore our Colombia team always stresses to our participants that they must be proactive within the workplace to make their employers aware that they want to be involved with project x or project y.

Language can be a hurdle. You need to go with the intent of learning Spanish as to communicate better. They really appreciate it. Time is also not as strict, I remember getting to work for 8am as this was the designated start time and I was the only person there, so that is a little bit different. Apart from that, they are very friendly and curious to learn more, so just relax and enjoy!