Lynn T., Former Intern in Barcelona (2011)
From time to time, we like to catch up with our former intern and study abroad candidates. Of course, many have used their experience with Adelante Abroad as a stepping stone onto bigger and better things in their lives. Nothing gives us greater joy than hearing about how their experiences affected and impacted them. The following is an example of this.
When I enrolled for Adelante, I was still in graduate school and my visa in London was running out. I moved over to Barcelona for an internship at a language school for a marketing internship. I had my TEFL certification allowing me to teach English as a foreign language. My marketing internship involved helping set up a website and the growth of how we were going to grow the language school. Because of my TEFL certification, my internship ended up hiring me as an English teacher as well! This was fantastic as I was still in grad school, I had an internship, and I was able to work.
9 months prior to my Adelante internship I had just graduated with my Bachelor degree, and I had already completed 2 internships. Applying for a job was tough. Employers wanted experience, but in order to have experience, you needed experience. It was a never-ending circle. Internships were a great opportunity to gain more experience in the work field that you’re trying to get into. My Adelante internship is the internship that seems to stand out the most on my resume.
When I left Barcelona I had just finished my Master’s Degree. My resume now had 3 internships, a Bachelor Degree and a Master’s Degree yet the thing all employers wanted to discuss, was my internship in Barcelona.
When I left for Barcelona, I went alone. I knew no one there, nor speak the language. Barcelona is in the state of Catalonia so many of the people there speak Catalan as well as Spanish- the two are very hard to tell the difference. Spain also borders France, so many of the locals also spoke French. During my time in Barcelona, Adelante put me in a language school to help me with my Spanish ability. I was able to make friends through my Spanish classes as well as through the internship & job.
Adelante was a great company to go through for an internship. I was placed in a house with locals. They were the loveliest people and the house was close to transportation. The language school that I worked at (and had an internship at) was amazing. The people were so friendly and included me in all activities. I loved every minute spent there.
Living in foreign countries provide a whole new prospective on life. You learn and grow so much as a person. My internship was only the start. This was 5 years ago and I am still living overseas.
I’ve been working in the software industry for the past few years and currently live in Sydney, Australia.
Going to Europe is always a good idea. Barcelona is a great location and easy to get around. If you’re going to do an internship in Barcelona, you’re going to love it.
– Lynn T.
Then: Masters of Organizational and Leadership Studies Management, Azusa Pacific University
Now: International Merchant Sales Specialist, MINDBODY, Inc., Syndey, Australia