What is your favorite travel memory?
Without a doubt the trip I made with 33 school friends to Medellin, Colombia on 2017. To be able to travel and share with lifelong friends is an incredible experience, and one that is enjoyed from beginning to end. Besides, none of us knew Medellin and we all fell in love with the culture and the people.
The connection with the city was so strong that I always knew I would come back and well, today almost 6 years after that experience I am living here!
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I have been working at TIG for just over 16 months and it has been a great experience both personally and professionally. As a lawyer, I have spent my entire professional career in Chile, working in law and consulting firms, so joining TIG was a great challenge. Connecting the youth with opportunities to realize their potential is a tremendous responsibility, but the beauty of working with purpose is that you work with joy and that makes you perform better! It is also a 100% remote company, where the team is spread over more than 20 countries, which is very enriching to be able to share and work with people from different cultures.
Beyond having to be very organised and responsible to be able to achieve all the objectives, this work experience has helped me as a person, I think that knowing so many stories of young people with so many illusions and being able to be part of achieving their dreams, is something that has made me a better person and a better professional.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
A couple of weeks ago at an activity with the interns here in Medellin, I was lucky enough to be able to share with them about their internships and I was struck by the one I had with two students from New York. They decided to do an internship in finance and they told me that their friends and family were asking them, but how, finance? in Medellin? and of course, most of their classmates were doing internships in different banks in New York, others in Europe but they wanted a unique experience and for that they chose to come to Colombia where they were working in a leading local bank.
When they compared what they were doing with their colleagues in the United States or Europe, they realised that they were working on the same things, that the challenges were similar, for example, the competition that has meant the arrival of digital banks (Neobanks) and how traditional banks should be up to the task to avoid losing customers, integrating artificial intelligence and improving digital services. Also to see them integrating into the culture, learning to speak Spanish, dancing, feeling like a local, is incredible!
For me as a latin, it fills me with pride to know that students from different parts of the world can come to a city like Medellin and have a world class experience!!
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I would like to go to all of them!!!! But if I had to choose, I think Tokyo or Bangkok.
The opportunity to travel and experience different cultures fascinates me!!!!
In today's world, I think that doing an internships is a must and if I had the chance, I would try to have a life-changing experience, like going and living in a place very different from what I am used to.
I think it's an opportunity to get out of the comfort zone, take a risk and open yourself to the world!
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
Companies are made by their people, their culture and their purpose and at The Intern Group we have a good mix of wonderful people with a high level of professionalism, a culture where there is room for everyone and a purpose that aligns us all.
I think this is best exemplified by what happens during our Purpose Day. On this day, the whole company comes together to share different experiences and stories that have happened over the past months and everything from crying to laughing happens.
After the session, we all leave energised and fulfilled, knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of thousands of students!
I feel proud of my team every day, because there are few things in life more satisfying than being able to help make people's dreams come true, and that's what we do on a daily basis!
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
A successful company is one that has a purposeful mission, understands the needs of consumers, and has a top-notch team aligned to achieve its goals.
Working with people and for people is always complicated, that's why I believe that The Intern Group is a successful company, with more than 10 years of existence transforming the lives of thousands of students, it is an example to follow!