My Experience with Internships Colombia
Who am I?
After graduating in May with degrees in English, Spanish, and International Studies, I wanted to work in Latin America, specifically Colombia. I desired the sort of travel experiences I had in college, but I also wanted to start building a career in international business. Initially, I spent way too much time searching the internet and applying to different jobs, I felt frustrated with how disorganized the entire process was and was near giving up on moving to Latin America. Finding Internships Colombia was so relieving because they made applying for and landing a job in Colombia simple.
How does Internships Colombia work?
On the Internship/ Job Offers page, I picked out a few different positions that I was interested in. After completing the Application form, I set up a skype call with the Internships Colombia team. They explained the entire process and the different packages they offered-- the Regular package, the Premium package, and the Retirement package.
I also explained all that I was looking for in an internship. After a few days, Internships Colombia reached out to me and gave me the opportunity to interview for their team. Ultimately, I decided to work with Internships Colombia as a business developer because I had the opportunity to develop a large variety of skills.
The thing that impressed me most about Internships Colombia was their attention to detail. They didn’t stop supporting me after I had found an internship. They helped me with the visa process, which made my parents much more comfortable. They also gave me different options in regards to housing because I signed up for their Premium package. I had the choice of living in a house with other interns, living with a host family, or living alone.
I also took advantage of Internship Colombia’s Immersion Package. This package made it easy for me to learn about so many different aspects of Medellín. I did a graffiti tour, in which I was even able to practice my own tag. I learned how to salsa dance, which made it so much easier to go out afterwards. My favorite experience though was the “Soccer in Medellín” experience. The atmosphere of the stadium gave me chills, and I’ll never forget how the stadium erupted once Atletico Nacional, one of Medellín’s beloved teams, scored to win the game. Apart from the experiences in the Immersion Package, Internships Colombia organized different social activities. Through these different events, I was able to meet other people doing internships and a bunch of local Colombians.
Why Medellin?
Internships Colombia has internships available in many different parts of Colombia. Before beginning the job application process, I decided that I wanted to move to Medellín. My parents cringed initially, imagining me living in a drug cartel hot bed ridden with violence. However, Medellín has undergone a radical shift, leaving its violent history in the past and has become one of the most modern cities in South America. In fact Medellín was named "Most Innovative City" by the Urban Land Institute in 2013, and locals are proud of the radical change the city has worked for. The city boasts one of the most organized public transportation systems in South America, a perfect climate, and an affordable cost of living.
I chose to move to Medellín for various, practical reasons. But after living here for 5 months, I have fallen in love with the city in a completely unexpected way. What I love most is how many like-minded people I’ve been able to meet, international and Colombian. Digital nomads have chosen Medellín as their South American hub, so the city is full of like-minded people. My biggest concern in moving abroad was similar to most people’s-- I was nervous that meeting people and making friends would be difficult. Meeting people was incredibly easy, thanks to Catalyst Weekly’s newsletter, which gives a calendar of all the activities going on in the city at the beginning of each week. If you want to learn more about Medellín, check out Medellín Guru's blog post "27 Reasons to Move to Medellín"
My Work
As I mentioned before, I interned with Internships Colombia as a business developer. As a recent college graduate, I was able to leverage my knowledge of the American university system in order to expand the company’s partnerships and marketing efforts abroad. Because Internships Colombia is a smaller international business, I was able to wear a few different hats. I was able to work in designing the Retirement package,which allowed me to I gain experience in business to business marketing, sales, copywriting, and project management. The Retirement package makes it simple for those relocating to Colombia long-term, something I seriously considered doing after my time in Medellin. Fortunately, my internships with Internships Colombia opened the door to my next gig, which will allow me to explain a new part of Latin America.
Many of the friends I met through Internships Colombia have also had success in finding a job after their internship. Internships Colombia makes this easy due to their connections with companies like Colsubsidio, Éxito, and Migración of Colombia. I had other friends who worked as English teachers and they too were able to find other teaching jobs after their internships. Internships Colombia helped me launch my international career, and I wouldn’t be living and working in Latin America today if it wasn’t for my internship.
If you are a university student looking for an internship, a recent graduate looking to start your international career or simply looking for a career change, fill out Internship Colombia’s Interest Form. The team will be in contact with you as soon as possible and lay out their entire process in a straightforward manner. I hope to see you in Colombia soon!
