An Amazing Experience

Wishing to learn Spanish, I was signed up to go to Mexico as a part of a study abroad through my school when I came across the Intern Group. The thought of going to Madrid appealed to me because not only would I be able to study abroad and learn Spanish, but I could potentially get valuable internship experience as well.

I was put in contact with Thalassa and within a few weeks of communicating back and forth she informed me I had a Skype interview with Grant Thornton. Here in the US, Grant Thornton is a highly sought after accounting firm that is currently ranked 5th on a list of the top 100 accounting firms in the US so naturally I was both surprised and exciting to hear that I could potentially be working here while interning in Madrid. A few weeks after the interview Thalassa told me they had offered me the position, and naturally I accepted.

From the moment I arrived in Madrid, the Intern Group team made me feel both welcome and excited to be in Madrid and see all it had to offer. Within the first few group outings Thalassa and I both discovered we shared a love for hamburgers and over the next few days she continually sent me lists of places I should try in order to start my side journey to find the best one in Madrid. This is just a brief example of the things the people apart of the Intern Group team did to make each person’s experience that much more personal. When I arrived I was quickly welcomed by the other interns who were able to show me the ropes on what to see and do in Madrid, and later once they completed their stay and other interns arrived I found myself as the perceived veteran and was able to do the same thing for them. It was really interesting meeting people from different places all over the world and talking and comparing and contrasting both our everyday lives from our respective home countries and the differences between our home country and Madrid.

Though personally I never had any problems arise while in Madrid along with most other interns there, the few unforeseeable dilemmas that arose the Intern Group was there to handle in the timely manner I would say there was definitely never a big problem or conflict. At work, I was given both tasks that related to what I planned to do further in my career and the freedom of not having someone always breathing down your neck and letting you work at your own pace. My colleagues were rather friendly and I truly enjoyed the internship aspect of Madrid. Once I returned home I quickly was offered another competitive, highly paid internship that I am currently completing while I finish school and I definitely think I was both considered for the initial interview and offered the position because of my internship abroad in Madrid.

Being home for several months now I frequently find myself missing Madrid and the time I spent there. I am still in contact with people apart the Intern Group team, other interns that were there with me, and even other friends I met while in Madrid. If you are looking for something that will not only provide with valuable internship experience, but an opportunity to see an amazing city and have a wonderful experience I would highly recommend this program.